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Rev. Russell Gladding
We welcomed Rev. Russell Gladding as our installed Pastor effective December 1, 2019. Our congregation is very happy for Russell and Kathy to be with us.
Russell provided the following short bio:
I am a native of Atlanta (Decatur) and have lived in Georgia all of my life. Additional residences include Clarkston/ Stone Mountain, St Simons Island, and the Harris Neck community in McIntosh County.
Kathy, also a native Atlantan (Tucker) and I will celebrate forty-two years of marriage in August, 2020. She is my partner and the great love of my life. We are a blended family with five grown children and nine grandchildren. There are no step-children in our family.
My vocation has been that of a pastor since 2007, serving as the pastor to pastors and congregations of Savannah Presbytery for twelve years, and now serving as Pastor of the congregation of Vidalia Presbyterian Church.
Kathy and I have been members of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. where she has served as a Deacon and I as a Ruling Elder, a Commissioned Ruling Elder, and a Minister of Word and Sacrament, Teaching Elder.
I enjoy sports, particularly anything Georgia Tech and Atlanta Braves baseball. I find joy in reading and studying in order to craft sermons with energy and imagination as God’s Spirit moves in my mind and heart. Kathy enjoys walking in nature and loves all of God’s creatures. She is a mentor at Sally Meadows Elementary to children and volunteers with the SOAPS organization working with the dogs. We enjoy weekly cooking on the grill and preparing a meal together. We love our two dogs, Mack, a chocolate Lab and Micki our Heinz 57 breed.
We are glad to be here in Vidalia and look forward to serving the church and the community as God’s people together as the Spirit leads us. May it be so!