By PAUL J CONDRA
Pastor Jimmy Halsey, who has been at Community Presbyterian for 15 and a half years, was chosen by a search committee at the Church of Smithtown to lead the congregation there. He will start at the new church in early July. His selection came after a year-long search at Smithtown, a typical amount of time for such a task, Presbyterians said.
It's going to be a challenge for the congregation he is leaving behind to find a replacement, officials at the Malverne church said. The 100 or so members at Community Presbyterian were somewhat shaken by the news, Halsey said.
People were stunned, they were sad. It took them a while to talk about it, he said, adding that he had always hinted to church members he wasn't planning to end his career in Malverne.
He's a tremendous theologian, said music director Leonard Lehrman, who has been at Community Presbyterian for 10 years.
He's been there a long time, and has really held the church together, he said.
One of the messages Halsey wishes to leave with the church is that his leaving opens a new door of possibility and challenge for Community Presbyterian, which he believes they will tackle fruitfully.
I will miss [the] congregation and all [it has] meant to me and my family. The years in Malverne have been very good ones for us. We have formed wonderful friendships, he said.
For Halsey, moving to Smithtown means continuing his career as a pastor in the New York area. With a Doctorate of Theology from Princeton, the pastor has spent his career at churches in New Jersey and New York.
It also means relocating
his family. He has been married for 29 years and has two adopted Korean children, ages 14 and
12, who have lived their whole lives in Malverne.
There's nothing simple about it, Halsey said. But while the pastor seeks a new adventure for himself, he also feels a move is necessary for more practical reasons. In a letter to the church members, Halsey writes part of the reason he is moving is for greater compensation as [he plans his family for] college, retirement ...
Officials at the Church of Smithtown were delighted they could get a pastor the caliber of Halsey.
We're thrilled, said Ann Stanph, co-chair of the Pastoral Nominating Committee at Smithtown. Where Jimmy really showed through was ... for his administrative ability and his compassion for his pastoral care, for his preaching ability, for his teaching missions and stewardship.
Stanph said Halsey's philosophy of preaching meshed beautifully with what Smithtown was looking for.
The process of looking for a new pastor began a year ago, Stanph said. She said the former Rev. William Edwards had retired and Presbytery had assigned an interim pastor to fill in. In the meantime Smithtown set to work putting together a profile of the type of pastor the congregation felt it wanted, and reviewing the dossiers of interested candidates.
Halsey said he had worked with members of Smithtown in the past, then he heard about the opening there and decided he wanted to explore new ground.
As I said to the congregation, I'm at the age where I need to retire here [in Malverne] or explore another community, said the 51-year-old Halsey.
Stanph said Halsey fit the profile the church sought, and that his selection was supported by 100 percent of the congregation at Smithtown.
