Nashville, Tenn. – Commissioners from churches in the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee unanimously elected the Rev. Warner R. Durnell as their new executive presbyter on June 16. Durnell will take office Aug. 1.
He is the first African American to serve in this position in this region.
After 10 years as executive presbyter of Northern Alabama, Durnell is coming home. He previously served for 10 years as pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in the College Heights-Clifton neighborhood of Nashville.
Steve Douse, presbytery moderator, said Durnell’s service as a presbytery and synod executive and a member of the Louisville Seminary Board of Trustees indicated the high regard in which he was held by the wider church.
“But we already knew about Warner’s leadership abilities from his time as moderator of this presbytery,” Douse said. “The fact that he was so well known and widely respected here in Middle Tennessee made it an easy decision.”
Among the 89 congregations in the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee, three are African-American, one is Korean-American, and one is Sudanese-American.
