On Sunday, April 30 we bid farewell to Pastor Jim Simpson who has been our Interim Pastor since October 2021. We are grateful for his diligence, energy and inspiration as he goes to serve the Johns Creek Presbyterian Church with our good wishes and prayers.

The Session at Covenant Presbyterian Church was happy to announce that Pastor Don Esa would be joining Covenant as the Interim Bridge Pastor effective May 1, 2023. Pastor Esa has served several churches within Cherokee Presbytery and lives in the Marietta area. We extended a warm welcome to Pastor Esa and his wife, Mary. The Session has executed a contract with Don Esa as our pastor effective May 1, 2024.  This contract will be renewed annually and it is our hope that Don will be with us for many years.

Reverend Don Esa has been a member of Cherokee Presbytery since 1997 when he and his family moved here from Cincinnati, OH, to accept the call as the Associate Pastor of Education at First Presbyterian Church of Marietta. For more than 12 years, he guided FPC’s very large education program, overseeing six staff members in the department and over 200 volunteer workers. In June 2012, at the request of the presbytery, Rev. Don Esa began serving as the Pastor at Woodstock Presbyterian Church, and added ministry at Trinity Presbyterian Church in August 2013, making the 23-minute trip between the two churches each Sunday. He retired from serving those two churches in October 2021, and then served a six month stint as Stated Clerk of Cherokee Presbytery following its major reorganization. He is a graduate of the University of Denver (BA in Mass Communications), Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Fuller Theological Seminary (DMin). He served as youth pastor at Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA, and then in Cincinnati, OH at Madeira Presbyterian and Mt. Washington Presbyterian Churches before moving to West Cobb, GA in 1997. Prior to seminary, Rev. Esa worked in broadcast news for several Colorado radio stations. He tells his parishioners that he decided to leave the broadcast industry so that he could tell the "Good News” rather than merely reporting all the bad news in the world. Rev. Esa and his wife Mary, have two grown married children and are the proud grandparents of Isabella, the daughter of Franklin & Brianna Esa Montoya.  Isabella arrived on December 21, 2023 at 9:34 a.m. in Los Angeles weighing 7lbs. 12oz.  Spare time activities include travel, photography, genealogy, maintaining their home’s landscape, and hikes at Kennesaw Mountain National Historical Park.

Joyce Ketchie Carr, Director of Music/Organist

​Joyce, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, graduated from Queens College (now Queens University) with a Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in pedagogy and organ performance.  She studied organ with David Lowry at Winthrop College working toward a Masters in Organ performance.  For over 35  years, Joyce has served in a variety of capacities as Organist and Music Director in Presbyterian and Methodist churches throughout the Atlanta area. Joyce has a deep commitment to Jesus Christ and a love of church music with an excitement about evangelism and strengthening and developing choirs.

Robyn Takacs, Administrative Assistant

Robyn has been the administrative assistant at Covenant for over 20 years. She is a Marietta, Georgia native and says the Covenant members and staff are like a second family. Robyn is married to David and have two grown children and two granddaughters, who are the lights of her life. Robyn loves traveling, scrap-booking, and spending time with her family.  She loves meeting and talking with every person who comes into the church office.

Mike Brown, Sexton

Mike has been Covenant Presbyterian's sexton for over thirty years. He takes care of everything needed at Covenant, from our grounds to all building maintenance. Mike and his wife Robbie reside in Marietta, Georgia.