Staff
WELCOME REV. ANN DICKEY
Thank you Bethany church for the chance to become part of your congregation!
My name is Ann G. Dickey and I am thrilled to be your new Pastor! Let me give a short introduction to who I am and how I came to be here!
I was born on March 18, 1955 in Greensboro, North Carolina and raised in Valdese, North Carolina. I was adopted by Edward and Doris Garrou, of Waldensian heritage, at the age of two months. Valdese is a town of 3000 people in western NC founded by reformed Italian protestants called Waldensians in 1893. I graduated 4th in a class of 89 at Valdese High School in 1973. I graduated from Davidson College in 1977 (near Charlotte) and was in the first class of women at the formerly all male institution where my father and uncles had attended during the 1940s. I had a double major of psychology and elementary education but discovered during student teaching that teaching was not for me! I held several jobs during my college years: intern in a mental institution, a summer church educator and youth leader in my home church (Waldensian Presbyterian) and host of two radio shows.
My seminary education was done in three seminaries: University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Princeton Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. I worked for one year as a seminary intern in the United Presbyterian Church in Garden City, NY where I was well received but teased because of my southern accent…but I loved it and them! I received my Master of Divinity from Union in 1980 and was ordained in August 1980 in the Presbyterian Church US (Southern church). I was an active member in the Wilmington Presbytery from 1980-84 when I served as Co-Pastor with my husband at the Smith’s and Grove Presbyterian Churches in Kenansville and Pink Hill, NC. Each church had 100 members and was mainly comprised of county employees and tobacco, turkey, and hog farmers. Upon moving to Pennsylvania in 1984, I became a member of Donegal Presbytery and was invited to do bible studies as a volunteer at Westminster in West Chester PA while raising two small children. From 1986- 88, I served as the coordinator for the Covenant House college residence ministry sponsored by Westminster and also was involved in college ministry activities at West Chester University. I worked part time for Westminster doing various pastoral duties until 1992 when I was called as full time Associate Pastor for Evangelism and Pastoral Care. I was part of the church’s move to the W. Pleasant Grove Rd location and was able to meet the hundreds of new people who came there in and after 1993. I left there in 2004 to become the Interim Pastor at Unionville Presbyterian Church. In 2006, I became the Interim Pastor at Doe Run Presbyterian Church in Coatesville, leaving there in October of this year.
I have been married for 31 years to Dr. David Dickey, who is an ordained PCUSA minister with a Doctor of Ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary. He does pastoral counseling at his office in our home. David has been an active contemporary music leader at Doe Run and also plays classical guitar and sings. He loves to play golf, guitar and crossword puzzles. We have two children, Heather age 26, who has been married to Glenn Thomas for four years. She is a stylist at LaDifference salon in WC. Glenn runs a trucking brokerage called Part IV Trucking with his father in Plymouth Meeting. They live in Exton. James, our son age 24, graduated from WCU this year (except he still owes them one course!) in business and loves computers, watching professional sports and playing golf. He lives in Exton with friends and works part-time at UPS in WC. We are an interracial family since James arrived from Korea in 1985 and proponents of adoption since David, James and I are all adopted!
David and I love to travel to the Cayman Islands where he enjoys scuba diving and I enjoy reading on a sunny beach and we both enjoy being with international friends we have made there. I also enjoy knitting, movies, cooking simple recipes, dinners out, chocolate, Scrabble and shopping! I also enjoy small church activities with the intimate fellowship and support only a small congregation can bring. I am so excited to be the Pastor at Bethany and hope that together we can create a new vision for ministry for this wonderful church of friendly people! Already I find Bethany to be a vibrant and excited congregation and one of Chester County’s well kept secrets! I look forward to getting to know all of you! I will keep office hours in the lovely newly redecorated church office on Tuesdays from 10-12:30 and Thursdays from 9-11:30am so stop by and see me! In addition to preaching and leading worship, I am teaching the adult Sunday school this fall and Advent on the signs of a coming M essiah in November and Angels in the scriptures during Advent. I also am on call 24hrs a day at 484-467-3885 so do not hesitate to call me with any needs or concerns. I am so blessed to be part of Bethany’s new chapter of ministry for our Lord Jesus Christ! Gratefully and excitedly, Ann G. Dickey