First Pres is happy to call the Rev. Dr. Raymond Hylton to be the next senior pastor of our church. Ray is an outstanding preacher and teacher of the Bible. He possesses strong leadership skills, has a pastor's heart, and has the perspective of a visionary. He and his wife Judith are outgoing, warm and caring people who love God deeply and are passionate about doing His will. We believe that Ray will challenge and enable our congregation to grow spiritually and to increase our outreach to our community, both locally and worldwide. Find out more about his transition to First Pres.

Ray and Judith were both born in Kingston, Jamaica. Ray came to America in 1981 and married Judith, his childhood sweetheart, in 1983. He began preaching at the Fairhaven Church while a junior in college, and after college was asked to serve that church on an interim basis - which ended up being eight years. While pursuing studies at Duke toward a different career path, he attended a Presbyterian church, and his call to ministry was renewed. He transferred his credentials to PC(USA), and went on to earn his Masters of Divinity. Ray enjoys reading, running, basketball, playing guitar, writing and watching movies. Judith exhibits a strong faith and close walk with God, and actively supports her husband's ministry. She has a B.A. in Counseling/Psychology from Taylor University and a Masters in Education from Kent State University. She is currently working on a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from Geneva College, and hopes to use her training and experience to encourage families.

Judene is 23 years old and graduated last year from Grove City College with a B.S. in Communications. She currently works as an admissions counselor at Grove City, and has plans to attend law school in the fall of 2010. She is a gifted writer, poet and sketch artist, who loves to work out and experiment with receipes.

Ray Jr. is 21 years old and is a senior at Valparaiso University, where he is majoring in Business. He plays guitar and basketball, and has the gift of encouragement. His goals are to obtain an MBA and work in banking.

Fourteen year old Joel is a freshman and Neshannock High School in New Castle. A gifted musician on piano, drums, guitar and vocals, he also enjoys playing basketball and football.

Education & Experience

Doctor of Ministry, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA (2004)

Master of Divinity, Duke University, Durham, NC (1996)

Master of Arts, Christian Ministry, Huntington Graduate School, Huntington, IN (1992)

Bachelor or Arts, Pastoral Ministry, Taylor University, Fort Wayne, IN (1986)

Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, New Castle, PA (2001-present)

Associate Pastor, Champion Presbyterian Church, Warren, OH (1996-2001)

Student Intern, Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church, Durham, NC (1993-1996)

Solo Pastor, Fairhaven Church, Fort Wayne, IN (1985-1993)

Online Resources

Listen to Rev. Hylton's candidating sermon from October 11, 2009

Listen to recent sermons at First Pres.

Watch "Meet the Pastor" an interview for local television