Faithful Servant A fond look back at Mike Drake’s ministry BY PAT HOFFMAN


As Mike Drake retires after more than 23 years of dedicated service at First Presbyterian, the chair of the Pastor Nominating Committee that called Mike to our church recalls the process of that call and the qualities of a candidate who has served our congregation so well. And Tidings (with a little surreptitious help from Mike’s wife, Debbie) recalls scenes from Mike’s lifetime of walking in faith with Christ.


“I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me


to his service.” —1 TIMOTHY 1:12


12 How did Mike Drake come to be a pastor at First Presbyterian Allentown?


Te journey started back in the fall of 1992 with the election by the congregation of a Pastor Nominating Committee whose members were Larry Deal, Pat Hoffman, Jim Hunter, Afaf Khoury, Janet Ney, and John Pidcock. Assisting the committee were Al Stone from the Committee on Ministry of Lehigh Presbytery and senior pastor Jeff Aiken.


Te committee, with approval from Session, submitted our Church Information Form, which highlighted our church and the qualities we were looking for in a senior associate administrative pastor. And what were we looking for? We were


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