First Presbyterian Church

Meet The Pastor

Pastor Jeff Garrison has gladly called the First Presbyterian Church of Hastings, Michigan, his home for the past 8 years!

Jeff is a native of the great state of North Carolina, which explains his struggle with humility and his accent. Along with his wife Donna, and their daughter Caroline, he is proud to call Hastings home. He and his family are heavily involved in our community. In additional to his responsibilities at church, Jeff works with the local ministerial association as well as serving as a trustee for Pierce Cedar Creek Foundation and a board member of the Hastings Education Enrichment Foundation. Donna is currently the director of the Barry County Free Clinic and a member of the Hastings Area School Board. Donna has also served as a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church. Caroline is currently in Middle School and active with the church youth group and enjoys singing in church. Donna and Jeff also have a son, Thomas, who lives in Utah with his wife, Michelle. In the fall of 2011, they became grandparents with the birth of Ethan.

Jeff graduated for the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1979. During college he worked in a wholesale bakery and continued with the company in management after graduation. In 1981, Jeff left the bakery and for five years worked for the Boy Scouts of America. In 1986, he felt God calling him to seminary and enrolled at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1990. During seminary, Jeff served for a year as student pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Virginia City, Nevada. In 1990, Jeff was ordained and served as pastor of the United Church of Ellicottville in Western New York. In 1982, Jeff married Donna, who is from Kenessaw Georgia. In late 1993, they moved to Cedar City, Utah where Jeff served as the pastor of Community Presbyterian Church. While there, Jeff earned a Doctorate of Ministry Degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Since January 2004, Jeff has been blessed to serve as our pastor.

Jeff enjoys the outdoors and is often seen paddling our local lakes and rivers as well as hiking and cross-country skiing on local trails. He enjoys travel by the “long way,” especially on rails and back roads, trails and by canoe. He has completed both the Appalachian Trail (from Georgia to Maine) and the John Muir Train (along the High Sierras in California) and, along with his wife, canoed to the James Bay in Northern Ontario. The Garrisons are all readers and enjoy writing. Jeff also spends time fishing, cooking (especially with Dutch Ovens), and watching baseball. In the summer of 2011, Jeff was on sabbatical and took a round-the-world trip, traveling mostly by rail across Southeast Asia to Europe, then meeting up with Donna and Caroline in Scotland. After touring Great Britain, they sailed back to New York on a ship.