Fall Stated Meeting Highlights
The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta gathered for its Fall Stated Meeting on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Columbia Theological Seminary. In total, over 240 people from across the Presbytery and beyond gathered for this time of work and worship to continue exploring the 2025 theme “Beyond the Building: Living as Grounded Disciples in the World.”
The meeting’s scriptural focus was around John 2:13-25 and Ephesians 3:13-21 as we examined the experience of reimagining God’s presence in the world. Rev. Damon Williams, Senior Pastor at the Providence Missionary Baptist Church in southwest Atlanta, offered a sermon on John 2:13-25 entitled “Comfortable Spaces Corrupt Spirits.” He explored how Jesus came to transform the temple and invited the Presbytery to move from transaction to transformation, from production to presence, from commodity to covenant, from imperial logic to divine will, and from consumption to conviction.
The Executive Presbyter focused on Ephesians 3:13-21 and guided the Presbytery in reflection on this text that has been at the center of the Presbytery’s process of transformation over the last eighteen months. In the Council report, the Presbytery approved a new staffing model for the Presbytery that embodies this transformation with a shift from Congregational Consultants to Ministry Connectors. These connectors will serve as pollinators to help congregations find connections to one another and to the resources and work of the broader Presbytery. This new approach will encourage congregations and leaders to connect with one another and support the broader goal of a shift to a sustainable budget in the coming years.
In other business at the meeting, the Presbytery took the following actions:
Nearly sixty people were elected to service on the Presbytery’s committees and commissions, including the commissioners and young adult advisory delegate to the 227th General Assembly (2026).
The Presbytery recognized the final worship service for the Timberridge Presbyterian Church on Sunday, October 26, and appointed an administrative commission to guide the next steps with the dissolution and property.
The administrative commission for Hanbit Presbyterian Church gave an update on their work and received permission to act on behalf of the Presbytery to begin the process to dissolve the pastoral relationship and the congregation there if need be.
Several amendments to the Presbytery Manual were approved, including the creation of a Committee on Participation and Representation that combines the responsibilities of the Nominating Committee and the Committee on Representation.
The Presbytery sent a request to the General Assembly for an authoritative interpretation of G-1.0104 related to new Book of Order language and requirements for worshiping communities.
As part of its support of leaders, the Presbytery approved candidates Evans Baah Mintah and Emily Avant for ordination as minister of the Word and Sacrament in validated ministry roles. It also approved receiving Revs. Grace Lo Rohrer and Thelma Goodrum by transfer from other denominations. At the recommendation of the Commission on Preparation for Ministry, the Presbytery also approved Gina Brown (Decatur) and Rachel Lee (Atlanta Taiwanese) for candidacy. The Presbytery heard reports of good and faithful ministry from the New Church Development Commission and an update from the Operations Commission on Presbytery finances, along with an encouragement for congregations to continue and grow their faithful giving to the Presbytery.
The meeting closed by remembering the ruling elders and ministers who died over the past year and in the sharing of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, led by Revs. Christine Yoder and Jake Myers from the faculty of Columbia Theological Seminary.
The Winter Stated Meeting of the Presbytery will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, beginning at 9:00am, at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. We look forward to seeing you then!