Rev. Patterson is on renewal leave effective February 15, 2023 and is stepping away from most pastoral duties during this time. Our church will be served on an interim basis by Rev. Ellynda Lipsey, who will be preaching on Sunday mornings. If you need to contact the church, please reach us at Oconee Street UMC oconeestreetumc@gmail.com.

Rev. Laura Patterson (she/her) began her appointment at Oconee Street UMC in July 2020 after serving congregations in North Georgia and Missouri of diverse size and location. She is an Air Force brat and native of nowhere in particular, but called Cobb County home the longest. Laura holds a BA in music from UGA, an MA in music history from Washington University in St. Louis, and an M.Div. from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. She was ordained an Elder in 2019.

In ministry, Laura is passionate about spiritual growth and justice work. It is at this intersection that we most fully experience what it means to follow Jesus the Christ. She is unreservedly affirming of the LGBTQ+ community and supports full inclusion in all aspects of the church. Laura’s theological commitments are for the liberation for all God’s people and the building of a Kin-dom where “justice rolls down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Laura is a contributor to the “We Pray with Her” series of books and writes occasionally for Ministry Matters. She also facilitates a “side hustle” ministry in Athens called Not Church and is passionate about engaging with people who are not part of traditional models of church.

Outside of ministry, Laura likes to cook, garden, make music, and lift weights. She lives with a heeler-mix named Dooley and an elderly orange cat named Sam.