TPC Welcomes 2 New Parish Associates
You may first find yourself asking – but what IS a parish associate?
The term “Parish Associate” refers to an ordained PC(USA) pastor who is a participant in a congregation, but not serving in an Installed Pastoral role. Parish Associates have completed the same education and training that our pastors have and yet are currently either retired or working and serving in other ways. We already know and love Mary and Roger, so this new title might seem a little funny to some. But welcoming them as Parish Associates formalizes their role here among us, gives them an official relationship with session, honors the gifting and call God has placed on their lives–and blesses us!
And now here’s…Mary Gaut!
MARY GAUT is happy to call TPC her “home congregation” now that she is retired from parish ministry. Her ties to TPC go all the way back to 1991 when her son was enrolled in our Preschool. Through the years she has developed relationships with many in the congregation. She holds degrees from Mary Baldwin College and University of Texas at Austin and worked in the areas of journalism and political PR in Texas before sensing a call to ministry. After receiving her M.Div from Princeton Seminary she served congregations in Kentucky and Maryland, including 20 years as pastor of Maryland Presbyterian Church in Towson. She retired from pastoral ministry to serve as the interim General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Baltimore 2015-16 and is now back at the Presbytery as the Stated Clerk. She was a 2014 GreenFaith fellow and served for six years on the Board of Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (IPC) including three years as Chairperson. She believes that environmental stewardship is a core dimension of Christian discipleship and looks forward to continued work with the TPC Earth Corp. She lives in Towson with her husband Rocky. Between them they have five children, seven grandchildren, and share their home with their cat Lena. Welcome to your new role, Mary! We are grateful and blessed to have you with us.
…and Roger Rice!
ROGER RICE is a retired Presbyterian minister, environmental advocate, ceramic artist, a former marriage & family therapist, and a former Peace Corps volunteer. He lives in Ellicott City, Maryland with his wife Judy and their Labrador / Great Pyrenees dog, Brodie. He is the father of two grown sons, and grandfather to Sawyer and Jameson. He has helped start two environmental groups, and has served churches in the Chicago, Buffalo, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Baltimore areas. He holds degrees from Ohio University, McCormick Theological Seminary and Chicago Theological Seminary, and holds a certificate in spiritual direction.