Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA)

Ten-year recognition for Debbie Blanton and Ophelia Greene

By Stephanie Byrd

Published May 14, 2005 in This Week

Congratulations to these two employees, hired May 1, 1995, on their tenth anniversary as staff members.

Debbie Blanton, Director of Membership

It’s fitting to feature Debbie Blanton’s face along with all these other new faces, because she was intimately involved in welcoming them into our church family. Debbie enjoys her role planning and facilitating the membership classes and walking new members through the process of joining the church. If you’ve joined the church since 1995, you’ve met Debbie Blanton. But what do you know about her?

Debbie was born and grew up in Dallas; she’s “proud to be a Texas girl.” Her responsibilities at PCPC include helping produce the Membership Directory, serving at MIDWEEK meals, and helping coordinate special events related to membership. “What I enjoy most about my job is serving His people and working with a staff that is exceptional!” says Debbie. “It is a privilege to work with so many gifted people.” Debbie has attended several Sunday School Communities at PCPC, including Shepherds of Souls, Foundations, and the Good Shepherd’s Fellowship.

In her free time, Debbie enjoys “drawing, reading, cooking, anything to do with fresh flowers, and spending time with friends.” She declares that “my life has not turned out the way I expected or planned, but, in spite of me, I can say without a doubt that my God lives and actively participates in my life, supplying all my needs. He is true to His Word and can absolutely be trusted.”

Ophelia Greene, Director of Accounting and Finance

Ophelia Greene’s role on staff is not a high-profile one, but she’s about as fundamental to the operations of the church as you can get. She leads the Finance Ministry, which is responsible for processing payroll, paying vendors, facilitating the budget and audit process, and handling all contributions and cash management. The Finance Ministry insures that fiscal accountability is maintained, internal control guidelines are adhered to, and IRS guidelines are complied with.

Ophelia is originally from Amite, Louisiana. A graduate of Grambling State University and Dallas Theological Seminary, she has lived in the Dallas area since 1975 and was a member of PCPC for seven years. She now attends New St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church, where her husband, Elliott Greene, is Assistant Pastor. She has three sons, Richard (22), Randall (19), and Ryan (12).

Before coming to PCPC, Ophelia served for eight years as the Business Administrator of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. “I am serving at PCPC because God opened the door for me to serve Him in a cross-cultural environment,” she says. “When I was hired, PCPC had 44 employees and the budget was $3.4 million. We now have 85 full-time and about seven part-time employees and the budget is $11.6 million. I would conclude that PCPC has really grown.”

Those who serve on the Budget and Finance and Audit Committees are already familiar with Ophelia. All of us should be grateful for her professional expertise and her scrupulous dedication to the stewardship of our Lord’s money. In her own words: “My aim has always been to improve our level of service and technical excellence and articulate our role within the overall framework and mission of PCPC. We have a stewardship responsibility, which is the oversight and allocation of resources entrusted to PCPC in a manner that extends the Kingdom and glorifies God.”