After more than 2 years, First Presbyterian Church hires installed pastor

The Rev. Danny Dieth has been chosen to be the next installed pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Columbus.

The congregation voted to accept the recommendation of the pastor nominating committee following the Sunday morning service.

He will begin his duties Feb. 1.

The church had been without an installed pastor since April 2015. That’s when members of the church split over whether to leave their national denomination over doctrinal issues such as gay marriage.

The pastor at the time, Chuck Hasty, is now pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Columbus.

The Rev. Joel Alvis has served on an interim basis since Aug. 17 and is expected to stay until Dieth begins his duties.

Dieth has served as the pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, Fla. since 2008.

He previously served as associate pastor at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, N.C. and First Presbyterian Church of Morgantown, N.C.

Dieth and his wife Vickie have two daughters, Hannah and Abby . At their present church, Vickie works as a Christian educator.

Dieth has degrees from St. Andrews University, Presbyterian School of Christian Education, and Austin Presbyerian Theological Seminary.

“People here are really excited about Rev. Dieth. He is a good person,” Alvis said.

In a news release, Catherine Trotter a member of the pastor nominating committee, said she was impressed with Dieth’s “sense of genuineness, compassion and integrity.”

“At the core of my approach to ministry is a focus on God’s grace and light, and the radical light of Jesus Christ. I believe that a true faith in Jesus Christ comes through experiencing His overwhelming gifts of love and His command to wash the feet of the world (being servants) while loving our neighbors as ourselves,” Dieth said in a church brochure.

He said church is about building relationships with God and one another. “I find humor to be helpful in every aspect of the ministry as I think it is a gift from God. I love my church and the call to ministry that God has blessed me with,” he said.

In a message to the congregation, Dieth said, “The Holy Spirit is alive and well at First Presbyterian Chruch, Columbus and together we will build on the rich tradition of effective ministry that began way back in 1830. Now is the time for all of us to claim this rich inheritance and to step up and out into God’s new plan for us.”

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 10:41 AM with the headline "After more than 2 years, First Presbyterian Church hires installed pastor."