Self-Development of People person of the month
May 2011
The Reverend Paul Bayerl
Paul Bayerl is re-nominated to the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People in the class of 2014. Paul Bayerl is a pastor at Chattooga County Presbyterian Parish a two church parish in Summerville, Georgia. Prior to his arrival in Summerville, Paul served for 17 years as pastor of the Acworth Church in Acworth, Georgia.
I am passionate about seeing change and being a part of it.
Paul Bayerl with two women in the Dominican Republic. Photo courtesy of SDOP.
I give my time and energy to SDOP because it makes a difference and it ties into that change — positive change.
My most memorable moment serving on SDOP — wow there are lots of memorable moments serving with SDOP! My most memorable is sitting in the meeting in *Altagracia and the excitement in the faces of the people there that they had been recognized, that someone had recognized them thousands of miles away. I got the sense that these people felt so ignored by the government and everybody and someone was finally listening to them.
I am saddened by those who do not seem to know how to care— apathy in the church
If I ruled the world — what a beautiful thought! I wouldn’t sleep as much and I would want a discount everywhere I went.
*Altagracia is a very rural batey community in the Dominican Republic comprised of 94 families, SDOP working with the Movement of Haitian Dominican Women, assisted in bringing water and sanitation to the community.
NOTE: We are not currently accepting applications from individual groups outside the United States. For more information, contact the SDOP staff.