Margaret Louise Poteet
Associate Pastor
Office: 423-877-8527, ext 228
Growing up in Texas as the youngest daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Margaret Louise Poteet’s (she/her) life has been centered around church from the very beginning of her life. She always enjoyed her time at church, learning about her Christian heritage and being among the people who were extended family. In high school, an Easter sermon which posed the question “What if the resurrection didn’t happen?” This set Margaret to wondering whether this whole thing was just something we made up to make ourselves feel better. Encouraged by her father to keep asking questions, she learned, surrounded by her church community, that faith is a step by step journey taken in trust that God in Christ is present with us in all things. She became passionate about looking deeper into scripture and learning more about the history and background of the church and what this heritage of faith meant for her and for the world.
In college, Margaret served as an officer for the campus Christian fellowship, and had her faith challenged and affirmed. She became convinced that there are no prerequisites to God’s love and grace in our lives and that faith comes with a responsibility to share that love with those who have been marginalized or excluded by the faith community. It also comes with a responsibility to help equip and encourage those within the church to share that love. After graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts from Arcadia University in Glenside, PA, Margaret became a kindergarten teacher in Houston briefly, then worked for 12 years in the Enrollment Office of her alma mater. During this time, she was led to a church community that allowed her to think deeply about questions of faith, share meaningful worship experiences, and grow closer with others and Christ through shared service. Serving as a deacon and a ruling elder, she found opportunities to help equip and encourage other members of the congregation in living out the claim that God has on them. Margaret also felt a growing desire to help others learn how beloved of God they are, and to watch children and youth grow into the people they were created to be.
It was in this community that Margaret became aware of a sense of call to ministry, and enrolled in Princeton Theological Seminary, earning her Master of Divinity degree in May of this year. During seminary, Margaret says, “I have had my love of congregational ministry affirmed and have developed a passion for exploring how all that we do as a church can form us—youth and adults— as disciples. Through worship, sacraments, service, education, and sharing life’s moments with others, I want to help create the space for people to have the same experiences of love, grace, learning, and engagement that I have been given throughout my life in the church. Rivermont Presbyterian Church’s desire to continue creating an intergenerational community of followers of Christ aligns with the type of ministry to which I feel called. Your commitment to working toward a fuller expression of God’s reign in the world is how I understand the call of all Christians, and I am excited by the opportunity to join this community in your work. As a church, being a vessel for God’s continuing redemptive work in the world is a ‘goodly heritage’ (Psalm 16:6) and a gift of God—a gift that I am called to share.”