Resume

General Skills.

Writing, teaching, public speaking, meeting leadership, parliamentary procedure, research, pastoral counseling; working mainly in religion and related areas: Bible, philosophy, spirituality, theology, comparative religions, mythology, ritual studies, history, literature, and music.

Fund-raising, volunteer and leadership recruitment and training, mostly in the congregational context.

Working knowledge of ancient Greek (Koine), ancient Hebrew, and modern German.

Education.

A.B., The University at Albany (SUNY): 1977
English/Philosophy
Thesis: "Preterition and Election in Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow"

M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary: 1981
Theology
Thesis: "The Evolution of Carl Michalson's Theology"

Continuing Education (partial list):

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Ottawa: 1982.

The Institute of Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton: 1988, 1993.

Academy of Homiletics, Drew University; Madison, NJ: 1988.

Small Church Conference, Stony Point: 1991.

The Summer Liturgical and Pastoral Institute, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Yonkers: 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005.

Regional Conference on the Cell Church, Elizabeth, NJ: 1995.
Celtic Spirituality Conference, Kirkridge: 1996.
Pilgrimage to Iona, Scotland: 1997, 2000.

Spirituality and Theology Conference, Princeton: 1998.

Member of Ossa Cani, a Study Group: 1994-2007.

"We Trust in Jesus Christ" Conference, Princeton: 2002.

Alexander Men Conference, NYC: 2004.

Faith in the Third Millennium Conference, Princeton: 2005.

Transformation and Multicultural Conference, PCUSA, NYC: 2005.

Barth Conference, Center for Barth Studies, Princeton: 2006.

The Ecclesia Project, Summer Gathering, Chicago: 2006.

Prosopon School of Icolongraphy, Princeton: 2007, 2008.

Emerging Church Conference, Albuquerque: 2009.

Courses taken/Lectures attended with (partial list):
Laila Al-Marayati, Diogenes Allen, Richard Barnet, J. Christiaan Beker, Philip Berrigan, Robert Bly, Walter Brueggeman, Frederick Buechner, David Buttrick, Brian Childs, William Sloan Coffin, Harvey Cox, Brian McLaren, Richard Rohr, Shane Claiborne, Kenda Dean, James Emerson, Jim Forest, Matthew Fox, Howard Friend, Beverly Gaventa, Albert Gore, Douglas John Hall, Stanley Hauerwas, Thomas Hopko, George Hunsinger, John Leith, Sam Keen, Christopher Lasch, Paul Lehmann, Eugene Lowry, Elsie McKee, Paul Meyendorf; Daniel Migliore, Paul Molnar, Juergen Moltmann, Philip Newell, Jaroslav Pelikan, Albert Raboteau, Rosemary Ruether, Choon-Leong Seow, Paul Tarazi, Kallistos Ware, John Webster, Walter & June Wink.

Completed weeks one and two of Interim Pastor Training.

Ordination.

Minister of Word and Sacrament, Presbytery of Albany (NY), October 25, 1981 (UPCUSA)

Ministry and Other Work Experience.

1979-1980 Campus Minister, Southampton College & Suffolk County Community College, Southampton, NY

1981-1984 Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Fort Covington, NY*
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Westville, NY*
Pastor, Bombay United Methodist Church, Bombay, NY*

1984-1985 Customer Service Specialist, BayBank/Harvard Trust Co., Arlington, MA

1984-1988 Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Waltham, MA**

1985-1986 Sales Clerk, Barnes & Noble, Waltham, MA

1986-1988 Manager, The Thomas More Bookshop, Cambridge, MA

1988-2000 Pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church, Martinsville, NJ

2000-2003 Interim Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Woodbridge, NJ**

2000-2007 Stated Clerk, The Presbytery of Elizabeth, Plainfield, NJ**

2004-2007 Interim Pastor, Fanwood Presbyterian Church, Fanwood, NJ

2007 Administrator, The Presbytery of Elizabeth, Plainfield, NJ**

2007-2009 Interim Pastor, Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, Pittstown, NJ

* Yoked field ** Part-time

Teaching Experience.

– Written and delivered over 1050 sermons on a weekly basis over 27 years. I have been invited to preach before special groups and local presbyteries.
– Taught Confirmation Classes for teenagers, and Adult Classes in churches for 27 years.
– Presented seminars for various ecclesiastical and community groups on:
Reformed Theology; Celtic Christianity; Presbyterian Polity; The Future of Christianity; Iona: A Journey to Our Presbyterian Roots; Mystical Minimalists: The Music of Arvo Part and John Tavener; An Introduction to Eastern Orthodoxy; The History of Christian Worship; The Christian Sabbath.
– I was a co-leader of a Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic in 1993.

Other Professional Experience.

Assistant Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Northern New York: 1983-1984.
Nominating Committee, Synod of the Northeast: 1982-1983.
Commissioner, Synod of the Northeast: 1987, 1989.
Commissioner, General Assembly, PC(USA): 1990.
Overture Advocate, General Assembly, PC(USA): 1991.

President, Somerville Area Ministerial Association, Somerville, NJ: 1992.
Chair, Congregational Strategy and Resources Unit, Presbytery of Elizabeth: 1990-1996.
Board Member, Somerset County Jail Chaplaincy: 1991-1999, 2003-2006.
Chair, Bills and Overtures Committee, Presbytery of Elizabeth: 1997-2000.
Greystone Administrative Commission, Presbytery of Elizabeth: 1995-1999.
Permanent (Recording) Clerk, Presbytery of Elizabeth: 1999-2000.

Association of Stated Clerks Annual Conference: 2000, 2001.

Fall Polity Conference, PCUSA: 2000, 2002-2006.

Regional Representative, Association of Stated Clerks, PCUSA: 2005-2007.

Publications.

Op-Ed Article, "Two Christmases," in The Boston Globe: December 1986.
Sermon, "Who Art In Heaven," in Best Sermons 6, Harper-Collins Publishers:1993.
Article, "Celtic Resources in Reformed Worship," in Reformed Worship: December 2002.

Article in Church and State, November 2006.

Over fifty regular columns for The Courier-News, Bridgewater, New Jersey.

References.

Elder Sheila Breeding (member of former church)

35 Fairmont Ave., Somerville, NJ 08876

908-722-0862; sbree@allstate.com

Rev. James Reisner (colleague)

85 Chestnut St., Albany, NY 12210

518-436-8544; jimreisner@wpcalbany.org

Rev. Christopher Belden (colleague)

1449 Deer Path, Mountainside, NJ 07092

908-654-9410; chrisbelden@comcast.net