Longtime church educator Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks joins Presbyterian Publishing Corporation as Church Resources Acquisitions Editor
She’ll succeed the Rev. David Maxwell, who retires Saturday after two decades of PPC service
Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) will welcome a new editor for church resources this week. Following a national search, PPC has hired Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks to serve as the Church Resources Acquisitions Editor. She succeeds the Rev. David L. Maxwell, Vice President for Curriculum and Church Resources, who is retiring on May 31 after a long career dedicated to service in the PC(USA).
Maxwell came to PPC after 15 years of ordained ministry, focusing on refugees and global ministries. He was ordained to a street ministry in New York City, where he lived and worked with Central American refugees fleeing war in the 1980s. In 1990 he joined the Presbyterian mission program to teach Bible and theology in an ecumenical seminary in southern Chile for five years and then served in World Mission as the education coordinator for seven years.
During his twenty years as Church Acquisitions Editor for PPC, Maxwell facilitated the development of TheThoughtful Christian.com and ThePresbyterian Leader.com resource libraries. In addition to editing pastoral ministry books, he was involved in several significant projects for the church such as the Glory to God hymnal and the revision of the Book of Common Worship. His final, large-scale project was the new Follow Me all-ages curriculum.
Maxwell reflected on his time with PPC by saying, “I never would have imagined spending so many years in editing, but this has been an incredible experience. I’ve learned so much from authors and from my work colleagues who are brilliant and so gifted. I’m excited to enter into a new time in life (Jane Fonda calls it the Third Act) and just as thrilled that we found an energetic, and passionate editor to create new resources for the church in this new time.”
Interim President and Publisher the Rev. Dr. Bridgett Green is also grateful for Maxwell’s service, noting, “Throughout his ministry, David tended to the changing needs of the church and the people whom the church serves. He worked diligently to ensure that congregations and leaders had solid resources for faith formation, mission, and pastoral development. At PPC, David’s ministry as an editor equipped thousands of Presbyterians in their Christian discipleship and for pastoral leadership.”
As the Church Resources Acquisitions Editor, Kyremes-Parks will oversee the development of new English-language curriculum and serve as the project manager for PPC’s grant for intergenerational worship resources from Lilly Endowment Inc. Kyremes-Parks, a church professional with more than 25 years of experience, was most recently the Director of Formation for Children and Their Families at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, North Carolina. Says Kyremes-Parks, “I am delighted to be joining the team at PPC. As a life-long church educator, I am thankful for the opportunity to help develop, expand and shape resources for communities of faith in the midst of an ever-changing landscape. I am humbled and honored to continue the faithful work that David Maxwell has gifted the church.”
PPC leadership and staff are welcoming Kyremes-Parks and are excited by what she can bring to the organization. Maxwell is delighted in this hire, saying, “Amy Kim brings wisdom and experience serving the church in ways that will surely be reflected in new books and curriculum. I wish her and the entire PPC family the best. Thank you.”
Regarding Kyremes-Parks’ hire, Green said, “We are pleased to have Amy Kim join our team. She brings over 25 years of experience in pastoral ministry, intergenerational worship, and Christian education within the PC(USA). Her extensive knowledge and strong connections across the denomination uniquely equip her to help identify and develop resources that congregations and their leaders need for faithful and effective ministry.”
Presbyterian Publishing Corporation is the official publisher of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It serves the church and academy through the Westminster John Knox Press book imprint, Flyaway Books imprint, Growing Faith Resources curriculum, and the PCUSAStore.com retail site.
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