DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – August 21, 2009 – First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach proudly announces the installation of its new Associate Pastor Reverend Aaron Philip Janklow on Sunday, August 16, 2009. The position became available at the “Community Church by the Sea” with the retirement of long-time Associate Pastor Reverend Joan Abell. Over 260 members of the congregation including friends and family of Rev. Janklow, who flew in from all parts of the country, attended the Sunday service to witness Rev. Janklow’s ordination ceremony. Rev. Janklow is the 10th Associate Pastor in the church’s 85-year-old history.Rev. Janklow comes to the Church most recently from the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan where he served as a Lilly Resident (Minister in Residence), as part of a two year residency program funded by the Lilly Endowment. As a student, he was a Phi Beta Kappa at Temple University and went on to earn his Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary. Rev. Janklow, who was born in Fort Lauderdale and raised in New Jersey, has completed extensive mission work domestically and abroad traveling to Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Costa Rica and Philippines.“I am so happy to be here, to minister to this special congregation and to learn from them,” says Rev. Janklow. “I have been welcomed with open arms by everyone.”Upon the announcement of Rev. Abell’s retirement last year, the Church’s congregation chose an Associate Pastor Nominating Committee to find the right candidate to fill the position. Rev. Janklow’s resume and in-person interviews stood out to the Committee, which recommended him unanimously to the congregation. In May, a Special Congregational Meeting was held where Rev. Janklow was also unanimously chosen by the congregation to serve as their new Associate Pastor. He was later accepted by the Presbytery of Tropical Florida. First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach’s Senior Pastor Theodore Bush, Ph.D also gave him the seal of approval.“I am convinced that Rev. Janklow is the right person for this position. He brings great enthusiasm to the tasks at hand and can inspire people to work with him in ministry. He also has the ability to transform ideas into action,” Dr. Bush wrote in a recent article for The Spire, the Church newsletter. “I must say my immediate reaction when I first met Aaron and later visited with him at length, was that he really will be a tremendous blessing to us as a congregation.”About First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach:First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach is located at 33 Gleason St., Delray Beach, Fl 33483. Sunday services from May through October are at 10:00 am and two services at 9:00 am and 11:00 am are given Sundays during November through April. The Church offers several programs and activities for all ages including Stephen Ministry Training, mission trips, youth groups, men’s and women’s groups, Vacation Bible School, Adult Christian Education, Sunday School and childcare services. In 2009, the Church property and its Fellowship Hall were recognized as a State of Florida Historical Point of Interest with an historical marker. For more information, please call 561-276-6338 or visit www.firstdelray.com.###
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