Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA)

A letter to PCPC from Tim Tinsley

By Tim Tinsley

Published May 15, 2010 in This Week

Former Pastor of Evangelism Tim Tinsley was installed as senior pastor of Chattanooga’s First Presbyterian Church on May 2.

Our King Jesus is worshiped here at First Presbyterian Church, located just at the foot of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, where the air is sweet and the river runs clear and deep. We have found that here at FPC all of the men are handsome, the women beautiful, and the children above average. Ah, makes us miss Texas.

In short, we love it here. We do miss our children terribly who still reside in Dallas, although they visit us as able. We also miss some of you—not all of you, but definitely some of you, and you know who you are!

The move up here was challenging simply because moving is worse than two fires. But we had tons of help unpacking, and plenty of meals were provided while we were in transition. We have experienced true Southern hospitality.

We live up on Signal Mountain, which is about 20 minutes from church (and Mikah’s school) and provides us with a gorgeous drive down the mountain and across the Tennessee River each day. I feel like we live in a vacation spot, which I guess we do. There are hiking trails through rich green valleys about 10 minutes from our front door, river rafting, fishing, biking, golfing, canoeing… Well, you get the picture!

Laura still works remotely for Armadillo Capital in Dallas. Unpacking and decorating the house was a big challenge for her, but she diligently tackled the project of turning a house into our home. I thank God for that girl. She is doing a great job taking care of us and is in the process of making new friends. Lady after lady has taken her to lunch or to tea or come by to help with the house. She feels surrounded with new acquaintances and friends.

Mikah attends Chattanooga Christian School and has made an amazingly graceful transition. We thank God for your prayers and the way He has provided friends for her. I usually drive her to school at 7:20 and then head into the office at church. We enjoy the time together each weekday morning, and then Laura picks her up in the afternoon.

We pray each Sunday for Mark and you all at PCPC, as we pray for our own dear church. I am inundated with wise men of God who serve on our Session, on the Diaconate, the administration committee, the finance committee, and throughout the church. Our church here is older than PCPC in a couple of ways: the membership has a higher average age, and FPC started back in 1840. It is a wonderful feeling to be His body and to simply do my part as we seek to glorify Him together.

The people here are trying really hard to like me, and they want everything to go well. The church is full of worshippers each Sunday as we turn our hearts toward heaven to bask in His glory. We pray that the influence she has had on Chattanooga over the past 170 years will continue. I pray that our Christ and His Kingdom will radiate throughout the mountains of Tennessee until He brings down His new heavens and earth.

Thank you for the thousands of sermon illustrations from those 18 wonderful years we spent in your midst. I am grateful for you and hold you in my heart.