Rev. Jessica Dixon (and Sage)
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Rev. Jessica Dixon is the Interim Pastor of Old Tennent Presbyterian Church. She began her service with us on September 8, 2021 and looks forward to helping us navigate the process of preparing for, searching for, and finding a new Installed or long-term pastor. Pastor Jessica came to our Presbytery in September of 2019 as the Interim pastor of Forked River Presbyterian Church and is worked with FRPC until July of 2021. Rev. Dixon is a professional Interim/Transitional Pastor and served churches in Oak Park IL (near Chicago) and Norman, Oklahoma prior to coming to New Jersey. She is a graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL and St. John's College in Santa Fe NM. She is a Colorado native and loves her work in caring for our congregation and helping us navigate the complex work of preparing for a new pastor and finding our next minister. |
Rev. Doug Hughes and his wife, Cindy, retired from pastoral duty in August 2021. They moved on to live their dream life in Florida. We wish them the very best and look forward to hearing Doug's handicap drop!
Rev. Douglas Hughes
Rev. Douglas Hughes was born July 21, 1957 at Wheelus Air Force Base, Tripoli, Libya. He was raised in Alexandria, Virginia and graduated from T.C. Williams High School in 1975. He attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. and graduated in 1979 from Pfeiffer University with a degree in Church Music. He attended Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia and graduated in 1983 with a Master of Divinity Degree. Returning to the classroom, Chaplain Hughes earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Walden University in 2008 with a concentration in Homeland Security.
During his second year at Columbia Seminary, he became a Chaplain Candidate in the United States Naval Reserve. Upon graduation, Rev. Hughes was ordained by the Presbytery of Florida in 1983, and his first pastorate was as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Gretna, Florida. In 1985, he was offered the opportunity to access and become an Active Duty Navy Chaplain and was assigned as the Chaplain for the 13 ships of Destroyer Squadron 12. While deployed onboard USS Paul (FF 1080), he participated in ‘Attain Document III; Operations in the vicinity of Libya’.
Two years later he was assigned as the Chaplain for the 19 ships of Amphibious Squadron 10 and was on board the USS Barnstable County during operations off the coast of Panama.
In 1989 Chaplain Hughes served with the US Marine Corps by being assigned to 2nd MAW, MCAS Cherry Point, and further assigned to MACG-28. During Desert Shield/Storm, he was deployed with MACG-28 Det. 1; during the deployment he was temporarily reassigned to 2nd Battalion/5th Marines during the ground war in Kuwait and Iraq. Upon return, Chaplain Hughes was reassigned as the Senior Protestant Chaplain at the Naval Base Philadelphia.
Rev. Hughes was released from Active Duty in 1993 during the post Gulf War draw down. After being released, Rev. Hughes kept his military career affiliation by joining the Army National Guard.
Upon return to the parish ministry, he moved to Monticello, Florida and pastored the PCUSA church there for four years. Moving to Mississippi, he was the Senior Pastor at Jones Memorial Presbyterian Church for five years, until he was mobilized for a one year mobilization tour in Kosovo. Upon returning, he was called to the Presbyterian Church in New Lenox, Illinois as a re-development Pastor. In 2003, Rev Hughes moved to New Castle, Pennsylvania where he spent eight years as the Senior Pastor of Third Presbyterian Church.
In March of 2011, Rev Hughes was once again mobilized and sent to Ft Dix, New Jersey as the Deputy Command Chaplain, where he spent almost four years in that position until de-mobilized in late 2014. He retired from the US Army in June 2017, after having served for 35 years, and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
In February 2015, he was called as and is currently the Senior Pastor at the Old Tennent Presbyterian Church in Tennent, NJ.
During his second year at Columbia Seminary, he became a Chaplain Candidate in the United States Naval Reserve. Upon graduation, Rev. Hughes was ordained by the Presbytery of Florida in 1983, and his first pastorate was as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Gretna, Florida. In 1985, he was offered the opportunity to access and become an Active Duty Navy Chaplain and was assigned as the Chaplain for the 13 ships of Destroyer Squadron 12. While deployed onboard USS Paul (FF 1080), he participated in ‘Attain Document III; Operations in the vicinity of Libya’.
Two years later he was assigned as the Chaplain for the 19 ships of Amphibious Squadron 10 and was on board the USS Barnstable County during operations off the coast of Panama.
In 1989 Chaplain Hughes served with the US Marine Corps by being assigned to 2nd MAW, MCAS Cherry Point, and further assigned to MACG-28. During Desert Shield/Storm, he was deployed with MACG-28 Det. 1; during the deployment he was temporarily reassigned to 2nd Battalion/5th Marines during the ground war in Kuwait and Iraq. Upon return, Chaplain Hughes was reassigned as the Senior Protestant Chaplain at the Naval Base Philadelphia.
Rev. Hughes was released from Active Duty in 1993 during the post Gulf War draw down. After being released, Rev. Hughes kept his military career affiliation by joining the Army National Guard.
Upon return to the parish ministry, he moved to Monticello, Florida and pastored the PCUSA church there for four years. Moving to Mississippi, he was the Senior Pastor at Jones Memorial Presbyterian Church for five years, until he was mobilized for a one year mobilization tour in Kosovo. Upon returning, he was called to the Presbyterian Church in New Lenox, Illinois as a re-development Pastor. In 2003, Rev Hughes moved to New Castle, Pennsylvania where he spent eight years as the Senior Pastor of Third Presbyterian Church.
In March of 2011, Rev Hughes was once again mobilized and sent to Ft Dix, New Jersey as the Deputy Command Chaplain, where he spent almost four years in that position until de-mobilized in late 2014. He retired from the US Army in June 2017, after having served for 35 years, and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
In February 2015, he was called as and is currently the Senior Pastor at the Old Tennent Presbyterian Church in Tennent, NJ.
