The Pastor Nominating Committee is pleased and honored to introduce... The Reverend Debbie Whaley Candidate for Head of Staff Candidate Sunday Preaching by The Reverend Debbie Whaley June 18, 10 am Congregational meeting will follow the service to vote on extending a call to Debbie to serve as Head of Staff. Assuming an affirmative vote, a reception will follow on the lawn to welcome her to MWPC.
Dear Members, Family and Friends, The Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) has been meeting for nearly a year with prayer and discernment for God s direction in the call of our next Head of Staff. Our congregation has spoken to us through the Transition Leadership Study as we have considered all the candidates God has placed in our path. We reviewed over 100 files and spent over 3000 hours of time in this search. Our prayers have been answered and have led us to a unanimous decision to extend a call to The Reverend Debbie Whaley. We are honored to introduce you to Debbie, and are eager to have her join us in our faith journey! When we met Debbie in a Skype interview, we were taken by her energy, love for Christ, and deep commitment to bringing the gospel to those who don t yet know Christ s love. With over 15 years of serving in multi-staff churches, she has welcomed many who find themselves outside of the conventional expressions of faith. She is completing her work as the Interim Sr. Pastor at a 900+ member church in Silicon Valley where she used her strategic ability to strengthen the spiritual and organizational life of the church. This resulted in an increase in giving, an energized congregation, and a 2 mission with strategic focus and momentum. Debbie is collaborative, relational and committed to thoughtful change. Her competencies are a great match with those we sought, especially her preaching and worship leadership. Her preaching is extemporaneous, relational, relevant and authentic. She brings the Biblical text alive by highlighting the original context with updates from years of leading pilgrimages to Israel and Palestine. God has brought us a candidate with the skills, talent and desire to navigate the future while honoring our church s history, emerging culture and our community. The committee looks forward to Debbie s interaction with our congregation, growing with us and teaching us new ways to experience and express our faith. In Christ, The Pastor Nominating Committee Back row left to right: Bill Klingeman, Sandy Jones-Croxton, Debra Ruehlman, Ken Hamilton, Jill Moormann (Cincinnati Presbytery Committee on Ministry) Front row, left to right: Theo Tucker, Tari Anderson, Linda Ulrey (PNC Co-Chair), Bill Ryan (PNC Co-Chair)
Debbie Whaley is a native Californian who has always ministered in places where many are indifferent or downright hostile to Christianity. From an early age, her intellectual curiosity led her to investigate the Christian faith and look for ways to share and live out the gospel with those who had little interest or knowledge of Christianity. This life-long journey has convinced her that love is the key. Her passions are helping people experience God s wondrous delight in them, and modeling and encouraging others to share that love in winsome and non-threatening ways. Her own discovery of God s abiding love has been shaped by the challenges she faced, starting with a chaotic family life which led her to cling to Christ at an early age. Debbie with Adam, a Bedouin, and a goat at Mar Saba in the Judean Desert. Like many of us, she juggled the challenges of work and parenthood with the support of abiding friendships formed within the church community. Her long-time small group helped her weather the abrupt change of her marriage eight years ago. Through it all, Christ s love has been the glue that held her together. And it is that love that overflows and forms the foundation of her love for others. Debbie has two grown daughters living in Oklahoma and New York, and is the grand mother of 15 month old Hoagy. She has a great love for Palestine and travels there frequently. She also enjoys cooking, but by far her favorite thing to do is to be with people a walk through the woods, over a cup of coffee or in whatever setting that allows people to come together. Debbie with her daughters, Allison and Sarah, at Christmas time outside Bethlehem. 3
Debbie leads Bible studies for non-christians, regularly opens her home to people from other countries, and journeys with the spiritually wounded who have often been excluded from church life. She reads broadly and is convinced that honest questions and intellectual engagement with the Christian faith are paths to deeper discipleship. In Debbie s words, God s love is a healthy and hospitable hope that the world urgently needs. Not only do God s people need to more fully experience this generous love but they must be empowered to share this love in their communities. Ordained Ministry Experience Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, California, Interim Pastor and Head of Staff to 900+ member congregation located in the heart of Silicon Valley (2015 to present) Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, California, Associate Pastor for Community Life in a 1700+ member church located next to the University of California within a large urban context (2001 2015) Leadership in the Wider Church Popular Retreat Speaker and Israel/Palestine Pilgrimage Leader San Francisco Presbytery, a variety of leadership positions including Presbytery Executive Team, Committee on Preparation for Ministry, Mission Initiatives related to Israel/Palestine, and Administrative Commissions related to Presbytery policies and on mediation teams for churches leaving the Presbytery. PC (USA) member of the Re-Forming Ministry Initiative (2005 2009) 4 With a warm welcome we introduce The Reverend Debbie Whaley to our congregation. Formal Education and Awards San Francisco Theological Seminary, Doctor of Ministry, in progress Program Concentration: Pastor as Spiritual Leader Doctoral Dissertation Topic: The Role of Ritual in Forgiveness San Francisco Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity Concentration in Spirituality and World Christianity Graduated Magna Cum Laude Recipient of Preaching and Alumni Awards Wheaton College, Bachelor of Arts in Communications
person brings to the table. They shared a passion for the church, an enthusiasm for Cincinnati, and a vision for engaging and revitalizing God s mission. It was easy for me to fall in love with them and embrace their hopes for the church. But what about the congregation? Would they have the same vibe? When I visited a few weeks ago, I found that same warmth and joy in worship and coffee hour. I noticed it when I met people in the community. I observed it when I visited the food pantry. You are a church filled with God s love. What sealed the deal for me was watching the confirmands receiving crosses from Cliff Reeder the breadth and depth of the love of God was palpable. It was a snapshot of God s love in all generations. The Reverend Debbie Whaley Dear Friends and Members of Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church, From the moment I read the information on your Church, I knew God was up to something wonderful. I was curious to learn more and eager to meet the people behind the words. When I did, I only felt a stronger pull towards the church. What was it about Mt Washington that grabbed me? First and foremost, it was LOVE the LOVE of God, the LOVE for each other, the LOVE for this wonderful place. As I got to know the PNC, I was blown away by their affection and trust for one another. They are a fun-loving group that respects the unique contribution that each It was moments like these that I knew God was calling me to be part of this church. Side by side, I envision us walking through the joys and challenges, faith and doubts, love and sorrows that shape our lives. Together, I picture us listening for and engaging God s revitalized vision for our church. Invigorated, I see us reaching out even more to help alleviate hunger and the challenges of poverty in our city. And we will do this enveloped in the love and grace of Jesus Christ! I m eager to begin this journey with you. With great joy, Debbie And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more... Philippians 1:9 5
www.mwpc-church.org 513-231-2650 Debbie anticipates starting her ministry with us on September 5, 2017 More on Debbie Whaley: Sermons https://vimeo.com/channels/revdebbiewhaley Blog on Palestine http://palestinianponderings.blogspot.com Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church 6474 Beechmont Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45230