Type to search

Oakhurst Presbyterian Church has a new senior pastor

Decatur Trending

Oakhurst Presbyterian Church has a new senior pastor

[adsanity id=”53551″ align=”aligncenter” /]

Rev. Amantha L. Barbee. Photo provided to Decaturish.
Share

 

Want to shop local? Check out our new business directory! Click here to see what our advertisers have to offer. 

The congregation of Oakhurst Presbyterian Church in Decatur has a new senior pastor.

The church has selected Rev. Amantha L. Barbee. She holds a Master of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va., where she earned the E.T. George Award for Excellence in Homiletics and Worship, according to a press release from the church.

Before joining Oakhurst Presbyterian, she was senior pastor at Statesville Avenue Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. for seven years.

“Rev. Barbee is currently working on her doctoral degree at Columbia Theological Seminary, which she expects to complete in 2020,” the press release from the church says.

Here is the full announcement from Oakhurst Presbyterian Church:

[adsanity_rotating align=”alignleft” time=”4″ group_id=”2435″ /] [adsanity id=”47595″ align=”alignright” /]

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Decatur, GA, February 25, 2019) Oakhurst Presbyterian Church in Decatur has elected and welcomed Reverend Amantha L. Barbee as its new Senior Pastor.  Rev. Barbee holds a Master of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA, where she earned the E.T. George Award for Excellence in Homiletics and Worship.

Prior to accepting the call to serve at Oakhurst Presbyterian, she served for seven years as Senior Pastor at Statesville Avenue Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC.  Rev. Barbee is currently working on her doctoral degree at Columbia Theological Seminary, which she expects to complete in 2020.

In 2018, Rev. Barbee received the PCUSA Women of Faith Award, recognizing clergywomen who challenge systemic racism and oppression, work for transformative change, and seek to end racism and injustice. The award was given in part for her work the night Keith Scott was killed in Charlotte, when she stood between protestors and policemen with several other ecumenical colleagues.  She received the 2017 Charlotte City Center Partners Special Achievement Award for that work, which was made more difficult as she had to lead the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice after being named chairperson after only three weeks.

Rev. Barbee is particularly gifted in worship arts. She was a Vocal Performance major at Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Her love of music led her to 20 years of service as a church musician while balancing a successful corporate sales and marketing career.

She loves the traditions of the church but has a passion for blended and multicultural worship. She views herself as a servant, and you will find her door open. You will also find her in the halls of hospitals, at community functions, making speeches for the rights of others and having conversations with the city’s poor. Rev. Barbee is an advocate for those with no or limited voice and does not shy away from living into discipleship.

Rev. Barbee will fill the role formerly held by Rev. Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe, who served as Senior Pastor at Oakhurst for 34 years.  Rev. Stroupe, along with his wife Rev. Caroline Leach, came to Oakhurst in 1983.  Over the years Stroupe and Leach led very committed church members to transform Oakhurst into a vibrant, racially and culturally diverse congregation of more than 350 members.

Reverend Barbee began her service at OPC on Monday, February 25th and will preach her first sermon as Senior Pastor on Sunday, March 3rd.

Oakhurst Presbyterian Church is located at:

118 Second Ave.

Decatur, GA 30030

To find out more about Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, visit https://oakhurstpcusa.org/.

[adsanity id=”52477″ align=”alignleft” /] [adsanity id=”54594″ align=”alignright” /]

Don’t miss the latest news from Decaturish. Join our mailing list!

* indicates required





[adsanity id=”38887″ align=”aligncenter” /]

[adsanity id=”33719″ align=”aligncenter” /]