Summer 2025 Stated Meeting Highlights
The Moderator, Executive Presbyter, and Stated Clerk
Download a printable copy of these highlights.
The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta gathered for its Summer Stated Meeting on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, via Zoom. In total, over 300 people from across the Presbytery and beyond gathered in this electronic forum for this time of work and worship to continue exploring the 2025 theme “Beyond the Building: Living as Grounded Disciples in the World.”Co-hosts for the meeting were Ormewood Church and Zo Presbyterian Church, two new worshiping communities that have been approved for chartering this fall. These communities provided music leadership and liturgy for the meeting, and the meeting offering will support them as they venture out as the newest congregations in the Presbytery.
The meeting was built around Ezra 3:8-13 and Haggai 2:1-9 to look at the experience of God’s people amidst the destruction and reconstruction of our buildings. Rev. Jenelle Holmes, organizing pastor of Ormewood Church, shared her reflections on the Ezra text to explore how even good change involves some element of loss that opens space for deeper joy. Rev. Sarah Lane, organizing pastor of Zo Presbyterian Church, offered a reflection on the Haggai text that lifted up the promises of God for the people to be strong and take courage in God’s presence amidst all that might happen along the way.
The Executive Presbyter developed the theme further, lifting up various ways that God’s people blend mourning for the past with praise for what is to come as is referenced in the story from Ezra. She also introduced a new vision for the organization of the Presbytery’s work with its congregations, the Regional-Strategic Connection Model. Each congregation has been assigned to a region, and each region will have a staff person assigned as a Ministry Connector. The connectors will serve as pollinators to help congregations find connections to one another and to the resources and work of the broader Presbytery. A pastoral leader and other key leader from each congregation and new worshiping community are invited to attend an initial Regional Agape Fellowship Gathering this fall to learn more and begin this work of connecting with one another.
In the business of the meeting, the Presbytery took the following actions:
The Presbytery per capita rate for 2026 was set at $19.50. (The total per capita rate, including General Assembly and Synod, will be published in early September.)
An administrative commission was appointed for Hanbit Presbyterian Church to work with them in response to reports of disorder in the session and congregation.
The Presbytery Manual was amended to adjust the process of appointing an investigating committee to act under Church Discipline.
At the request of the Commission on Ministry, the Presbytery sent a request to the General Assembly for an authoritative interpretation of W-4.0402 around the timing of services of ordination and installation of ministers of the Word and Sacrament.
New members were elected to service on the Nominating Committee and the Examinations Commission.
As part of its support of leaders, the Presbytery approved candidate Eun A. Park for ordination as a minister of the Word and Sacrament, serving as a contract call associate pastor at Korean Community Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Wesley Nichols for transfer from the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians, serving as associate pastor at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Five other ministers beginning their service in the Presbytery were also introduced.
At the recommendation of the Commission on Preparation for Ministry, the Presbytery also approved five people for candidacy:
Patrick Tseng, Atlanta Taiwanese Presbyterian Church
Khai Samte, Shallowford Presbyterian Church
Lucy Baum, Central Presbyterian Church
Samuel Byun, North Avenue Presbyterian Church
Kimberly Parker, Central Presbyterian Church (reinstated)
The Presbytery heard reports of good and faithful ministry from the New Church Development Commission and an update from Council and the Operations Commission on the continuing process of moving toward a long-term sustainable budget.
The Fall Stated Meeting of the Presbytery will be held on Saturday, November 8, beginning at 9:00am, at Columbia Theological Seminary. We look forward to seeing you then!