Rev. Dr. Richard Hill Installed as Senior Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church

Rev. Hill (foreground) addresses the congregation of Covenant Presbyterian Church at his installation as Senior Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church. Dr. Paul Roberts, president of Johnson C. Smith Seminary (background), was the invited preacher.

The congregation of Covenant Presbyterian Church installed Reverend Doctor Richard Hill as Senior Pastor at a joyful worship service June 4. Rev. Hill served as interim pastor of the historic Buckhead for over a year, while the church’s Pastor Nominating Committee conducted an extensive search for a full-time pastor. Rev. Hill is an experienced interim pastor, having served in this special capacity for a number of Presbyterian churches over the past decade, using his leadership training to help congregations through transitional times.

“Originally, we focused our efforts on identifying candidates outside of the Covenant ‘family’,” said Sue Colussy, head of Covenant’s Pastor Nominating Committee. “We just assumed Richard would want to find a new interim position and help another church chart a course for its future, as he did for Covenant. However, during the church’s year-long search process, Richard was bringing about exciting changes, including getting us involved new mission efforts with affordable housing advocacy, planning and conducting community-wide prayer and healing services, attracting new members, expanding Sunday worship attendance, forming a young adult group and men’s lunch study, enhancing stewardship efforts and much more. He brought an energy and vitality back to Covenant and we realized we didn’t want him to leave. We were thrilled when he accepted our call as Senior Pastor.”

“I didn’t come to Covenant Presbyterian looking for a permanent leadership position,” said Rev. Hill. “However, over the past year, I have grown to see Covenant as a gem of a church that truly functions as extended family. The members really do desire to welcome all people to find a refuge here. This church is not afraid of tackling social issues such as racism and homelessness in Atlanta. Internationally, Covenant works in partnership to provide a school and medical services to a village in Haiti. The congregation wants to be challenged with tough, searching questions. It feels like home to me and I am humbled and grateful that the congregation has called me as their Senior Pastor. We now will begin a year discerning how Christ is calling us to become more of a center for equipping people to be connected with God and to deal with all life’s challenges and social issues. I am so excited to set down roots and start building toward a future with Covenant.”

Rev. Hill was ordained as a Presbyterian (USA) minister in 1987 and has served at several Atlanta-area churches. He attended Georgia Tech and graduated from Emory University with a BA in Psychology, and from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur with a Masters Degree in Divinity. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Bakke Graduate University in Seattle, Wash. He has two grown sons, Nicholas and Philip, who also live in Atlanta.

About Covenant Presbyterian Church

For nearly a century, Covenant Presbyterian Church has served the city of Atlanta through its mission of “Equipping the people of God to serve Christ in the world”. Located at 2461 Peachtree Rd., NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30305, Covenant is home to a welcoming congregation that seeks, serves and celebrates together. The church boasts a lively youth group, hands-on mission work, a women’s spirituality ministry and a strong music program, as well as offering public lectures, social events, educational opportunities and more. Covenant supports numerous organizations including Buckhead Christian Ministry, the Central Night Shelter, ChildSpring International, Habitat for Humanity, The Open Door Community, Earth Covenant Ministry and Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta. Covenant also takes a leadership role in the LaGonave Haiti Partners, a more than 20-year partnership with the Episcopal Church of Haiti. Ongoing Haiti projects include a community health center, as well as programs for education, agriculture, adult literacy and children’s nutrition. www.covpresatlanta.org