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A Pastor’s Highways on the Way to the New Jerusalem
Foreword by John Huffman
Imprint: Resource Publications
Arthur Jarrell “Jerry” Tankersley is an honorably retired pastor of the Presbyterian Church USA. He was ordained by the Presbytery of Los Angeles in 1963, and he retired in the Presbytery of Los Ranchos in 2018. For nearly sixty years he served three churches. His last call was to the Laguna Presbyterian Church. That call lasted for forty-six years and was a special gift of God’s grace. Along the way of his journey, he graduated from Westmont College, earned several advanced degrees, namely a BD from Fuller Seminary, a ThM from Princeton Seminary, a PhD from Claremont Graduate School in Government, and a DMin from the School of Theology in Claremont. He and his wife, Katherine, have been married for over fifty-three years, have one son, Jeffrey, and his wife, Rachel, and two grandsons, Quinn and Luke, who are the sources of great thanksgiving.
“In this honest and sensitive memoir, Tankersley vividly illustrates how God comes to us disguised as our life. Recounting the ups and downs of his personal life and ministry . . . , he shares his lifelong struggle to balance with integrity a compassion for the suffering of people with a prophetic proclamation of the gospel. Truly a worthwhile read.”
—Wilkie Au, Professor emeritus of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University
“Tankersley’s new book . . . is a beautiful and clearly written account of how a Presbyterian pastor lived the faith and encouraged so many others to do so as well. . . . I commend these memoirs to all who seek to live and give leadership the power of the gospel for our time.”
—Clifton Kirkpatrick, Professor of World Christianity and Ecumenical Studies, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
“Tankersley is a beloved pastor whose wise and gentle spirit guided Laguna Presbyterian Church through the wild and tumultuous last decades of the twentieth century and into the early years of the twenty-first. . . . All of this is unveiled in A Pastor’s Highways. . . . At times humorous and other times deeply and transparently vulnerable, Tankersley takes us on a ride through those various issues and challenges.”
—Michael Regele, author and retired PCUSA Pastor
“In this book, Jerry tells his story to help us see better than ever what makes him the special pastor and servant of Christ that he is. I am humbled and inspired by the example of his candor, and I am inspired to remember our calling as he ascribes all the glory to the God of the ‘New Creation’ in Jesus Christ. Beautiful insights into an enigmatically excellent pastor.”
—Steve Yamaguchi, Pastor, Tokyo Union Church
“From the flatlands of Texas and a traumatic childhood through to a challenging forty-six-year pastorate in Laguna Beach, California, this deeply reflective pastoral account of spiritual, intellectual, and personal struggles and growth provides encouragement and wisdom for the realities of the Christian journey in the midst of constantly changing cultural, political, and church dynamics. This is a thoughtful and powerful witness to the grace, love, and faithfulness of God through the lens of a much-respected and loved pastor.”
—Roberta Hestenes, retired PCUSA Pastor, College President, and World Vision Ambassador
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