Becca Putman to be Installed as Pastor of
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gainesville
The Rev. Rebecca Lawson Putman, “Becca”, will be installed as Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gainesville on Sunday, November 7. Becca began at Westminster in May 2021 after completing her ministry as Pastor of Northville United Presbyterian Church in Northville, New York, in the Adirondack mountains.
Becca began attending the presbyterian church with her family when she was about 5, and she remained active in First Presbyterian Church of Sparta, New Jersey throughout her childhood and adolescence. As a high-school confirmation student, Becca found that she was intrigued by the differences in Bible translations. Her love of Scripture, Bible study, and theology continued throughout college (BA in German from Ursinus College and MA in Linguistics from the University of North Texas).
Becca realized later that her love of Scripture and desire to teach this to others was her call into seminary. She began to pursue studies at Princeton Theological Seminary where she was especially excited to dive deeply into the Greek and Hebrew languages. The internships with three different congregations in New York and New Jersey convinced her that God was calling her to congregational ministry. She received her Master of Divinity in May 2015. While in seminary, Becca came under the care of the Albany Presbytery as she started the ordination process. She was ordained in August 2015 and began her first call as pastor of Northville United Presbyterian Church.
Becca became active at various levels in the Albany Presbytery and the Synod of the Northeast, including participation in the Early Ministry Institute, a three-year program for new ministers offered by the Synod. She served as Stated Clerk of the Albany Presbytery for a year prior to moving to Gainesville.
While in seminary, Becca met her husband Greg Putman while completing a summer internship at the Mayfield Central Presbyterian Church in Mayfield, New York. They got married at that church on June 13, 2015. Their family also includes two cats, named Night and Mr. Cuddles.
As Becca settles into Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gainesville, she is most excited about participating in the many ways that Westminster serves their surrounding communities and helping them to find new ways to engage with others and serve God. She admires the passion and intellect of the members of Westminster. She also looks forward to getting to know her colleagues and partners in ministry in the Presbytery.
The Service of Installation will be held on Sunday, November 7 at 4:00 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church and via Zoom. In-person attendance will be limited to allow for social distancing. If you wish to attend in-person, reservations are required and may be made by completing this survey. The service will also be recorded, and the recording will be shared on Facebook and by request shortly following the service. Click here for the Service of Installation email with further details.
Welcome Becca! We look forward to your ministry at Westminster and your leadership in the Presbytery of St. Augustine!