SENIOR MINISTER SEARCH

A Message from Rev. Chrissy Tatum Williamson

Hello First Congo! I am so pleased to have been presented to you for call as your next Senior Pastor. I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of your beloved pastor, Reverend Rich Kirchherr. I am excited to join your gifted team of clergy and staff, celebrating the longevity of relationships and ministries that you have nurtured over the years. 

Please allow me to share a bit about myself and know that I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you. 

Formal Education  

Union Theological Seminary, New York City, NY Master of Arts in Theology & Ethics (2011)  

Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Winston Salem, NC Master of Divinity (2009)  

Furman University, Greenville, SC Bachelor of Arts, French & Sociology (2006) 

I am a minister of the Gospel. 

I am called by the creative Spirit of God for the renewal of the church as a place of courageous welcome and boundless hospitality. I am emboldened by the need for prophetic voices of compassion, justice, and liberation in public life; and I am committed to the transformation of the world through the love of God and communion of the local church. I have been formed by the local churches of my youth and institutions of higher learning. 

I am grateful to the faithful Sunday School teachers, lay leaders, and pastors of the three churches my family attended in my formative years. Their lessons, sermons, and examples of Christ-like sacrifice embodied beloved community and nurtured gifts in me that pointed me toward ordained Christian ministry. I count it an incredible privilege to have studied alongside creative and life-giving friends and under brilliant and inspiring faculty at Furman University, Wake Forest, and Union Theological Seminary. I am called to lead congregations of beloved community who are deeply committed to service and public witness. Thus far, I have served three churches in major metropolitan cities. 

My initial call was to serve as Associate Director of Young Adult Ministries, with Riverside Church in New York City. Riverside is an inter-denominational Christian Church affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the progressive American Baptist Church. In that role I established a Sunday school class for young adults, created and led a coffee house, and organized other faith formation and fellowship opportunities. Three months into that call, my role expanded to include the title, Interim Director of Worship. In this position I designed, implemented and evaluated all aspects of worship. 

My second call took me to Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, a church belonging to the Alliance of Baptists, Welcoming and Affirming Baptists tradition. While initially hired to serve as Youth Minister, my 8.5 year tenure included a lot of transition and enabled me to grow significantly in my gifts of ministerial leadership. After several years leading more than 100 youth and their families, I was asked to serve as Minister of Faith Formation and then Associate Minister. In the latter role, I functioned as the executive pastor, leading the staff team and lay leadership bodies. I was responsible for adult faith formation, communications, technology, and advocacy. During that time, I also had the privilege of working with guest speakers like Richard Rohr, Glennon Doyle, John Dominic Crossan, Miguel de la Torre, and David Brooks.  

I created podcast series and new models for education on complex issues of faith like, racism, justice for immigrants and newcomers, and understanding the human body as an integral piece of the spiritual journey. I came to love preaching regularly and developed gifts for intergenerational pastoral care. During the latter years of my second call, I discerned a call to the pastorate and this discernment led me to my current call. 

Today I serve as the Senior Pastor for Greystone Baptist Church, in Raleigh North Carolina. Greystone is affiliated with another progressive arm of the Baptist tradition – the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. I am proud to say that this congregation called me as their first female Senior Pastor in November of 2018. I lead a wonderful staff that includes three clergy, a Ministry and Communications Assistant, Property Manager, Music Director and Weekday Preschool Director. As I joined the church, Greystone desired a strong leader to help renew their governance model, clarify their unique identity, and create a clear mission and vision. The church needed leadership navigating conversations around key issues (sexuality, race, etc.) with grace and compassion. The church is now set to vote to adopt a new statement of welcome, making our welcoming and affirming stance for LGBTQ+ persons clear and public. 

As this congregation prepares to adopt this new welcoming statement, we mark a critical transition point in our shared ministry. It is a time of endings and new beginnings. Seeing that transition on the horizon, I have begun to discern this new call. I am energized by the dynamic community of faith I have come to know at First Congo; and I am excited about the future that God has in store for us together. 

Here is just a bit about me personally. 

I am happily married to my husband Justin. We have one daughter Mia, who is 11 years old and in 6th grade. Together, we love to be outdoors, camp, ride bikes, read books, garden, or just play in the dirt. I am a life-long learner with a passion for social justice. When I am not working, you can often find me listening to a variety of music artists, including but not limited to, the Chicks, Hootie and the Blowfish, Lady Gaga, and Chris Stapleton. 

You might ask: are we really ready for a move and as we move, are we ready to come north? First, I have been feeling the Spirit move for some time now, sensing that it is time for me to move onward. I will be leaving my congregation in a very good position as we come to the end of some significant shared work. Second, everything my family and I have seen and felt affirms this call. We are excited to join your welcoming congregation and the lovely communities surrounding First Congo. Lastly, Justin and I are under strict orders from Mia that if we are to be called to a new city, a new church and new congregation, we must move to a place with snow! (I think you have that covered.) 

Let me close by again saying that I am energized by the dynamic community of faith at First Congo; and I am excited about the future that God has in store for us together. I am honored to be considered to serve as your next Senior Pastor. 

Rev. Chrissy Tatum Williamson