The Presbytery of Genesee Valley on Nov. 26 endorsed John Wilkinson, a teaching elder from Rochester, as a candidate for moderator of the 2014 General Assembly – making him the second candidate officially in the running so far.
Wilkinson, pastor of Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester, N.Y. since 2001, has served at all levels of the church – including as moderator of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and as a member of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church. He currently is moderator of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley. The son of a Presbyterian minister, Wilkinson also is a church historian – he earned a doctorate (in a joint degree program from Northwestern University and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) with study focused on 20th century American religious history.
Wilkinson earned a master of divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and formerly served at St. James Presbyterian Church and Fourth Presbyterian Church, both in Chicago.
He has been active both in the Covenant Network of Presbyterians and in NEXT Church. Wilkinson and his wife, Bonny Claxton, have a son and a daughter.
Heath K. Rada, a ruling elder, was the first candidate to emerge – the Presbytery of Western North Carolina endorsed him last April.
