Presbyterian Foundation hires the Rev. Bill Davis and the Rev. Zoë Garry for Theological Education Fund posts

The two will succeed the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty, who’s joining the staff of Union Presbyterian Seminary in August

by Robyn Davis Sekula, Presbyterian Foundation | Special to Presbyterian News Service

This summer, the Rev. Bill Davis and the Rev. Zoë Garry will begin leading Theological Education Funds Development at the Presbyterian Foundation.

Preparing for the departure of Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty this summer, the Presbyterian Foundation has hired two skilled and connected pastors to head up Theological Education Funds Development.

The Rev. Bill Davis will join the Foundation as Senior Director of Theological Education Funds Development on June 29. The Rev. Zoë Garry will serve as Associate Director starting July 8.

“We are thrilled to have two incredibly talented and deeply connected Presbyterian pastors joining the Foundation family to lead the charge to support our seminaries,” says the Rev. Dr. Tom Taylor, President and CEO at the Presbyterian Foundation. “Bill and Zoë each bring different gifts and networks from the wider church to give a broad swath of our people opportunities to support tomorrow’s church leaders. We’re especially grateful for the collaboration of the Committee on Theological Education who walked with us in the discernment and hiring process. We’re all excited to see what these two skilled and enthusiastic leaders will bring.”

Hinson-Hasty has served as Senior Director of Theological Education Funds Development at the Foundation since the TEF moved to the Foundation in 2015. Prior to that, Hinson-Hasty worked in a similar role at the Presbyterian Mission Agency, where the TEF was housed previously. He will join the staff at Union Presbyterian Seminary in August.

“The Theological Education Fund provides significant resources to support the work of our seminaries as they train the next generation of creative, faithful, transformational leaders for the church,” says the Rev. Dr. Katherine Smith, who is Chair of the Committee on Theological Education. “We look forward to working closely with the new senior director and associate director to advance the missional work of theological education in the PC(USA).”

 The Rev. Bill Davis, Senior Director, Theological Education Funds Development

Davis is a pastor and nonprofit fundraiser living in Denver, Colorado. Currently a doctoral student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Davis has degrees from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Columbia Theological Seminary, and Appalachian State University. A lifelong Presbyterian, he has served churches in Boone, North Carolina, Atlanta, and Denver.

Davis has served Denver Presbytery as a member of Council, co-chairing the Personnel committee, and is currently a member of the Ministry Relations Research and Discovery Subcommittee. His service to the denomination includes co-directing two weeks of Montreat Youth Conferences, reading ordination exams, and representing Denver Presbytery as a commissioner to the 224^th General Assembly (2020).

Davis comes to the Presbyterian Foundation having most recently served as interim pastor of Community of Grace (a newly chartered congregation in Denver Presbytery) in Arvada, Colorado, and as the development manager for the Presbyterian Association of Musicians. Davis received a Religious Fundraising Certificate from the Lake Institute.

“I am thrilled to be joining the staff of the Presbyterian Foundation working with the Theological Education Fund,” Davis says. “Amplifying theological education from our Presbyterian seminaries helps us become better people and followers of Christ, and it’s more important now than ever. I’m looking forward to making connections with folks throughout the denomination as we build upon the great work of Lee and the Committee on Theological Education. It’s an exciting time to be beginning this important work!”

The Rev. Zoë Garry, Associate Director, Theological Education Funds Development

Garry most recently served as campus minister and director for NOLA Wesley & Labyrinth Café, a donation-based café and gathering space in New Orleans that ministers to students at Loyola and Tulane universities. In this role, Garry transformed NOLA Wesley and the Labyrinth Café into a vibrant, active ministry that offers student-centered community events throughout the week, including Sunday worship. She successfully fundraised, helping the ministry achieve financial stability, tripling its annual budget.

Garry is an ordained minister in the PC(USA) and a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary with a concentration in Women, Gender, and Theology. With more than 12 years of experience in education, Garry has worked in academia both in the United States and abroad. Her most notable experiences in higher education were with Princeton University’s Office of Religious Life, Princeton Theological Seminary’s Women’s Center, and Bangla Language Institute in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where she was one of 12 Americans awarded a Critical Language Scholarship, as well as working in ministries in the West Bank, Jordan, and Nepal. Garry received her Religious Fundraising Certificate from the Lake Institute in September 2023. She is relocating to Cleveland and will work from there.

“It is my belief that education is an invitation to seeing and experiencing the world and oneself anew,” Garry says. “In our learning, we are charged with using this knowledge, love, and wonder to care for the world and our community. Theological education roots this charge and transformation in Christ, allowing us to holistically show up and lean into the beauty of our faith and tradition. I am honored to be a part of ensuring the future of theological education working with the Presbyterian Foundation’s Theological Education Fund and Committee on Theological Education.”