First United Church Of Fulton Welcomes New Pastor, Wife, Gives Sendoff To Pastor Louise Barger

Reverend Dr. Leon Runner and Dr. Donna Runner.

FULTON – The First United Church of Fulton is pleased to announce that on June 20, the congregation welcomed the Reverend Doctor Leon E. Runner from Mexico, New York, as its new settled minister.

Reverend Runner moved to Mexico in April of this year following a five-year ministry at the Lowville (NY) Baptist Church.

Rev. Runner is married to Dr. Donna M. Runner the Superintendent of the Mexico Academy and Central School District. A native of Bath, New York, Reverend Runner has served churches in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New York State through thirty years of ordained ministry. Rev. Runner holds a Doctorate in Ministry from Palmer Theological Seminary with an emphasis in urban church renewal.

Rev. Runner has held national and regional leadership positions with the American Baptist Churches USA, including serving as secretary of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, serving as Moderator of both the Philadelphia (PA) Baptist Association and North Country (NY) Baptist Association. The Runners have one son, Dr. Jacob W. Runner, an assistant professor of English at the Kanazawa (Japan) University.

The First United Church of Fulton is the merged congregation of First Baptist and First Presbyterian Churches of Fulton since 1997. Reverend Runner is the second settled minister of the church following the eighteen-year ministry of Rev. David Nethercott and the recently concluded three and a half years transitional ministry of Rev. Dr. Louise Barger.

Reverend Runner looks forward to continuing a cooperative working ministry with the American Baptist Churches of New York State as well as forging new relationships with clergy and congregations of the Cayuga/Syracuse Presbytery. First United Church is a community church concerned with sharing God’s light and love with members of the downtown area of the city of Fulton. Reverend Runner looks forward to building strong ecumenical connections with other faith groups in Fulton as well as working cooperatively with community partners.

First United Church is located at 33 South Third Street in Fulton with available off-street parking. The congregation meets each Sunday morning for in-person worship at 11 a.m. The worship service is also available streaming live on Facebook. The congregation invites you to be their guest at worship on a Sunday morning to meet and greet their new pastor and his wife.

The First United Church of Fulton gave Pastor Louise Barger a sendoff fit for a queen on Sunday, June 13, 2021. She is leaving us after three and a half years as our transitional pastor now that we have called a settled pastor. She was given a Waterford Crystal cross, two photo albums depicting her time in Fulton, and a cash gift. She will be missed! We wish her well in all of her future endeavors!

Barb Kuss (left), Pastor Louise Barger (front and center), Rita Hooper (right)

Print this entry