Leadership
Leadership
Mary Newbern-Williams is the Covenant Pastor for our congregation. She is Honorably Retired with the PCUSA and an experienced church executive and pastor. She was ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (“PCUSA”) and has served throughout the United States and abroad on each council of the PCUSA; namely, executive presbyter, associate executive presbyter, pastor, and chaplain. Also, she has led short-term mission special mission delegations abroad for presbyteries. Her service in various positions has taken her and her family to Southern California, Louisville, KY, Birmingham, AL, Virginia Beach, VA, St. Louis, MO, Springfield, MO, and Omaha, NE. She has been serving First United as Covenant Pastor since September 2021.
Mary’s volunteer and elected leadership for the PCUSA has included: Delegate and Women’s Pre-Conference Leader and Bible Study Facilitator for the PCUSA in Accra, Ghana for the WARC (now WCRC) 24th General Assembly; Commissioner to General Assembly for the PCUSA; Delegation leader to the Democratic Republic of Congo; Mission Research team to the Democratic Republic of Congo; mission education participant to Kenya and Ghana; leader/participant to Guyana for the WARC (now WCRC) planning project; mission participant with a delegation and preacher in Nicaragua; Continuing Education participant in the Jordan, Switzerland, and France. She has chaired committees for General Assembly, Synod, Presbytery, and Community Organizations around the nation.
Mary is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace University in Ohio and Princeton Theological Seminary, where she completed the M.A. in Christian Education and the M. Div. in Theology and Pastoral Care. She has taken courses toward a D. Min. in Urban Ministry. She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from a PCUSA college when she served the National Office in Higher Education for the Presbyterian Church. Mary has always been active and deeply involved in community organizations and activities wherever she has served.
Her commitment to ecumenical, interreligious, and international activities has resulted in presbytery partnerships with international partners (Democratic Republic of Congo), funding for special programs, and opportunities for new and emerging leadership. She serves and has served on boards and committees, which support and promote justice, education, leadership, and youth ministry; in addition, she has provided service and time for programs and ministries that service abused women and children.
Mary is (lovingly called “Rev. Mary or Dr. Mary” by many, and she is the mother of three adult children, two sons and one daughter. She comments with pride that the family now resides within twenty minutes of each other in the same city, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
OFFICERS & STAFF
Musician
Elder Gregory McCallum
Organist
Ms. Carol Ormond
Clerk of Session
Elder Charlene Motley
Assistant to Clerk
Elder Linda Gueringer
Financial Secretary
Deacon LaVerne Carter
Treasurer
Mrs. Chandra Easter
Secretary
Elder Evalyn Page
Sexton
Deacon Bernard Haskell
Lead Prespreter for Vision & Collaboration
Submit a prayer request
Each Monday at 6:30pm, the Prayer Team at First United enters the church sanctuary to pray for the concerns of the people. We urge you to join us in praying for the prayer listing below.
If you would like to submit a confidential prayer request, please submit your request in the prayer request box or send it by email to info@fucp.org
First United does not own the rights to the recorded music or any music that is played. It is for worship and praise.
with the Pastor, Rev. Mary Newbern-Williams.