Presbyterians install new pastor
COSHOCTON – The Muskingum Valley Presbytery will install the Reverend Karen E. Crawford as pastor of The Presbyterian Church, North Fourth and Chestnut Streets in Coshocton, at a 3 p.m. worship service on Sunday, Feb. 17. The Presbytery’s Administrative Commission for the installation will include Elders Sarah Swigert and Jim Arganbright from the Coshocton church; Elder John Shuford from Merritt Island Presbyterian Church, Florida; the Reverend Tricia Petraven from Westminster Presbyterian Church House, Wooster; the Reverend Chris Stewart, parish elder of Muskingum Valley Presbytery; the Reverend Benjamin George, presbytery moderator and director of Camp Wakonda; and the Reverend Matt Skolnik, general presbyter of Muskingum Valley Presbytery.
Musical leadership for the service will be provided by the church’s Chancel and Crusaders choirs, and Westminster Ringers, led by Charles R. Snyder; a student brass quintet from Muskingum University; organist Alice M. Hoover; and pianist Ann A. Leppla.
Originally from Maryland, Pastor Crawford earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Towson State University and served as a classroom teacher and reading specialist in public and Christian schools in Pennsylvania. During her summers, she worked as a freelance writer for the York Dispatch. She was offered a full-time job as staff religion writer for the York Daily Record/Sunday News in 2000. In 2005, she married the Reverend Dr. Jim Crawford, a Presbyterian pastor. Together they discerned her call to attend seminary and to work summers as a chaplain at Codorus State Park in Hanover, PA. After graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2010, she accepted a call as a solo pastor in rural, southwestern Minnesota, followed by a call to become pastor and head of staff at Merritt Island Presbyterian Church, FL. She and Jim, in their blended family, have five grown children, two grandchildren, a cat named Melvyn and a dog named Mabel.
All are invited to share in this celebration.
Category: Faith
