Introducing Rev. Howard Reed
We are pleased to announce that Rev. Howard Reed will serve as our interim pastor from January 1 through June 30, 2024,
Rev. Reed earned his B.S. in Education with honors from the University of Texas, Austin in 1976. He stayed in Austin, earning his Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1982. Since then he has served churches in Texas, Ohio, the United Kingdom, Oklahoma and Arkansas, and over the last 13 years, he has been the interim pastor at seven churches.
Much of Rev. Reed’s community service has focused on children, and he has run in several marathons to raise funds for charitable causes. He is very interested in music, reading, hiking, and travel—he has visited 30 foreign countries and 48 U.S. states for leisure, education, and community service. The 10 months following his seminary graduation included touring/hitchhiking for three months through western Europe, working on a kibbutz for two months in Israel; spending one or two weeks each at the ecumenical communities of Iona, Scotland, Taize, France, Corrymeela, Northern Ireland, and Agape, Italy; and visiting and worshipping in 40 cathedrals. He has also led mission work trips to Mexico, Honduras, the Gulf Coast, Fort Worth, Texas, and rural West Virginia.
In his candidate Introduction, Rev. Howard wrote:
WHAT I HOPE FOR…
In my next call I want to grow the Church in faith and membership. A good match would be with a body described by some or all of the following:
A faith community convinced of the authority of God's Word in scripture, sacraments, and sermon as means of salvation and guide for faith and life (Ref. Confession of 1967, 9.29 and 9.30)
A body that truly wants to glorify and enjoy God, and grow in numbers of new disciples and in stewardship of money for God's work, whether currently in a position of fiscal strength or fiscal distress
A singing and music-loving people, embracing old and new music and blended worship
An inclusive body of believers, reaching out in mission in Christ's name to give Good News pro-actively to the poor, the stranger, visitors, and captives to any power that seeks to hurt or destroy people
There will be a church luncheon following the morning worship service on January 7 to commemorate Rev. Howard’s first Sunday with us. Please plan to come to this celebration!