The majority of this summary was shared by the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia, with a quotation from Rev. Leigh B. Gillis.
On Sunday, October 11, 2026, Franklin Presbyterian Church (now located in Presbytery of Eastern Virginia) celebrated the 50th ordination anniversary of the Reverend Mary Jane Winter, the first woman ordained by Norfolk Presbytery, with many former members and friends filling the sanctuary.
The service was based on the ordination service in 1976, and the sermon was a revisit of the first one Mary Jane preached at Franklin. Several who were there 50 years ago returned and had parts in the service, including the organist, a member of the original search committee, and a member of the original Presbytery Commission.
Since 1976, the congregation has been blessed by the leadership of other clergywomen–the Reverend Lou Ventura, and now the Reverend Rebecca Lesley.
The Presbytery of the James is grateful to Mary Jane for the generous years she has dedicated her passion and gifts in service and ministry.
Mary Jane’s dedication to international education and cross-cultural experiences for UPSem students made an indelible impression on me. I have since been on relief and study trips a dozen times since my first trip to Guatemala with her in 1991. She has been tireless in inspiring decades of us to reach out and learn from Presbyterians across the globe, especially in Central America.
– Rev. Leigh B. Gillis
(Above:) Rev. Leigh B. Gillis, Rev. Mary Jane Winter, and Rev. Reverend Lou Ventura
(Above:) Rev. Reverend Lou Ventura, Rev. Mary Jane Winter, and Rev. Rebecca Lesley