Georgia Settle: March 6, 1935-September 19, 2010–“A pilgrim whose progress has encouraged and inspired countless daughters of the covenant.”
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Georgia Settle died last Sunday. She was 75. A memorial service will be held tomorrow, September 25, at Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, S.C. There, at 11:00 a.m., pastor Richard Phillips will remember her life of impact this way:

“Georgia Brown Settle was born in Harold, Kentucky and graduated from Bob Jones University in 1956. While at college, she staged and directed performances of operas and Shakespearian plays. There, she also met Paul Settle and the two were married on August 22, 1956. Together they went to Columbia Theological Seminary where Paul was a student and Georgia was a library assistant. After seminary, the Settles entered into the life of pastoral ministry. Among the noteworthy churches they served are Trinity Presbyterian in Montgomery, Ala.; Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Second Presbyterian in Greenville, S.C.; and Park Cities Presbyterian in Dallas, Texas.

Georgia and Paul played important roles in the years of turmoil that led to the formation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and in its expansion and growth. When Paul was executive secretary of the Presbyterian Churchmen United, Georgia was the office manager. After the PCA was founded, Georgia was the first to serve in the position now known as the director of women’s ministry. During the 14 years when Paul served as senior minister at Second Presbyterian Church, Georgia performed valuable historical research, preserving the record of how our denomination was founded through interviews she conducted with leading participants. During these years, she authored the books, Women in the Bible and Seasons of Change, Seasons of Grace, along with numerous articles in The Presbyterian Journal. After the Settles served at Ridge Haven Conference Center, where Paul was executive director, they joined the pastoral staff of Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, a church that has proved to be strategically vital to the PCA’s spread to Texas and the Southwest. There, Georgia’s ministry was a blessing to many college and seminary students, and she served as executive assistant to the director of Reformed University Fellowship at Southern Methodist University.

In a book dedicated to Georgia Settle, Susan Hunt and Barbara Thompson described her as “a pilgrim whose progress has encouraged and inspired countless daughters of the covenant.” They spoke of “her constant passion for God’s glory and love for His church,” and described her as “a sort of spiritual Renaissance woman … in whose presence is rest.”  We rejoice that Georgia Settle has now entered her rest and reward in the presence of the Lord and in His glory. We grieve together with her surviving family members: her husband, Paul Settle; and her children Paul David Settle and Jo Lynne Sprouse. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Ps. 116:15).”

 

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