Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church honored four devoted members - John Wyatt, Jeanne Lehman French, Thomas Pak, and Kathy Henderson - with the Kenneth O. Jones Distinguished Service Award on Friday, October 25, 2024.

Friday’s ceremony celebrated the twelfth year that the church has presented the Jones Awards. Created in 2011, the awards are named for the Rev. Dr. Kenneth O. Jones. Jones, who died in 1996, served as an associate minister here for thirty-three years. Hsi life is a remarkable example of devotion and his spirit infuses the awards which bear his name.

For over two hundred years, the congregation at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church has sustained and thrived across multiple locations throughout the city. God has blessed our church with dedicated lay leaders. This year’s recipients of the Jones Award are emblematic of the holy work and grace-filled joy that have guided, inspired, and encouraged our congregation for over two centuries.

You can learn more about the lives and commitment of this year’s recipients below.

John, who hails from Missouri, became a member of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in 1989. His journey to membership here started with a letter to Dr. Jones and he has become deeply ingrained in the life of the church. He directed plays, including one in October of 2001, where he turned a discouraged cast into a theater troupe worthy of Broadway. John has moderated the Board of Deacons, twice, and served on Session, including as Clerk of Session, where his notes were so organized, they should be in a museum. Last year, in a pinch, he stepped up to help Janeen Sarlin with Pie Night for our youth group. He has held a long-standing commitment to Meals on Heels. He helped launch this vital ministry with past recipient Bob Brennan, and for nearly four decades, he’s been faithfully cooking and delivering meals to homebound members across Manhattan. His menus are legendary, often accompanied by fun facts and uplifting notes, ensuring that everyone who receives a meal also gets a smile and a little joy. During the pandemic, while most ministries went virtual, Meals on Heels remained in person—because, as he wisely pointed out, “People still need to eat!” Under his leadership, Meals on Heels continued to serve safely and faithfully, week after week.

“John,” says Associate Pastor Werner Ramirez, “embodies the love of Christ for so many in this congregation. His service, kindness, and dedication reflect God’s unwavering love in action.”

Jeanne Legman French has been a cherished member of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church for over five decades. After joining our community in April of 1974, it didn’t take long for her remarkable talents to be recognized by church leadership. That same year, she delivered a reading at the annual Good Friday service. Though she showed some early interest in the “Singles Club,” that chapter didn’t last long. On February 25, 1980, Jeanne married the love of her life in a ceremony that filled Kirkland Chapel to the brim. It was a joyous celebration, with some of Broadway’s finest voices coming together to raise the roof in song. Despite a thriving stage career that often took her on the road, she never forgot her church home. Her file is filled with grateful letters from nearly every pastor who has served here during her membership. Even after the devastating, unexpected loss of her beloved husband in 2010, this resilient and faithful woman only deepened her commitment to this community. She has served as both deacon and elder, chaired the Bowery Mission, and served as Vice-Chair of Outreach.

“She’s a dedicated volunteer for Meals on Heels, a long-standing member of our Community Choir, and continues to help organize and perform in cabarets and other Theatre Fellowship productions,” says Dr. Ryan Jackson, the William S. Perper Director of Music and Fine Arts Ministries. “For over a decade, she has been the captivating reader at our annual Christmas concerts, and she’s been my partner in leading music at more church events than I can count.”

Thomas Pak first encountered Fifth Avenue by embracing marriage as a vocation, which in turn led to the call of baptism as an adult and then to full membership in 2014, and a short time later, to a first time Trustee appointment in 2015. His service characterizes his time at Fifth Avenue. He continues to don a Santa Claus suit to ensure many happy smiles to children experiencing homelessness at the annual Family Shelter Christmas party and annually carts hundreds of pounds of Popeye’s chicken and biscuits from 8th Avenue to the Church for the Margaret Shafer Picnic. He serves monthly at A Place at the Table to feed the hungry,  and most recently began volunteering in the Community Engagement program as a companion to our vulnerable guests. All the while, he has grown in fidelity to the Gospel at weekly service and by participating in the Brothers of Job and Asian American Bible studies. Thomas embodies a bountiful, giving nature, providing counsel and wisdom to many. He has held or holds a variety of leadership residencies as a former trustee, a recently installed elder on the Session, and an invaluable member of the Ecumenical Outreach Partnership Advisory Board.

“When Thomas and I speak, I often feel like I am at the feet of Socrates,” says Director of Outreach & Missions Christine Boyle. “He is a good teacher, an exceptional mind of logic, and a person of deep stature, rooted in the Gospel, faithful to the denomination, and responsive to the vocation to serve others.”

Having grown up in the church, and sung in the choir at First Baptist Church in Lafayette, Alabama, Kathy Henderson was described by Rev. Ken Jones as “delightful.” Over her 44 years of membership, this intelligent, strong-of-opinion, strong-of-faith leader has held many different roles in the life of this church. In the 1980’s, one her first roles was as a Fifth Avenue Sunday School teacher and the editor of the Sunday School newsletter. Over the years she has authored, edited, smoothed out, made accurate and beautiful countless newsletter articles and printed pieces for this church. She has told engaging stories about this place with a gift for clean prose and an eye for sacred truth. Kathy wrote the case study for The Crossroads Campaign that brought about the renovations of the church house and the critical addition of the LaDane Williamson Christian Education Center in 2004. She wrote, compiled and edited the church’s bicentennial history A Proud Heritage. She has chaired the Annual Pledge campaign. She has served on a pastoral search committee. She is an ordained elder who has also led us all as the congregation’s Clerk of Session. Most recently, together with Glenda Moreland, she was co-chair of the very successful campaign for the Kirkland Chapel, The Next 100.

“As her friends all realize,” says Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston, “once you get past her tough, I-survived-New-York-City-in-the-1970’s-don’t-mess-with-me exterior, you quickly realize this woman of faith has a heart of gold. She has lived her life at this church, and this church is a stronger, more clear-eyed, and more relevant place because of her.”