The Mission Study Committee presented their completed Mission Study Report to both our Session and Grace Presbytery in early May. At their monthly meeting May 16, FPC Session approved the report. The following week on May 23, Grace Presbytery approved the report.
Now that the Mission Study Report has been approved, the next step is the election of the Pastor Nominating Committee. This committee is responsible for the creation of the Ministry Information Form (a very detailed job posting) using information from the Mission Study Report, as well as the actual interviewing of candidates for Pastor at FPC. This process takes time. Please continue to read the bulletin and the Bridge for updates from this forthcoming committee.
Rev. Sherrolyn Weed is transferring from Holston Presbytery. She was ordained on November 11, 2000 at Lakeview Presbyterian Church in the Presbytery of South Louisiana. She graduated from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania in 1969. Sherrolyn received her Master of Divinity from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2000. Her first call was to Seven Oaks Presbyterian Church in Columbia South Carolina serving as the Associate Pastor from 2000-04. She had a three-point call serving Carolina, McColl and Clio Presbyterian Churches in Northern South Carolina from 2004-09. From 2009-22 Sherrolyn served as Interim/Supply for Holston Presbytery. She has a brother Laurence Weed and a sister Sandy Cranfill.
Statement of Faith
My faith has been a central part of my life as long as I can remember. My parents were strong believers.
In God and the whole family was very active in our large congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was luckily one of the original LOGOS kids, so we had the advantage of religious instruction one night each week in addition to our Sunday School and worship participation. While each of us had friends outside the congregation at Beulah Presbyterian I think my closest friends were part of the youth group at church.
Worship has always been my favorite part of church and even as children we were expected to be a part of worship leadership. I participated in choir and bell choir, many mission projects and outreach to other congregations in the city. During the racially charged 1960’s our youth group was actively working with several congregations whose membership was primarily African American and we enjoyed the support of our entire congregation.
Both of my parents, my brother, sister and I were ordained elders in our various congregations although I am the only one with an M-Div, the others have different ways to serve.
My personal faith requires a very big triune God, sovereign and creative, compassionate, yet just. In the worship service we are reminded of God’s majesty and power as we call ourselves to worship and praise God’s presence as the object of our worship in words and music.
After God had created a perfectly good universe sin entered through mankind’s disobedience and yet God did not abandon the creation or the human beings who were living in the world God had made. Human beings continued to disobey God and would not accept God’s authority. The problem of sin demanded that humanity somehow be reconciled to God and yet even the most dedicated people throughout history continued to reject God’s love and obey God’s Law.
Prophets and Judges, human rulers and even angel messengers failed to restore the relationship between God and humanity, so God chose to restore the relationship between God and humans with an act of extraordinary compassion. God finally sent God’s own beloved Son in the form of a human child to live and learn, love and teach, and finally to freely accept the sin of all humankind although he, himself, had never sinned at all. Through God’s love and Christ’s willing sacrifice we have been redeemed and all our debt is forgiven. The reminder of that redemption is found in our Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon.
God’s people need to know God better in order to enjoy the relationship that has been established so we study scripture and hear the Word preached each time we worship. We have the opportunity to share with others and affirm God’s relationship with us singly and with our brothers and sisters throughout the world through the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
God calls us to serve others as Jesus did, to contribute our gifts of self and substance, to show hospitality, to care for Creation, to proclaim the good news of God’s salvation to help heal a hurting world and to seek to live our lives as Christ lived his: loving self and others as God loves us.
Gathered together as the Church we seek and find ways to accomplish these tasks. Although we do work God’s purposes out individually, I choose to be part of this denomination because I like our form of government that encourages-even demands that we work together in service, leadership and government.
I have served the Presbyterian Church as a ruling elder in my congregation, as a Minister of Word and Sacrament (now called Teaching Elder), as delegate to Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly. It has been my pleasure to worship as The United Presbyterian Church, The Presbyterian Church US and now the PCUSA. I’m blessed to have worked all of my life and to be able to continue to serve God in this place at this time.
There is much going on in the process of hiring a new minister, and the good works and mission of our church continue. Read more in our April newsletter.
Your voice and participation are vital in the work of hiring a new pastor to lead FPC Granbury. Please consider the following prompts when responding via congregational meeting, email submission, or chat with a Mission Study Committee member.
What has happened so far? The team was selected (Linda Allen, Nancy Bennett, Emily Graham, Darin Smith, and Jim Wallis) and briefed on the scope and responsibilities by a representative of Session (Connie Darne’) and Grace Presbytery Committee on Ministry (Rev. Dr. Michael Waschevski).
What is our first task? We will undergo a comprehensive reflection of the history of our church, review its current status, and set the direction for the future of the congregation in all areas of church life and the community we serve.
How will we do the work? We will invest time in: congregational reflection, gathering and analyzing data (demographics, financial information, church programs and activities, etc.), and envisioning the future of the congregation and its ministries.
How long will it take to produce the Mission Study Report? We have just begun, so we do not have a firm when will it be done answer. We have a detailed checklist for the work ahead, and the time it takes varies by congregation.
How will we communicate with the congregation? We will communicate in every possible way we can, and as often as we can, in whatever medium available. We assure you the communication will be 2-way. Your engagement in the process is the ultimate lynchpin to learning who God is calling and named as our new Pastor.
