wfn.org | Notes about People

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

17-December-1997 
97477 
 
                       Notes about People 
 
                      by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
    The Worldwide Ministries Division has selected Douglas Welch to serve 
as coordinator for central and west Africa, effective Jan. 1, 1998.  He 
succeeds the Rev. Hunter Farrell, who is leaving to take a post as a 
mission co-worker in Peru. 
    Welch, a Presbyterian elder with master's degrees in forest resources 
and conservation and international development, began his church work in 
Africa in 1977 with the Presbyterian Community of Congo (formerly Zaire) 
working in community development.  After seven years in Zaire, he served 
eight years in Malawi with the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 
(Blantyre Synod).   While in Malawi, Welch served as a southern Africa 
regional representative of the PC(USA) in community-based development and 
facilitated development initiatives within Blantyre Synod as well.  He 
speaks English, French, Tshiluba and Chichewa. 
 
                              # # # 
 
    The Board of Pensions has hired five new regional representatives as 
part of the reorganization of its service delivery to plan members 
throughout the country.  The new regional representatives are the Rev. 
Steven Robert Fleming, the Rev. Mark T. Frey, the Rev. Mary Lynn "Minner" 
Serovy, T. Clark Simmons and Patricia Gill Turner. 
    The regional representatives will head the board's new cross-functional 
service teams.  The expansion in the corps of regional representatives will 
produce smaller regions, with the new boundaries based on the number of 
active and retired plan members, presbyteries, congregations, and volume of 
medical claims and telephone calls. 
    The regional line-up: the Synod of the Trinity (Pennsylvania and West 
Virginia) -- Fleming; the Synods of Alaska-Northwest, the Rocky Mountains 
and part of the Pacific (Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, 
Colorado and eastern Oregon) -- Frey; the Synods of Southern California and 
Hawaii and part of the Pacific (California, Hawaii, Nevada and western 
Oregon) -- the Rev. Janice Willette; the Synods of Lakes and Prairies and 
Mid-America (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, 
Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri) -- Serovy; the Synod of the Northeast 
(Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, 
Massachussetts and New Jersey) -- Simmons; the Synod of Puerto Rico and 
Spanish speaking members -- the Rev. Ernesto Badillo; the Synod of Living 
Waters and part of the Synod of the Sun (Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, 
Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana) -- Turner; the Presbyterian Center in 
Louisville -- Sue Lutz; the Synods of the Covenant and Lincoln Trails 
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio) -- the Rev. Paul G. Moon; the Synod 
of the Mid-Atlantic ( Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and 
Washington, D.C.) -- the Rev. Mills J. Peebles; the Synod of South Atlantic 
(Florida, Georgia and South Carolina) -- the Rev. Robert B. Smith; and the 
Synods of the Southwest and part of the Sun ( New Mexico, Arizona, Texas 
and Oklahoma) -- the Rev. Shirley Wooden. 
 
                              # # # 
 
    Veteran religious communicator the Rev. Dennis C. Benson, producer of 
the "PASSAGES" radio program, received a special Innovator Award from the 
North American Broadcast Section of the World Association of Christian 
Communication at its annual convention Dec. 11 in Miami. 
    Benson, the driving force behind the creation of the Presbyterian Media 
Mission in Pittsburgh, is currently working on a new series of religious 
programs for cable television and has written and/or produced hundreds of 
radio and television programs for various religious groups. 
    Benson lives in West Olive, Mich., and is a member of Lake Michigan 
Presbytery. 

------------
For more information contact Presbyterian News Service
  phone 502-569-5504             fax 502-569-8073  
  E-mail PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org   Web page: http://www.pcusa.org 
  mailed from World Faith News <wfn-news@wfn.org>  

--