IntroducingRev. DR. Ryan J. BaeR

185 E. Hancock AvenueAthens, GA 30601firstpresathens.org

JanuaRy 6, 2019

PASTOR / HEAD OF STAFFFirst Presbyterian Church

Athens, Georgia

First Presbyterian Church of Athens, Georgia, is seeking a person who is a dynamic preacher and anexperienced leader. We are a historic congregation, having served the spiritual needs of families as well as thebusiness, professional, academic, public service and medical communities of Athens for almost 200 years.Our 950-member congregation is in vibrant downtown Athens, home of the University of Georgia.Our church has outstanding facilities and lay leadership. We continue to attract new members, especiallyyoung families, because of our warm and caring members, stellar staff and location. The adult, youth, childrenand music programs are excellent, and the congregation’s dedication to mission and outreach continues todeepen. Our sense of purpose has been strengthened by our informal but intentional agreement not to allowpolitical ideaologies to divide us. We instead try to practice the universal language of kindness and sacrificialgiving. The head of staff called to be our pastor will find a busy and willing church eager to move forward inmaking both Athens and the world more caring and peaceful.

Dear First Presbyterian Church Family,

Starting almost two years ago with the election of our Pastor Nominating Committee, the members of this committee have been prayerfully discerning God’s will for our church. This process started with our committee listening and learning more about our beloved church through the eyes of you, our congregation, as well as our church staff. We learned more about our church’s history and interviewed community members about our role in the greater Athens area. We believe our church offers a welcoming, mission-driven, and traditional place of worship and fellowship for all and we strived to find a candidate primed to continue and expand our church vision.

Our process of reviewing over two hundred candidates, listening to many sermons, participating in numerous Skype and in-person interviews, and visiting with candidates was all grounded in prayer as well as a continual searching and listening for God’s will for our congregation. We felt and appreciated all of your prayers through this process. With those prayers and faith as our foundation, it is with joyful and grateful hearts, certain in God’s call, that we come to you today to present Rev. Dr. Ryan J. Baer with our unanimous nomination that he be elected as the next Senior Pastor/Head of Staff at First Presbyterian Church of Athens.

We anticipate your coming to love Dr. Baer and his family as we already do. Dr. Baer perfectly fit everything we were looking for in a candidate (see our ad below). He is a scholar as well as a storyteller and his ability to connect the everyday with scriptural teaching is quite remarkable. He lives his life grounded in his faith and humbly strives to be an example of Christian love, leadership, and stewardship. He’s passionate about being the church in the local community and bridging divides to equity and equality for all. He desires to be a steward of stewards through sharing his personal story of stewardship and listening to how we can all work together to be stewards of God’s call. God moves in mysterious and wonderful ways at times and even Dr. Baer asked, “Is God calling us together for such a time as this?” We believe the answer is a resounding “Yes!” and are thankful that our all-knowing God led Ryan to us and us to him.

We thank you for trusting us with the profound responsibility of discerning a call for our next Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church. We humbly accepted that responsibility and appreciate the love and support given to us all during this process.

Sincerely and joyfully,

Lewis Hudgins, ChairFran Lane, Vice-Chair

Ron Bogue Sarah Bryan Stephen Covington Melinda DeMaria Erika Hermanowicz

A Letter from the Pastor Nominating Committee

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

Grace to you and peace in the name of our risen Lord Jesus Christ! Words are inadequate to express the depth of my joy and gratitude to God as my name is placed in nomination before you to serve as the next Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Athens, Georgia.

Through the outstanding work of your Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) and our mutual colleagues in Northeast Georgia Presbytery, I have been learning about First Presbyterian Church of Athens for some time now, but it strikes me that most of you are just now learning about me. I am certain you have many questions, not the least of which is how we have discerned that the Holy Spirit may be calling us together for such a time as this.

Almost two years ago, I stumbled across your Ministry Information Form (MIF) while doing research on behalf of the Grace Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry. At that time, I was not discerning a call to a new ministry, but I remember thinking that the form was exceptionally well-written and would make an excellent call for a very fortunate candidate.

Then, this past August, our Office Manager handed me a copy of The Presbyterian Outlook. Our subscription was about to expire and she wanted to know if we should renew it. As I stood at her desk and thumbed through the magazine, I came across a classified advertisement for your Senior Pastor position. I remember thinking to myself, “I can’t believe that call is still open!”

I went home that night and pulled up your MIF online and read it very carefully. When I read about your congregation’s commitment to stewardship not just as a code word for an annual budget appeal, but rather as the experience of all kinds of giving relationships with God and each other, I smiled from ear to ear. When I read about your vision for your pastor as a steward of stewards, I was deeply moved.

I showed your MIF to my wife, Amy. She read it carefully, and then she said something that I will never forget. She said, “You should have applied for that yesterday!” Even though my Personal Information Form (PIF) was not in circulation and even though I wasn’t certain if I was indeed discerning a call to a new ministry, I have known Amy long enough to know that oftentimes the Holy Spirit speaks to me through her voice. I drafted a cover letter and updated my PIF, and on September 6, I sent those documents to the PNC.

In the meantime, I began contacting friends and colleagues who I thought might know something about you. To a person, each of them said some variation of, “First Presbyterian Church of Athens is a fantastic church!” One of my colleagues, the Reverend Julie Bailey, is the Director of Alumni and Church Relations at Columbia Theological Seminary. When I contacted her to ask about you, she said, “They just called me yesterday asking for names. Would you like for me to give them yours?” I replied, “Yes, please!” Two days later, I received a phone call from Lewis Hudgins.

In every interaction I have had with the PNC, I have never felt like I was sitting for an interview. That is not to say that we have not asked one another some very direct questions. However, each interaction has felt like a deep conversation among faithful colleagues in ministry. As a wise mentor advised me, such conversations are often a very strong sign of a call from God.

For nearly two hundred years, First Presbyterian Church of Athens has been creating community where people seek the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, rejoice in worship, and go forth sharing the love of Christ with Athens and the world. If the way be clear, Amy, Nathan, Daniel, Joshua, and I can’t wait to become a part of your wonderful congregation and witness what God has in store for us in the years to come!

May God bless you and keep you,

Rev. Dr. Ryan J. Baer

A Letter from Ryan

We looked hard and trusted God to walk with us through the process of finding a Senior Pastor who had the attributes we were praying for and someone who would be a good fit for our church. As it happened, this person wasn’t looking to move until the PNC came calling. During our first communications with Ryan, we felt the Holy Spirit moving us together. That became clearer as we talked, listened, worshiped, visited, and prayed with him. We are excited about the future of our Church and are confident that God has called Ryan to lead us.

– Lewis Hudgins, Chair

I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon touring UGA’s north campus with Ryan and Amy when they first visited Athens. In the space of a couple of hours, it became very clear that this wise, warm, energetic, enthusiastic man, and his equally special wife, would be a wonderful gift to our church.

– Fran Lane, Vice-Chair

Ryan is a remarkably mature person, with wisdom well beyond his years. When we’ve talked with him about questions of faith, debates in the church, or problems in daily living, I’ve always come away with a fresh understanding of the issues at hand and a new sense of what this understanding might mean for us as a community of faith. He is a very thoughtful person, caring and considerate in the way he communicates with others. He is a warm and generous person with a great sense of humor.

– Ron Bogue

While Ryan’s statement of faith, resume, and references all convey his theological knowledge, community experiences, and his personal faith, it is Ryan’s ability to genuinely communicate with you like he’s instantly a good friend while sharing scriptural and theological knowledge that made this call feel like the ideal fit.

– Sarah Bryan

From the very beginning when we were first introduced to Ryan, he has greatly impressed our committee. It quickly became apparent during our continued interactions with Ryan that we were talking to an exceptional candidate who was a great fit for our congregation. That was cemented when he and Amy visited Athens and then shortly thereafter when Ryan accepted our call to become our new Senior Pastor/Head of Staff. Our committee is equally excited about the opportunity for the Baer family to join our church and community and for our church to welcome our new Senior Pastor.

– Stephen Covington

Being part of this PNC was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before! It has by far been my most favorite committee with which to serve. To have grown as a committee, as an individual, and in Christ has been immeasurable. We never lost sight of the enormity of our task in listening for God’s plan while always knowing that massive responsibility of representing our church family. Our time with Ryan at each point felt like a conversation, never an interview. His ability and desire to listen, his reflective responses, and genuine sense of caring for us as individuals and representatives of the congregation and Athens community truly excite me about how we will grow.

– Melinda DeMaria

Dr. Ryan Baer can bring an intellectual and spiritual depth through his superb preaching, while being a compassionate friend and Senior Pastor. He has sophistication coupled with common sense that will endear him to our congregation and community.

– Erika Hermanowicz

PNC Members Share Thoughts about Ryan

“Ryan Baer is a faithful pastor who preaches the Good News not only from the pulpit, but in every aspect of his life. He is compassionate, professional, and fun-loving. His leadership is thoughtful, decent and in order. Despite his large presence, Ryan has a gentle soul and he cares deeply for everyone he encounters. I am so excited that God has called him to FPC Athens. This is a great match!”

– Robert Hay, Jr., Ministry Relations Officer, Southeast Region, Presbyterian Foundation

What Others Say about Ryan

“Ryan is a leader in our presbytery and in our community. He has seen Ridglea safely through a crisis that might have broken them under a less steady, patient, thoughtful, and visionary pastor. He has also been a strong advocate for the public schools in our community. I’m personally grateful to him and Ridglea’s session for allowing our church to use their building for our weekday day school program after we’d been vandalized. That sort of generosity of spirit will ensure that Ryan is a strong leader at First Pres and in the Athens community.”

– Rev. Dr. Frederick Field “Fritz” Ritsch, III, Pastor, St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth

“Ryan is an excellent communicator. That talent can best be described by his attentive and understanding listening skills and that when he speaks, he has something to say. He has a particular gift to get to the heart of the matter in a conversation and discuss that subject biblically and theologically. In addition, his stories and teachings blend in cultural, historical, and current events as well as the biblical references noted above.”

– Rev. Dr. John Schmidt, Director, Executive Leadership Program, McCormick Theological Seminary

“When Ryan stepped out of our meeting room, we members of the Presbytery’s Examinations Action Team exhaled a collective, “Wow!” For nearly two hours we engaged in a free-wheeling theological, biblical, and pastoral conversation with one of the brightest, most facile, and thoughtful young minds in our denomination. His dazzling insights and dry sense of humor more than once caught us off-guard in the delight of an unexpected “Aha!” moment. (For those with decades of ministry under our belts, such rare moments feed our parched spirits!) What a marvelous feeling to know that we were in the presence of one of the most promising up-and-coming leaders in the Church; someone whose future only God can imagine! Ryan may not be able to walk on water, but he can and will walk into your sanctuary, hospital rooms, boardrooms, meeting rooms, classrooms, living rooms, offices, laboratories, workout rooms, locker rooms, youth rooms, playrooms, and...your hearts.”

– Rev. Rindy Trouteaud, Co-Moderator, Northeast Georgia Presbytery Committee on Ministry & Pastor, Central Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Athens

Left to right: Joshua (4), Daniel (7), Amy, Nathan (7), and Ryan

“Ryan Baer is one of the most dedicated young pastors I know of any denomination. It has been nothing but a pleasure to work closely with him here in Fort Worth. His ecumenical vision of cooperation among different parts of God’s Church is spiritually uplifting and organizationally strategic. He is going to be a huge resource for good in Athens and far beyond.”

– Rev. Charles Johnson, Pastor, Bread Fellowship of Fort Worth, Executive Director, Pastors for Texas Children

Ryan was born in New Mexico and grew up in north Texas. He attended Plano High School, where he played defensive end and offensive tackle on the football team, and was a member of the 1994 state champion team.

In 1996, he began study at the University of Missouri, earning a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2000. While there he met Amy, and the two were married in 2002. During his undergraduate days, Ryan also served as the Director of Youth Ministries at the Missouri United Methodist Church for two years. Upon graduation, he and Amy moved to Dallas, where Ryan worked as an Account Executive with Fleishman-Hilliard International Communications.

In 2003, Ryan began discerning a call to the ministry, and in 2004 he and Amy moved to Decatur where Ryan began his studies at Columbia Theological Seminary. A year after arriving at Columbia, Amy also discerned a call to ministry and she began her studies at Columbia in 2005. Ryan completed a Masters of Divinity in 2007, and Amy received her Masters of Divinity in 2008. While in seminary, Ryan served as a Chaplain Intern at Grady Hospital for six months and a Pastoral Intern at Conyers Presbyterian Church for two years.

In 2008, Ryan accepted the position of Pastor and Head of Staff at Lakeside Presbyterian Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. While leading the congregation, Ryan was also active in the Tropical Florida Presbytery. In 2012, Ryan assumed the position of Pastor and Head of Staff at Ridglea Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth, Texas. At Ridglea he has been the leader and supervisor of a staff of eighteen and a strong supporter of the work of Grace Presbytery.

Ryan and Amy have three sons, their seven-year-old twins, Daniel and Nathan, and four-year-old Joshua.

EducationMcCormick Theological Seminary, Doctor of Ministry, 2018Columbia Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity, 2007University of Missouri, Bachelor of Journalism & Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 2000

Pastoral ExperienceRidglea Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, Texas, Pastor and Head of Staff, 2012-2019Lakeside Presbyterian Church, West Palm Beach, Florida, Pastor and Head of Staff, 2008-2012Pastoral Intern, Conyers Presbyterian Church, Conyers, Georgia, 2005-2008Chaplain Intern, Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, 2006

Church and Community LeadershipCommittee on Ministry, Grace Presbytery, 2013-2018Pastors for Texas Children, Fort Worth, 2015-2018Region 1 Coordinator for the Committee on Ministry, Tropical Florida Presbytery, 2009-2012Nominating Committee, Tropical Florida Presbytery, 2008-2011Chair, 17th Annual C.R.O.S. (Christians Reaching Out to Society) Walk for Hunger Ministries, Palm Beach County, Florida, 2011

Rev. Dr. Ryan J. Baer

Dear Friends,

Ryan and I are so honored to be introduced to you today! We are so excited about what God is doing in and through First Presbyterian Church of Athens, and if the way be clear, we can’t wait for our family to join yours! I’m sure you’re as curious about us as we are about you, so here’s just a little about me.

Ryan and I met as students at the University of Missouri. We dated through our college years and he proposed on the steps of the Mizzou administration building on the Fourth of July. This April will mark our 17th wedding anniversary.

I spent the early part of my career as a graphic designer for the Missouri State Teachers Association and then a small publishing house. Shortly after we arrived at Columbia Seminary, I discerned that God had a particular calling on my life, and I earned my Master of Divinity in 2008. In 2009, I was called to serve as a hospice chaplain, and I was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament by the Presbytery of Tropical Florida. A short while later, I was called to serve as Director of Volunteers and Congregational Development for an ecumenical aid ministry, and since 2011, my call has been caring for our three young boys while also building a few home-based businesses. As our sons enter their schooling years, I’m excited to see how God might be calling me to use my gifts in Athens!

Blessings to you all,

Amy Baer

A Note from Amy

Nathan and Daniel Joshua Joshua, Daniel, and Nathan

Nathan, Joshua, Daniel, and Yogi Daniel, Amy, Joshua, Nathan, and Ryan

Amy and Ryan

1. The Baers bleed Mizzou black and gold, but they’ll be happy to cheer on the Dawgs except for one Saturday each fall.

2. Ryan grew up in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas, and Amy was raised in Kansas City, Missouri.

3. As a youth, Ryan played football, basketball, and baseball, and he was part of a football team that won the Texas 5A Division I State Championship.

4. Amy was a Girl Scout, played volleyball, and organized and led the spirit squad at her all-girls parochial high school.

5. Ryan enjoys playing golf (he’s a 20+ handicap), and Amy likes to cook, bake, and paint.

6. Even Ryan and Amy sometimes have a hard time telling the twins apart from a distance, especially if they’re wearing soccer or baseball uniforms. Up close, Nathan’s face is a little longer than Daniel’s.

7. From the time he was very young, Joshua has loved everything about trains, especially Thomas the Tank Engine. At his request, all of his birthday parties thus far have featured a train theme.

8. All of the Baers love music and love to sing, and Ryan knows enough chords on the acoustic guitar to play bad covers of The Eagles, Johnny Cash, and George Strait.

9. The Baers love to hike, and they are excited about being so close to the North Georgia mountains!

10. Ryan’s birthday is February 3, Amy’s is March 28, Joshua’s is April 10, and Nathan and Daniel were born one minute apart on May 12. Amy and Ryan’s wedding anniversary is April 6.

Ten Things to Know about the Baers