We Have A New Moderator
On the third ballot the 217th General Assembly elected the Rev. Joan Gray to moderate.
Joan S. Gray has served several church in the Atlanta area, most recently as interim pastor of College Park Presbyterian Church. Gray is best known for her work in Presbyterian polity and governance. She is the co-author of Presbyterian Polity for Church Officers. But her supporters speak of her warm personal characteristics in addition to her professional skills. The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta called her “ . . . a healing leader.”
In her speech she stated “Polity is not going to save us. There is one thing will save us and that is faith in a God that makes a way.”
As an interim pastor she sometimes has served conflicted churches. Reflecting on those experiences she said, “It was when we broadened our focus and we threw ourselves on the mercy of Jesus Christ, the Lord and head of the Church . . . that we started to move forward.”
Among her desires is a passion to recapture spiritual energy. She invited the Assembly to jump into the river of God.
When asked what gives her strength in times of despair she quoted from Psalm 139 “If I take the wings of the morning . . your right hand shall hold me fast.”
Rich Z at GA217
Thursday, June 15, 2006
