Title: Nominees for moderators named
Date: January 25, 1999
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
99b-1
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- If elected in October, a New York City-area construction engineer will be the first Hispanic member to lead the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Assembly.
Paul D. Rivera, Valley Stream, N.Y., is the nominee for moderator of the Indianapolis-based denomination. Nominated as first and second vice moderator were the Rev. Lanny C. Lawler, Nashville, Tenn., and Minnie L. Smith, Hannibal, Mo.
The trio was recommended during the Jan. 16-19 meeting of the General Nominating Committee in Daytona Beach, Fla. Rivera, Lawler and Smith stand for election during the Oct. 8-12 General Assembly in Cincinnati.
Rivera has been a senior project manager with Lehrer, McGovern, Bovis, a construction management firm in New York City, since 1996. A member of Iglesia Cristiana Sinai in New York, he has been a prominent leader in the Hispanic Disciples community. He recently was nominated as president-elect of the Pastoral Commission for Hispanic Ministries and is now moderator of the Northeast region's Hispanic Convention.
He previously served on the General Board and Administrative Committee and was second vice moderator of the General Assembly from 1995 to 1997. His service also includes stints as moderator and vice moderator of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Northeast.
Rivera holds a bachelor of science degree in architectural engineering from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Lawler has been senior minister of Eastwood Christian Church in Nashville for six years. He has held pastorates in Connecticut, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky and served on regional commissions and committees in Indiana, Greater Kansas City, Mid-America and Tennessee.
He is a board member of Christmount Christian Assembly, a retreat center in Black Mountain, N.C. He is a former board member in the Tennessee and Northeast regions. In the wider church, Lawler coordinated the ecumenical response in Nashville after tornadoes ravaged the city in April 1998.
He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, and Yale University Divinity School, New Haven, Conn. Lawler earned a doctor of ministry degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville.
Smith is a claims representative with the Social Security Administration in Hannibal. She has worked for SSA for 34 years. The active laywoman is a member of Willow Street Christian Church in Hannibal.
She currently is a member of the General Board and recently finished a term on the Administrative Committee. She just began a three-year period as a director with the Board of Church Extension. In November, Smith completed a term as moderator of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Mid-America where she previously was vice moderator. She now serves on the regional Reconciliation Committee.
Smith attended Hannibal-LaGrange College and Truman State University (formerly Northeast Missouri State University), Kirksville.
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