First United Methodist Church of Covington has a new associate pastor, the Rev. Jan McCoy.
She has served as pastor of the Devereux United Methodist Circuit in the Augusta District for four years, and last year served on the Augusta District Committee on Religion and Race, according to a release.
She was involved with Clergy United of Hancock County (clergy-led) and United Ministries of Hancock County (laity/clergy led), and has participated for three years in the Annual Unity Prayer Walk, serving for the last two years as co-emcee for the walk.
McCoy graduated from Swainsboro High School in 1978 and earned an Associate in Arts degree with Honors at Emanuel County Junior College.
She was accepted to both Georgia Tech and Emory University, and attended Georgia Tech for a short time before transferring to her dream school, Emory.
She became involved in campus life, singing with the Emory Women's Chorale and writing for the Emory campus newspaper.
She attended chapel services at Candler and became involved in the college department of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church.
During her senior year in college, she had begun to feel the call into ministry. In 2009, she answered that call to ministry, entered Candler School of Theology and earned her master of divinity in 2009.
At Candler, she was active in the Order of Saint Luke, serving as sub-prior for two of her three years of membership. She also sang with the Candler Chorale for three years and was on the Candler Coordinating Council for two years.
She is married to David McCoy.
The McCoys come to Covington First United Methodist from their home church, Conyers First United Methodist, where David played lead guitar for the Contemporary Praise Band, Thrive, and taught adult Sunday school classes as requested.
Their children include Christopher and Michelle McCoy, who live in Due West, S.C., where Christopher attends Erskine Seminary; Steven Rouk, a rising senior at Arizona State University and a member of the band While We're Up; Trevor, a graduate of Young Americans Christian School who will enter Georgia Tech in the fall as a freshman; and Will, a rising eighth grader at Cousins Middle School.
