First Presbyterian Church at Dayton

Pastor:  The Rev. Wendi L. Werner (she/her)

Rev. Wendi L. Werner has been serving within the PC(USA) since 1995.    She was ordained a minister of Word and Sacrament in 2006.  Wendi has 11 years of experience serving in multi-staff settings as both a Christian educator and an interim associate pastor in north-central New Jersey, and spent several years as an associate pastor here in central New Jersey.  She was called to serve as the solo pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at Dayton in 2009, where she has felt blessed by the opportunity to live within the fullness of call.

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Together with the leadership of the Dayton Church, a portion of her shared accomplishments have included re-establishment of the Board of Deacons; the church building's accessibility project which included both a lift and addition designed to communicate welcome; the adoption of  a statement on full inclusion; a revitalization of the manse; and the re-establishment of mission outreach including drives which provide both summer and winter clothing at no cost and the Open Kitchen program, which offers a monthly dinner at no cost where any and all can find welcome.

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Wendi is an active member of the South Brunswick area Interfaith Clergy Association, which works throughout the year to foster respect and mutual understanding of the diverse religious traditions within South Brunswick. She is also an elected representative on the Township's Human Relations Commission. In service to the wider church, she was active in the former New Brunswick presbytery by serving as the 2016 Presbytery moderator, chaired the 2017 Central Leadership Team and she was an elected representative on the New Jersey Missional Communities Working Group, which was charged with creating a formal proposal for the reimagining of New Jersey presbyteries including but not limited to boundary lines.  In the new Presbytery of the Coastlands (which draws from portions of former Elizabeth, Monmouth & New Brunswick presbyteries) Wendi has served as a member of the Core Team, Permanent Judicial Commission, and interim Commission on Ministry.  She is served as the Presbytery moderator in 2022. Wendi has been trained in conflict mediation skills by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, and has been exploring Bowen theory in programs and seminars through the Bowen Center in Washington D.C. 

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Wendi is married to Noel D. Werner, Director of Music at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton.  They are the proud parents of sophomores - one in high school and one in college! 

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