Presbytery of Greater Atlanta - Press Announcement

The Council prayed, read scripture and deliberated for several hours to make staffing decisions in accordance with the authority granted to it at the October 2 meeting of presbytery.   

There was universal agreement and appreciation for all the current staff but also a frank realization that we needed to proceed.  

We moved forward in filling the following positions from the Organizational Chart adopted at Presbytery on October 2.  Staff were offered and accepted these positions immediately following the Council meeting.

Please welcome and celebrate the new roles our staff will be filling:

·  Neema Cyrus-Franklin will serve as our Communications Director

·  Donna Wells continues to serve as our Acting Stated Clerk

·  Gay Alston will serve as our Office Administrator

·  Gwen Hairston continues to serve as our Bookkeeper 

·  Mardee Rightmyer will serve as a part time Congregational Consultant 

• Cassandra Morrow will serve as a full time Congregational Consultant 
• Penny Hill will serve as a full time Congregational Consultant

In accordance to the Presbytery decisions regarding the congregational consultant positions the Council plans to initiate the process of calling two Associate Presbyters for Congregational Growth and Vitality no later than the end of 2012. At that time presbytery will form search committees to conduct a search process in accordance with provisions in the Book of Order.  Cassandra Morrow and Penny Hill will be eligible to apply.

Unfortunately there were not enough positions for all our current staff.  

Forrest Palmer and Mary Dyche will no longer be serving as Presbytery staff.  Council is very grateful for the year of service Mary Dyche offered the presbytery, and the staff will miss her faithful vibrant presence.

Council offered universal acclaim and thanksgiving for all the many years of faithful and fruitful service Forrest Palmer offered Jesus Christ through the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.  We know that the presbytery staff will miss him and that our congregations will suffer from the loss of his service.

I know you will offer many prayers for them both.  I hope also you will take time to write them to express your thanksgiving to God for their service.

We hope to recognize Forrest Palmer's ministry at the November meeting of Presbytery.

The presbytery would like to invite individuals and congregations to send in monetary gifts to the Presbytery office for Forrest Palmer that we might give to him by the end of November. Please make checks payable to the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta and indicate "Forrest Palmer Thanksgiving Offering account 801526" in the memo.

Please be patient with the presbytery office for the next few months.  We will be operating with four less full time staff than we did a year ago. However, the staff met for four hours today to ensure a smooth transition for key ministry areas.  

The Council and the staff are very excited about this new plan. We believe it will help the Living Waters of Jesus Christ to more richly flow from our small, medium, and large congregations.  We are thrilled with the opportunity to serve all of our congregations more directly by spending more time in your churches listening to your needs and providing important tools and resources you request.

Peace,

Tom Evans 

Executive Presbyter for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta