Home : The Voice : October 2002 

Steven Benz Named Executive Presbyter

At its stated summer meeting in June, the Presbytery of East Tennessee elected Stephen (Steve) Norris Benz Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of East Tennessee. He was installed at the fall meeting of presbytery. It was a special honor to have his father, The Rev. Dr. C. Charles Benz preach the installation sermon.

Steve grew up in the Lakewood Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, FL, the oldest son of a Presbyterian minister and a mother who is a life member of the Presbyterian Women. His early years were formed about his life in his home church and summers at Montreat Conference Center. He graduated from Presbyterian College in 1973 with a BA in History, began a career in retailing with the JC Penny Company, first in Oak Ridge, then as a department manager in the Morristown, TN store. In 1982, he joined the Delta Air Lines family and worked in Atlanta with Delta for 19 years.

Arriving in the Presbytery of East Tennessee with many new ideas and an eagerness to get started, he has now visited more than half the churches and plans to visit and meet the ministers and/or congregations of all the churches in Presbytery before the end of the year. Not only does he attend the worship services, but he also can frequency be found in attendance at special services and celebrations in the presbytery.

In 1989, while still working with Delta, Steve answered God’s call to become closely involved with the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta through its camp and conference facility, Calvin Center. As chair of the commission charged with revitalizing the Center, he succeeded in his work so well that he later chaired the division responsible for the operation of the facility.

Other responsibilities with the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta included chairing the Personnel Committee, Secretary of the Executive Search Committee, Moderator of Presbytery, and commissioner to the General Assembly.

In his churches, the Fayetteville Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, GA, and the Central Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, he served as elder, deacon, trustee, Clerk of Session, Sunday school teacher, sang in the choir, and held many other committee memberships.

Steve is married to Cindy, who is a candidate for the ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary. They have two daughters, Julie and Bethany who are native East Tennesseans. Both have served as YADs to General Assembly, representing the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.

Benz says his sense of call to fulltime ministry has grown throughout his life. He says, “I believe that God has now called me to combine my church and business world experiences to serve the Presbytery of East Tennessee.”