Our Pastor ~ Rev. Dr. Geri Lyon

Welcome. I have the privilege of serving as Pastor of First Church. I accepted the call to serve here because I believe that God has great plans for this congregation. Poised on Buffalo’s west side, it is a congregation with a heart for mission and outreach and a membership which is diverse and representative of all people throughout WNY and lower Canada. I have found the First Church Family to be people of faith, who take their commitment to love one another seriously. In all my experience, I have never found a more welcoming congregation, open to risk and daring to love.

My passions are preaching and pastoral care. Here at First Church we love to worship and to live out our faith beyond the walls of the church. I think God had a plan in bringing me and this congregation together. My background lends itself to our joint ministry. I am a former newspaper reporter and public relations director. God can call us at any age. So at midlife, I earned my Masters of Divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary, with a concentration in Pastoral Care. In September of 2004 I was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity in Social Justice from the Jesus Christ the Liberator Seminary. I am a recognized Pastoral Care Specialist in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and I have ministered in many diverse settings including shelters for battered women, and a NYC Cancer Hospice. Prior to coming to First Church, I was the Director of Pastoral Care at AIDS Family Services. I have formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Parish Nurse Program and the Advisory Council for Buffalo State College. Currently I serve as the Chair of Presbytery's Outreach Ministry Team and I am a member of the Presbytery’s Council.

We support you in your search for a church family. If you decide that First Presbyterian Church might be the place where God is calling you, we say “welcome,”. If you would like help in joining the congregation, we would be happy to assist you. No matter where God is calling you, I look forward to meeting you.