Allentown Resident Brings Broad Denominational and Local Ecumenical Skills to Council
The Pennsylvania Council of Churches has elected the Rev. Dr. Larry D. Pickens, former worldwide ecumenical executive for the United Methodist Church, as its new executive director. He will begin work on Jan. 2, 2021.
“We are blessed to bring Larry Pickens on board to guide the PA Council of Churches in this challenging time of our history,” said the Rev. Liz Bidgood Enders, president of the Council’s Board of Directors.
“Larry is committed to the ecumenical movement, from leading on the denominational level to working on the street with congregations of all shape and sizes in a variety of settings,” Rev. Bidgood Enders said. “One of the first things we noticed about him was his passion towards seeking justice on behalf of the poor and the marginalized. That’s the essence of how we are to share Christ’s love.”
Dr. Pickens, 62, will replace the Rev. Dai Morgan, who has served as the acting executive director of the Council since July. Rev. Morgan had served as a member of the Board of Directors and had been its vice president since 2017.
A native of Chicago, Dr. Pickens earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Park University, a Master of Theological Studies and a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary, a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law and a Certificate of Ecumenism from Bossey-The World Council of Churches
As general secretary of the United Methodist General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, he was the ecumenical staff officer for the denomination. He represented the denomination on the Executive and Central Committees of The World Council of Churches and in leadership roles of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. He served as the ecumenical director of the Lehigh Conference of Churches, based in Allentown, Pa., from 2014 through Sept. 2020. He is also credentialed in the Penn Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, based in Palmerton, Pa.
Dr. Pickens and his wife, Debra, have a daughter, Jessica, who is presently a therapist at the University of Maryland.
