Episcopal Church of the Holy Family - Jasper, Ga
Starting in Georgia 35 years ago, we lived around the country until our last move coming full circle from Bellevue WA to find our new home in Big Canoe in March 2023. Loran is in Interior Design / Project Manager and Chuck works for PACCAR, parent company for Peterbilt and Kenworth commercial trucks. We have two boys, one in Lawrenceville GA and the other in Durham NC. We enjoy the outdoors, gardening, cycling, kayaking and RV travel with our German Shepard, “Ada”.
Cammie and Alvin Cox moved to this area in mid-July 2022. They appreciate the very warm welcome they’ve received from everyone at Holy Family, including at a Wonderful Wednesday less than a week after they arrived! Cammie had lived in Louisville, Kentucky almost her entire life and Alvin for 50 years, so this was a major move. Cammie’s favorite leisure activity is walking and Alvin enjoys riding motorcycles. Cammie retired in late May of 2021 after decades of working in two fields: education and journalism. Alvin has been a self-employed architect for nearly his entire career and is still working part-time as a consultant. They have two grown children, a son in Florida and a daughter in Idaho, as well as two elementary age granddaughters, also in Idaho.
Ren and Linda McDearis recently became members of our congregation. Ren is an executive with Georgia Power Company and is nearing retirement with forty years of service. Linda retired a few years ago from Home Depot corporate where she was administrator for the Vice President of Legal Affairs. Ren and Linda have two children – Nicholas and Katelin. They have three grandchildren – Zoey, Blaire and Daniel. Both Ren and Linda enjoy a variety of activities – hiking, travelling and spending time with their family. Ren is a member of the choir and both are very grateful to be members of this church.
Bill Harkins is in his 23rd year of teaching pastoral theology and counseling in the various graduate programs at Columbia Theological Seminary, where he co-directs the Th.D. program in pastoral psychotherapy shared with Emory and the Interdenominational Theological Center. He served for 18 years as Priest Associate at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip. Bill practices psychotherapy and marriage and family therapy at the Cathedral Counseling Center in Atlanta. He joined the faculty of Episcopal CREDO, a wellness program for clergy, as Psychological Health faculty in 2012. He has also served as faculty on CPG Planning for Wellness and ECF Boot Camp conferences for clergy. Bill was appointed in 2015 by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefforts-Schori to the ECUSA Commission on Impairment and Leadership. He enjoys consulting with parishes, businesses, and institutions experiencing conflict and transition. Bill is an Approved Supervisor in AAMFT, a Diplomate in AAPC, and an ACPE Approved Psychotherapist and Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy Trainer. He holds degrees from Rhodes College (B.A.) and Vanderbilt University (M.Div., Ph.D.) Bill is married (40 years) to Dr. Vicky Harkins, an advanced practice nurse leader, professor and healthcare administrator. They have two sons, Justin (38) an environmental litigation attorney who is a partner with Crowley & Fleck Law Firm, LLC in Billings, Montana, and Andrew (35) a second-year resident in Internal Medicine/Oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine. Twin grandchildren, Alice and Jack, were born in Billings, Montana in March 2017, and a granddaughter, Sophia, born in Atlanta on Christmas Eve 2018. Bill is the veteran of 45 consecutive Peachtree Road Races, and completed the Asheville Marathon, his 11th, in March of 2015. He enjoys trail running and other forms of outdoor recreation, writing, and spending time with family.
This is to test showing Thanksgiving posts on one page and Wednesday morning thoughts on another.