On Feb. 10, Jan Edmiston, co-moderator of the 222nd General Assembly, announced that the Presbytery of Charlotte in North Carolina has called her to be their next General Presbyter.
A teaching elder, Edmiston earned a doctorate in Christian spirituality from Columbia Theological Seminary and a Master of Divinity from Andover-Newton Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina.
Edmiston served most recently as associate executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Chicago, before which she served as pastor or co-pastor of congregations in New York and Virginia. She blogs at A Church for Starving Artists and is active on Twitter as @jledmiston. Her husband, Fred Lyon, also is a Presbyterian minister, serves as pastor of Flossmoor Community Church in Flossmoor, Illinois. The couple has three young adult children.
Edmiston will start on May 1 and be installed on May 15, with co-moderator Denise Anderson preaching.
The full text of her letter to the denomination follows:
February 10, 2018
Dear Friends in and beyond the Presbyterian Church USA,
I’m excited to announce that The Presbytery of Charlotte approved my nomination today to serve as their next General Presbyter. I will be returning to the state of my childhood and youth for the first time in almost four decades, close to many friends and family, while serving among some of the finest people in the world.
The excellent news is that the hand of God has guided this new call. The challenging news is that my husband, Fred Lyon and I will enter the adventure of commuter marriage. We have experienced commuting between homes twice before during our 30 years of marriage, and we plan to take regular advantage of the miracles of Facetime and human flight. Fred serves an amazing congregation in Chicagoland and I look forward to frequent visits to my Chicagoland home while living most days in Charlotte.
Denise Anderson and I will continue to serve as your Co-Moderators until June 16, 2018 as planned, and we are grateful for your continued support in that ministry. Denise will be preaching at my installation on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at the Stated Meeting of Charlotte Presbytery which will be held at Myers Park Presbyterian Church. Everyone is invited. My first day in the office will be May 1st.
I am deeply grateful for the General Presbyter Search Committee, the Commission on Ministry, and Transitional General Presbyter Betty Meadows for their support. But I mostly thank God for filling my life with good things in this time of transition.
May 2018 continue to bring blessings beyond measure to you and may God continue to fill your lives with good things as well.
Yours in Christ’s Service,
Jan Edmiston
Co-Moderator of the 222nd General Assembly
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
