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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 02 October 2008 16:46 |
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 The Reverend Dr. Matthew A. Rich was called to be pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Lumberton in January 2007.
Matt was born into a loving Christian family in Northampton, Pennsylvania, who worshipped in congregations of the United Church of Christ. In 1986 the family moved to Canvas, West Virginia, and found a home with the Summersville Presbyterian Church. Matt made his public profession of faith the next year when he was a seventh grader and spent his high school years deeply involved in the life of the church on the local, Presbytery, and Assembly levels.
It was while Matt was a student at Davidson College that he began to take seriously the question of a call to the ministry. The ordination service for the new chaplain at Davidson and a devotional reading the same night that asked the question, "What is preventing you from accepting your call?" led him to investigate the possibility of ordination. Internships, prayer, and conversations confirmed his call--especially discussions with Sarah whom he met as a freshman at Davidson and married in 1997. Sarah, an attorney who works for Wells Fargo Bank, continues to be "a constant voice of support for me in my ministry." Matt and Sarah are the parents of Will (9), Sam (7), and Rebekah (4).
After graduating magna cum laude from Davidson, Matt spent three years at Union-PSCE (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) in Richmond, Virginia, graduating with his Masters of Divinity degree in 2000. He served two churches before being called to First Presbyterian: The Salem/Pageland Presbyterian Church in Pageland, SC (2000-2002) and The Presbyterian Church of Lowell in Lowell, NC (2002-2006). In May 2008 Matt graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with his Doctor of Ministry degree. His project was entitled “The Joyful People of God – Young Adults, Joy, and Sabbath Practices
Matt’s particular interests in ministry include leading worship that provides an authentic encounter with God through preaching, music, prayers, and sacraments; empowering congregation members to recognize their gifts and talents so they may serve God in their daily lives; the importance of stewardship for Christian discipleship; and seeking, planning, and growing toward a future that God has prepared.
Beyond First Presbyterian Church, Matt serves on the Union Presbyterian Seminary at Charlotte Dean’s Advisory Council, The Presbyterian Outlook Board of Directors, the City of Lumberton’s Commission on Community Relations, and the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina’s Committee on Preparation for Ministry. He was also keynote speaker and director for the 2007 Montreat Conference Center Young Adult Weekend and has had several sermons and articles published.
Matt says, “God is doing amazing things at First Presbyterian Church of Lumberton! Come and see what God has in store for you!"
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 03 March 2011 14:02 )
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