New pastor announced at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church
Williamsburg Presbyterian Church announces the election of its new senior pastor, the Reverend Dr. John E. Morgan.
At a May 13 meeting, after a nationwide search, the Pastor Nominating Committee announced its recommendation to the congregation. The members present at this special meeting voted unanimously to approve Pastor Morgan as WPC’s new Pastor/Head of Staff.
John and his wife, Ellen, are leaving First Presbyterian Church of York, a 250 year-old church in York, Pennsylvania, where John has been employed as senior pastor since 1999. They have two children, Erica, a 2011 graduate of Wooster College, and Grace, a junior at Dickinson College.
Ellen enjoys being involved in the church and local community in a variety of ways and is an advocate for the role of children and youth in the church. She loves cooking and believes there is something about God’s gift of food the enables us to share each other’s lives. Interestingly, both Ellen and John are children of Presbyterian ministers. Ellen holds a chemistry degree from Grove City College in Pennsylvania
John believes that having a clear vision enables the congregation to work together toward common goals and accomplish God’s work together. Two or three times a year, he engages in “collaborative” preaching, which involves organizing sermon formation groups of congregation members for six-week sessions of discussions focused on conversation about the scriptures used as the basis for his sermons. John comments, “When members of the congregation participate in the formation of sermons it enables the whole community to hear preaching in a new and effective way. The preacher becomes a witness who speaks on behalf of the people about their experience of God in their lives.”
John’s interests also include helping people understand how responding to God’s generosity through stewardship can deepen their faith and commitment, building a staff team that works well together and serves the various ministries of the congregation, and exploring effective ways of using social media in the church.
Pastor Morgan will deliver his first sermon at WPC on June 23rd. The church is located at 215 Richmond Road, directly across from William and Mary. Services are Sunday, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. WPC welcomes all.