New in town: First Presbyterian welcomes minister
Rev. Winston Lawson
The First Presbyterian Church, at 60 Bell Blvd. N., has a new minister and the public is being invited to meet him at a worship service Sunday morning.
He is the Rev. Winston Lawson, who came out of retirement to begin preaching at the church earlier this month.
He replaces the Rev. Craig Countiss, who retired in December after preaching at the church for six years, according to Elder Chuck Lantz.
“It was funny how we met Rev. Lawson,” Lantz said. “He and his wife had moved to Lehigh Acres and he came to one of our services back in the fall. He was a retired Presbyterian minister and when we found that out, we invited him back for coffee, and coaxed him to become our new minister. We are very happy to welcome Rev. Lawson to our community and to our church.”
Lawson and his wife, Verona, who is a psychiatrist with a practice in Lehigh, have settled in Lehigh.
MEL TOADVINE Discussing church business is the Rev. Winston Lawson, seated, and Elder Chuck Lantz, who is one of six elders at the First Presbyterian Church in Lehigh.
They have two grown children who live in the Washington, D.C., area. The couple moved from Atlanta for Lawson’s retirement.
“I didn’t know I was going to be called back into the ministry,” Lawson laughed, as he spoke about meeting the people of the congregation and Lantz.
Prior to Lawson’s accepting the position but after Countiss’ retirement, church services were held Sundays with ministers provided by the Presbytery, which consists of 38 churches including the elders and ministers. In Presbyterian churches, it is an administrative body representing all the local congregations of a district.
“They provided us with ministers each Sunday while we had a search committee through the six elders of the church that was ongoing,” Lantz said.
Lawson ministered in Atlanta for 13 years before retiring.
“You could say that I am coming out of retirement again,” Lawson laughed.
“Since his arrival at our church as our pastor, I have noted more people coming to our worship service, just something I have observed,” said Lantz. “The church as a congregation membership of around 100 and most are active.”
Lawson is in the midst of reviewing what he, the elders and congregation want to do in the future. While there is a service at 10 a.m. Sundays, the possibility of a Sunday School for adults and children could be offered.
Lawson attended the Pittsburgh Presbyterian Seminary and has his master’s degree in theology. He strongly believes in education and that is part of the some of the planning that may be included in future activities for the church.
He said all ministers of the Presbyterian Church must attend one of the many Presbyterian Seminaries across the country.
Lawson said Presbyterian ministers preach the Word of God from the Old and New Testaments and that the Presbytery provides calendars throughout the year with suggestions for sermons based on certain passages of the Bible. Such is the case, according to Lawson, when he pointed to a calendar by the Presbytery that suggested certain Bible verses from the Old and New Testaments that sermons could be built around. But ministers may also choose other verses to build their sermons upon.
“They are referred to as Lectionary readings,” he said.
Lawson says he would love to meet many of the other clergy in Lehigh and work together to help make a difference in Lehigh.
“We are ecumenical and we are open to everybody and we believe in working together with all peoples. We need all to come together,” he said.
At 70, Lawson may be past the normal retirement age.
“We like Lehigh and I think we can do great things in the community working with the other churches,” Lawson said.
-
- MEL TOADVINE Discussing church business is the Rev. Winston Lawson, seated, and Elder Chuck Lantz, who is one of six elders at the First Presbyterian Church in Lehigh.
New in town: First Presbyterian welcomes minister
Rev. Winston Lawson
The First Presbyterian Church, at 60 Bell Blvd. N., has a new minister and the public is being invited to meet him at a worship service Sunday morning.
He is the Rev. Winston Lawson, who came out of retirement to begin preaching at the church earlier this month.
He replaces the Rev. Craig Countiss, who retired in December after preaching at the church for six years, according to Elder Chuck Lantz.
“It was funny how we met Rev. Lawson,” Lantz said. “He and his wife had moved to Lehigh Acres and he came to one of our services back in the fall. He was a retired Presbyterian minister and when we found that out, we invited him back for coffee, and coaxed him to become our new minister. We are very happy to welcome Rev. Lawson to our community and to our church.”
Lawson and his wife, Verona, who is a psychiatrist with a practice in Lehigh, have settled in Lehigh.
MEL TOADVINE Discussing church business is the Rev. Winston Lawson, seated, and Elder Chuck Lantz, who is one of six elders at the First Presbyterian Church in Lehigh.
They have two grown children who live in the Washington, D.C., area. The couple moved from Atlanta for Lawson’s retirement.
“I didn’t know I was going to be called back into the ministry,” Lawson laughed, as he spoke about meeting the people of the congregation and Lantz.
Prior to Lawson’s accepting the position but after Countiss’ retirement, church services were held Sundays with ministers provided by the Presbytery, which consists of 38 churches including the elders and ministers. In Presbyterian churches, it is an administrative body representing all the local congregations of a district.
“They provided us with ministers each Sunday while we had a search committee through the six elders of the church that was ongoing,” Lantz said.
Lawson ministered in Atlanta for 13 years before retiring.
“You could say that I am coming out of retirement again,” Lawson laughed.
“Since his arrival at our church as our pastor, I have noted more people coming to our worship service, just something I have observed,” said Lantz. “The church as a congregation membership of around 100 and most are active.”
Lawson is in the midst of reviewing what he, the elders and congregation want to do in the future. While there is a service at 10 a.m. Sundays, the possibility of a Sunday School for adults and children could be offered.
Lawson attended the Pittsburgh Presbyterian Seminary and has his master’s degree in theology. He strongly believes in education and that is part of the some of the planning that may be included in future activities for the church.
He said all ministers of the Presbyterian Church must attend one of the many Presbyterian Seminaries across the country.
Lawson said Presbyterian ministers preach the Word of God from the Old and New Testaments and that the Presbytery provides calendars throughout the year with suggestions for sermons based on certain passages of the Bible. Such is the case, according to Lawson, when he pointed to a calendar by the Presbytery that suggested certain Bible verses from the Old and New Testaments that sermons could be built around. But ministers may also choose other verses to build their sermons upon.
“They are referred to as Lectionary readings,” he said.
Lawson says he would love to meet many of the other clergy in Lehigh and work together to help make a difference in Lehigh.
“We are ecumenical and we are open to everybody and we believe in working together with all peoples. We need all to come together,” he said.
At 70, Lawson may be past the normal retirement age.
“We like Lehigh and I think we can do great things in the community working with the other churches,” Lawson said.
-
- MEL TOADVINE Discussing church business is the Rev. Winston Lawson, seated, and Elder Chuck Lantz, who is one of six elders at the First Presbyterian Church in Lehigh.
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