Staff and Board of Directors

Staff

Mary Naegeli

Renewal Director

The Rev. Dr. Mary Holder Naegeli was appointed Renewal Director for the Presbyterian Coalition in January 2012. She is a minister member of San Francisco Presbytery and serves as teaching pastor (equivalent to parish associate) at Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Walnut Creek, CA. Since January 2007, Mary has concentrated on academic endeavors, completing her Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary and teaching courses in preaching, Christian formation and discipleship, and missional leadership. Her dissertation was on “Reclaiming the Ministry of Teaching in the Missional Setting.”

Prior to her season at Fuller, Mary was senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Concord, CA for nine years. She also served as Associate Pastor for Adult Ministries at Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church for ten years.

Mary graduated from Stanford University in June 1975 with an A.B. in music (vocal performance). While serving in the ministry of music at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, the call to a pastor-teacher ministry emerged. Mary attended Fuller Northern California and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in September 1987.

A gifted teacher, Mary feels her particular calling is “to bring the Word to life.” She is passionate about faith as a way of life, using the whole counsel of God as a basis for one’s life choices and decisions. She blogs daily on matters of Presbyterian concern at “Word to Life” (www.wordtolife.wordpress.com), with the goal of equipping presbyters for thoughtful decision-making at all levels of Presbyterian governance.

Mary is particularly committed to developing discipleship in the local church and is a former director and president of Presbyterians For Renewal and board member of the Presbyterian Coalition. For four years she edited the annual PFR publication reFORM, a theological journal designed to equip lay leaders for effective service in their congregations. She has served as commissioner to General Assembly twice (1992 and 1997) and has contributed her expertise to G.A. advisory teams for several years. At the Presbytery level, she has served both the Committee for Preparation for Ministry and the Committee on Ministry, and currently is moderator of the Evangelical Caucus of San Francisco Presbytery. Mary has managed the legal work associated with a remedial case, Parnell et al v. San Francisco Presbytery, since January 2008 when the presbytery approved the ordination of a candidate who did not qualify under the fidelity/chastity requirement. That case is still pending, awaiting final appeal to the General Assembly PJC in April 2012.

Mary is an accomplished musician with several albums to her credit. She enjoys writing occasionally for publication, ever since she served as associate editor for the Serendipity Bible in the late 1980s. She is working on a book designed to equip ordinary people in basic teaching skills in the missional setting.

Mary is strongly supported by her husband Andy, a Presbyterian elder and an electrical engineer developing products with a medical technology company. They are parents of two daughters: Katy is a trial attorney for the Department of Justice (Civil Division), and Judy is webmaster and editor at University Presbyterian Church, Seattle. For recreation, Mary enjoys travel, experimental cooking, offset by daily hiking, and meets regularly with the “QTs” [Quilting Therapy] for quilting projects.

Sarah Hill

Renewal Coordinator

Sarah joined the staff of The Presbyterian Coalition in August, 2008, and enjoys using her administrative gifts for the glory of God. She runs the Coalition office, and works closely with the Board to ensure that the Coalition's efforts are focused and fruitful. She and her husband, Keith, live in Richmond, VA, where he serves as Pastor of St. Giles Presbyterian Church.

In previous seasons of life, Sarah has served as the Volunteer Coordinator of Interfaith Ministries in Wichita Falls, TX; as a Conference Administrator for various conferences organized by Presbyterians For Renewal, and as the Director of Evangelism & Assimilation at First Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, GA. She and Keith have 3 adult daughters, three sons-in-law, and a growing number of grandchildren.

Board of Directors