wfn.org | Notes About People

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

15-September-1999 
99304 
 
    Notes About People 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
    The Rev. Janet M. DeVries, associate stated clerk and director of 
administration and assembly services in the Office of the General Assembly 
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has been nominated to be the synod 
executive and stated clerk for the Synod of the Southwest.  The synod will 
vote on her nomination at a special meeting in Tucson, Ariz., Oct. 8. 
    If elected, DeVries will take office Jan. 1, 2000 in Phoenix. 
    DeVries has served in executive and programmatic positions at all 
levels of the PC(USA).  Prior to her three year stint in Louisville, she 
served as general presbyter and stated clerk for Northern Kansas 
Presbytery.  Earlier she was director of seminary relations for McCormick 
Theological Seminary in Chicago. 
    DeVries is a graduate of Hope College and Union Theological Seminary in 
New York.  She holds a D.Min. from McCormick. 
    The Synod of the Southwest encompasses four presbyteries in the states 
of Arizona and New Mexico. 
 
                                  # # # 
 
    Marilie Romig Blanchard, who for a number of years has served as 
associate director for people in mutual mission in the Worldwide Ministries 
Division (WMD) in Louisville, resigned effective Aug. 31. 
    Born in China of missionary parents, Blanchard has devoted most of her 
life to bringing about increased awareness among Presbyterians of the 
global reach of the church.  Prior to her work with WMD, she served as 
associate director for special gifts for The Bicentennial Fund, as a 
mission and stewardship staff person in two synods and as a program 
director for the YWCA and the Girl Scouts. 
    In her WMD, she oversaw a staff of 25 who that coordinated the 
recruitment, assessment, placement, training and field support for more 
than 800 Presbyterian mission workers as well as mission education programs 
of people exchange through travel-study, volunteer service and mission to 
the U.S.A. 
    An ordained Presbyterian elder, Blanchard has also been employed by the 
former Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations (COEMAR), in new 
church development and as program staff of Beacon Neighborhood House on 
Chicago's west side. 
    She is a graduate of the College of Wooster and holds a master's degree 
in public administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. 
    The Rev. Bill Simmons, former PC(USA) missionary to Congo/Zaire, is 
serving as interim associate director until Blanchard's successor is found. 
 
                                  # # # 
 
    Fritz Nelson began his responsibilities as Associate for Colleges and 
Universities and general secretary of the Association of Presbyterian 
Colleges and Universities on September 1. 
    He had been serving for more than three years in a part-time position 
with APCU with 
responsibilities for research, information technology, and publications. 
He succeeds the Rev. William D. Peterson, who is currently pastor of Salem 
(Ind.) Presbyterian Church. 
    Nelson is a graduate of the College of Wooster and Louisville 
Presbyterian Theological Seminary. 
 
                                  # # # 
 
    The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has announced 
the appointments of two new regional representatives. 
    The Rev. James W. Graham will serve the region including the Synods of 
Covenant and Lincoln Trails.  Paul G. Moon, the current regional 
representative there, will work exclusively with the Korean non-geographic 
presbyteries.  Graham, of Cincinnati, has served Presbyterian churches in 
Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois.  He has also served as chaplain and 
director of program services at Llanfair Retirement Community, part of the 
Ohio Presbytery Retirement Services, and most recently as chaplain and 
director of spiritual services at Maple Knoll Village, also in Cincinnati. 
Joyce L. Woodall succeeds Shirley Wooden, who retired as the regional 
representative for the Synods of the Southwest and the Sun.  Woodall of 
Stafford, Texas, has most recently been serving as a development officer 
for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the Synod of the Sun. 
Graham and Woodall will assume their responsibilities within their regions 
September 27, 1999. 
 
                                  # # # 
 
    The Rev. Patrice Rosner of St. Louis, a Christian Church (Disciples of 
Christ) publishing executive, has been named of director of ministries in 
Christian education for the National Council of Churches (NCC).  She will 
begin her service with the NCC on Jan. 1, 2000. 
    Ministries in Christian Education embraces some fifteen ministries 
touching a wide range of educational and advocacy issues, including public 
education, justice for children and their families, Black congregational 
ministry, ministry with persons who have disabilities, outreach to the deaf 
community and a new program exploring how congregations can nurture the 
spiritual development of their members. 
    Rosner has served the Christian Board of Publication (CBP), the 
Christian Church (Disciples) publishing arm headquartered in St. Louis, for 
22 years. 
 
                                  # # # 
 
    Martin E. Marty, writer, theologian and distinguished authority on 
American religious tradition, will be a featured speaker at the Religion 
Communication Congress (RCC) 2000.  This international, multifaith 
gathering will be held in Chicago, March 29-April 1, 2000 and is expected 
to draw more than 1,500 religion communicators from around the globe. 
    Marty  is a contributing editor to "The Christian Century" and to 
"Context," which examines the interaction of religion and culture. 
    Born in Nebraska in 1928, Marty was ordained in the ministry in 1952. 
He served for a decade as a Lutheran pastor before joining the University 
of Chicago faculty in 1963. He recently retired from the university after a 
35-year career teaching in the schools of divinity, medicine and arts and 
sciences.  His academic awards include 56 honorary degrees, the National 
Humanities Medal (1997), the National Book Award (1972) and the Medal of 
the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1995). 

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