First Presbyterian Church |
Corry, Pennsylvania |
Introduces our new Pastor |
 |
| Rev. Karen B. Anderson |
EDUCATION
Honor Graduate
Therrell High School
Atlanta, GA
1978 - BS in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from
Edinboro Univ. of PA
1997 – M. Div from
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary – recipient of a President’s Scholarship, the James Purdy Scholarship for academic excellence as a first year student, and the Jackson Hale Memorial Senior Prize for Polity
WORK EXERIENCE
1978-86 - Pastor Karen taught in elementary schools in Woodstock, GA.
1989-94 - Pastor Karen served as Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Erie, PA.
1995-1997 – Pastor Karen served as Director of Christian Education at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Erie, PA.
1997-present – Pastor Karen has served as the pastor of the United Presbyterian Church in Randolph, NY.
HISTORY
Pastor Karen considers herself a southern “Bell” (her maiden name) even though she was the first baby born in 1948 in the state of New Jersey.
She spent her childhood somewhere in Germany or Georgia (her parents’ home state), as an “Army brat.” Most of her adult life she has lived in Pennsylvania.
She is one of two daughters. Her sister lives in Huntsville, AL. Pastor Karen’s southern accent has been known to return when she visits there and then disappears when she heads north.
Pastor Karen attended Protestant military chapels most of her childhood. At the age of eleven, she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior at a neighborhood Bible school. In 1969, she joined a church for the first time – Pleasantville Presbyterian Church in Pleasantville, PA. Over the years, that church ordained her as both a deacon and an elder
MINISTRY STYLE
Pastor Karen’s ministry style is relational. She believes in following Paul’s style of ministry as found in 1Thessalonians 2:1-12. Her first goal is to seek God’s direction and please God in all she does. She says,
“A large part of ministry is nurture, through education and pastoral care. God has equipped me with gifts that make this a natural part of my ministry. Ministry does not just happen. It is the result of diligence and hard work. I know from my experience that one must be organized, a skill God has cultivated in me over the last sixteen years. Ministry is a partnership between the congregation and the pastor. A pastor is to encourage, comfort and by example challenge the congregation to ‘live lives worthy of God’. People don’t care what you know till they know that you care! The goal of all ministry is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and to bring glory to God. This is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit. My personal spiritual discipline includes Bible and devotional readings as well as prayer journaling. This helps me stay connected to God’s enabling power.”
FAMILY /FUN
Pastor Karen and her husband David
March 2002
Pastor Karen and David will be married twelve years in July. An Erie native, Dave retired in November of 2000 after thirty-seven years of service to General Electric.
They have a “twice blended” family that includes seven adult children, two daughters-in-law, two sons-in-law and five grandchildren. They are expecting two more grandchildren this fall.
Three of their children live in Pittsburgh, one in Girard, PA, one in Greeley, CO, one in Chicago, IL and one in Raleigh, NC.
It is party time whenever the whole family is able to gather.
Pastor Karen and David Anderson's Family
For recreation Pastor Karen likes to walk, read science fiction and fantasy novels, and do needlework such as crocheting, knitting, and quilting. She and David enjoy going to concerts, plays and musicals and visiting their children and grandchildren.
David is an avid Pittsburgh Penguins fan and loves cars. This past summer he finally got his dream car – a new Mustang GT convertible. Since, surviving a heart attack in November 2002, Dave has become an expert at heart healthy nutrition and exercises religiously on his treadmill and Cross Bow strength trainer. He and Pastor Karen bought bicycles for their last anniversary and look forward to using them to explore the bike trails in the area.
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