Staff
Minister – Buren Blankenship
Pastor Buren Blankenship welcomes you to Trinity. Welcome from Pastor Buren Blankenship
Pastor Buren Blankenship
Buren was born and raised in Talladega, Alabama, the oldest of four children. His parents gave him many early lessons in compassion. As professional photographers, they taught him to observe the uniqueness of persons (the “character marks”) and present them at their best. They treated persons from diverse populations with respect, kindness, and care.
The Presbyterian Church has always been a central part of their family life. From the beginning, the Gospel story and the love of God were all around Buren. Always nurtured as a Christian, he made his profession of faith at an early age. In his teen years, he responded to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior by committing his life to Christ.
In high school, when Buren began to sense a call of God to some form of full-time ministry, no one was surprised. He graduated from Talladega High School, the second in his class. God’s providence directed him to Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC, and Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. At PC, he was a Founder’s Scholar and a National Merit Scholar. Working as an athletic trainer provided additional scholarship funds. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion (Magna Cum Laude). He completed his Master of Divinity degree at Columbia Seminary, where he was a Columbia Scholar.
Between his middle and senior years of seminary, he served an intern year in media at the General Assembly Mission Board in Atlanta. While producing audiovisuals in the pre-digital age, he gained a deep appreciation for the mission and relationships of the larger church. During that year, he married Luanne Caldwell, a certified Director of Christian Education and graduate of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA. In God’s providence, they met at Montreat, a Presbyterian Conference Center. She has been a partner in ministry with Buren and a valuable asset to the churches they have served.
Buren served as pastor of the Tirzah Church of York, SC for four years, the Pendleton Church of Pendleton, SC for seventeen years, and the Columbus Church of Columbus, NC for five years. He felt honored to be called as pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church. Here he found the new challenge he had been seeking. He began his work with the people of Trinity in March of 2008.
Buren’s interests include photography, occasional woodworking, and home improvement projects (when they go right!). Together with Luanne, he enjoys birding, wildflowers, and other nature studies. He enjoys using nature images to evoke a sense of awe and wonder for God the creator.
Youth Director – Leah Rabideau
Leah Rabideau joined the Trinity staff as Youth Director in October 2009. Leah is a student at Mississippi State University majoring in Sociology with a background in Public Relations. Her post-graduation interests include pursuing a Master’s degree in counseling or social work. Leah is a 2006 graduate of Starkville High School. She has many interests, including choral performance (Most Outstanding Choir Student at Starkville High School, 2006), theatrical performance, sports (ultimate frisbee, flag football, and volleyball teams), and politics (member of Young Democrats, 2006-2009). Leah is a positive, high-energy person who brings a lot of pizzazz to the Trinity Youth Group. Her responsibilities as Youth Director include planning and execution of the youth program beyond the formal Sunday School, for both the junior and senior high young people.
Secretary – Debbie Williams
Debbie Williams
