Interim Pastor – Rev. Dr. Ken McKenzie
Our Interim Pastor, Ken McKenzie, is a native of Atlanta. His wife, Vicki, hails from here in Dalton. They met at the University of Georgia as students and were married in our church in 1978.
Ken graduated from UGA with a BA in English Literature and subsequently attended Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA where he received his Doctorate in Ministry. He served as pastor, pastoral counselor, trauma chaplain and general presbyter until his Honorable Retirement in 2019. He has served with us as Interim Pastor since November of 2022.
Ken and Vicki live in Blue Ridge, GA and have two grown sons, Mac and Ian, who like to say that they live close enough to come in an emergency but too far away to come cut the grass. Additionally, the McKenzies enjoy their rescue dogs and occasional outings along the Toccoa River.
Director of Christian Education- Jean Strain
After growing up in Tidewater Virginia, Jean attended Mary Baldwin College (now Mary Baldwin University) in Staunton, Virginia, graduating with degrees in Religion and Philosophy. Upon moving to Dalton with her husband Dan, she taught ballet at the Creative Arts Guild for a number of years before leaving to become the Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church Dalton. She went back to graduate school to obtain a specialist degree in Christian Education and became a Certified Educator in the Presbyterian Church (USA). In addition to teaching Bible studies for both adults and children, Jean also teaches Grief Recovery classes. Jean enjoys reading, sewing, being outdoors and is an unabashed bird watcher
Office Manager – Erin Witt
Erin is a Dalton native who graduated from the State University of West Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. After 11 years in the banking profession, she decided to take a few years off to be at home with her 2 sons, and then discovered she missed working. If she’s not volunteering at the children’s school or at the ball field, Erin enjoys reading, scrapbooking, and kayaking.
Audio/Visual Technician – Alex Andrews
Alex began his journey into the AV world when he was introduced to computers. He built his own computer and started taking AV courses at school. The Coahulla High School student was actually introduced to the AV side of technology “four or five years ago.” Being a tech-oriented person, he saw the part-time church job as “a perfect opportunity” for him to be able to use his technical skills, enjoy being with people and attend church. While Alex is enjoying his job, he says his life goal is to become an officer in the Navy and then to enter politics. He describes himself as having a passion for politics, adding that he spends much of his free time keeping tabs on the world of politics. He would like to start as a state representative, then run for governor of Georgia.
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