Pastors
Rev. Dr. Michael J. Hoyt - Pastor
Mike was born and raised in Lithonia, Georgia -- a suburb of Atlanta. He graduated from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina in 1991, received his Master of Divinity degree in 1995 from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and received his Doctor of Ministry degree in 2003 from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta.
Prior to joining us in 2001, he served for six years as the pastor of Loch Willow Presbyterian Church in Churchville, Virginia.
Mike and his wife Mary Ellen met in college and were married in 1991 by Mary Ellen's father, a Presbyterian minister. They have two children: Langley (age 14) and James (age 11).
Rebecca Cole-Turner - Pastoral Intern
Rebecca is a spiritual director and retreat leader as director of HeartSpace Ministries based in Pittsburgh. She has taught part-time in the Certificate of Spiritual Formation program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She is a supervisor of spiritual directors in training with the "Pneuma" program at the seminary, and a member of the Advisory Board.
Rebecca is a member of Spiritual Directors International and The Vineyard Guild. Prior to beginning her current ministry, she served as a psychologist in private practice in Memphis, TN, and counselor educator for over 35 years. She is a Presbyterian Church (USA) Elder and former member of the Spiritual Life Committee at East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. Rebecca has also served as a member of a national advisory group on spirituality in the church for the PCUSA.
A published poet and writer on issues of spirituality, she wrote an invited blog called "Musings of a Meandering Pilgrim" for the Mainline Protestant Portal of Patheos.com and is a member of their Writers' Board. She has written curriculum for Christian education programs and has been a contributor to Hungry Hearts Journal of Reformed Spirituality.
One of Rebecca's favorite things to do is to go on pilgrimages. She has journeyed to Celtic holy sites such as Iona in Scotland, where she is an Associate Member of the Iona Community; Lindisfarne in England; Skellig Michael, Glendalough, Clonmacnoise and Innisfallen in Ireland; Vezelay, Taize, Cluny and Chartres in France; Rome, Subiaco, Assisi, Florence and Ravenna in Italy; the "painted churches" in the Orthodox monasteries of Romania; as well as holy sites in India, Russia, South Korea and Thailand. Her favorite and most frequent pilgrimage is to the reconstructed cell of Julian of Norwich in England, where she is a long-time member of The Julian Centre. She will lead a pilgrimage to Rome, Subiaco and Assisi for the Seminary in June 2013.
Currently a middler in the Masters of Divinity program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Rebecca also earned the Certificate of Spiritual Formation from PTS. She holds the Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Rebecca has studied supervision of spiritual directors and has given invited lectures at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership in Chicago. She holds the Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Syracuse University, the C.A.S. and M.S. in Counseling and Psychological Services from SUNY Oswego, and a B.A. in Social Sciences from Wheaton College in Illinois.
Grandmother of three-year old, Ben, and his baby sister, Caroline (born February 24, 2011), Rebecca is the mother of two grown daughters, Sarah and Rachel, and mother-in-law of Hal Vincent. She has been married to Rev. Dr. Ron Cole-Turner, her life partner and companion on many of her pilgrimages, for over 41 years.
Rev. Clifton Johnson - Parish Associate
Clifton was born in Pittsburgh. He graduated from LaSalle University in 1992 and received his Masters of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1997.
Clifton's first ministerial call was as a hospital chaplain on the west coast. After he returned to Pittsburgh, Dr. Hoyt nominated him as Parish Associate at GPC.
Clifton assists with pastoral visitation, teaches Sunday School classes, and is a resource in a variety of other ministerial and pastoral care areas.
In addition to his duties at GPC, Clifton is a full-time counselor for the Family Service programs of Pressley Ridge.