Pastor
Rev. Renee G. Griffin has led Wentz Memorial for more than 16 years. She is a graduate of the University of Dayton, where she received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1985, after which she worked as a development engineer for Honeywell, Inc. In 1988, she attended the School of Theology at Virginia Union University, where she earned the Master of Divinity degree. She received a Master of Arts degree in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in 1992. In 1997, Rev. Griffin and her family relocated to Greensboro where her husband was called to become pastor of St. Stephen United Church of Christ. She served as Youth Minister at St. Stephen until accepting the call at Wentz.
Since becoming the spiritual leader of Wentz Memorial, Rev. Griffin has encouraged many activities and ministries. These have included the annual Harvey Allen, Sr. Community Health Fair and Seminar (which provides free health screening activities, literature, demonstrations and information on community health resources) and the “God’s Kingdom Kitchen” ministry, which makes a food pantry available every third Saturday of the month where free packaged food is provided to anyone with a need. Other activities include the establishment of a Prayer Shawl knitting ministry, book and movie discussion groups, Advent and Lenten Bible studies and for the last several years, the church has had a booth at the annual Winston-Salem Pride celebration.
Rev. Griffin has been supportive of the church’s arts ministries, including the musical production “Remus,” the plays “JB,” “Angels Without Wings” and “The Movement: 40 Years of Love and Struggle” and the performance of the Christmas cantata “The Ballad of the Brown King” by African American composer Margaret Bonds. The church’s long relationship with Parkway UCC has continued in the annual Christmas Candlelight service and the Maundy Thursday service featuring the combined choirs of Wentz and Parkway and co-led by Rev. Griffin and Rev. Craig Schaub of Parkway.
As our church looks toward the future, we continue to be inspired by the ministry and leadership of Rev. Griffin. She is an active and founding board member of the New Communion Mobile Market & Pantry, a faith-based community organization that is focused on reducing food insecurity in the most critical census tracts within the greater Winston-Salem community. The organization provides free nutritious perishable and non-perishable food items and offers free community meals and holiday meal boxes to those among the most needy in our community.
Rev. Griffin is married to Rev. Eric Griffin, Sr. They have two children, Chloe Noel and Eric, Jr.
