Presbyterian Church of Madison Welcomes Family Ministries Director

MAY 30, 2017

CONTACT: CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR

CATHY BAILLIE 973-377-1600

Catherine.baillie@pcmadison.org

Presbyterian Church of Madison Welcomes Family Ministries Director

Patrick Allred Arrives From Westwood Church of Christ in Oklahoma

Madison, N.J. – The Presbyterian Church of Madison welcomes Patrick Allred as its first director of family ministries.

In the role, Allred is responsible for ministry planning, curriculum development, outreach and volunteer support and recruitment. Both personally and through programs, he aims to help individuals strengthen their Christian discipleship and immerse themselves in the life of the congregation.

Allred joins Madison’s oldest church from the Westwood Church of Christ in Edmond, Okla., where he served as a youth minister for nearly five years. At Westwood, he worked primarily with 12- to 18-year-olds and their families.

“Patrick brings a solid background of connectional ministry, but it was his energy that jumped out at us,” said the Rev. Scott Foster, pastor of the Presbyterian Church. “His spirit, energy and enthusiasm for vibrant ministries clicked with ours.”

Allred was born and raised in Tulsa and earned a bachelor’s degree in youth ministry from Oklahoma Christian University. He’s now pursuing a master of divinity at Oklahoma Christian and plans to graduate this summer.

In Oklahoma, Allred shares a connection with Foster, who lived and worked in the Sooner State before becoming the Presbyterian Church’s 22nd pastor last year.

That connection “provided an overwhelming amount of peace and reassurance about this potential move and job change,” Allred said. “I felt great about the church before I met Scott, and he just sealed the deal.”

As director of family ministries, Allred hopes to create a church experience for families that is “magnetic because of the relationships that they build and the faith communities that they share.”

“I want to create an environment where children, adolescents, families and any individual feels accepted and welcome,” he added. “I want our church experience to be something people look forward to being part of during the week.”

Allred and his wife, Hannah Faye, live in South Orange with their infant son, Henry. Hannah also is pursuing a master of divinity—at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan. In fact, her acceptance into the school triggered Patrick’s search for an opportunity in the area that led him to the Presbyterian Church.

The vision of the Presbyterian Church is to see lives transformed, families strengthened and its community renewed through intentional relationship with Jesus Christ. Its congregation of 200 is growing and welcomes new members through a “no strings attached” orientation led by Foster.

The congregation meets at 9:30 a.m. beginning June 18. More information is available at www.pcmadison.org/about-us/.