Welcome Rev. Sudie Niesen Thompson

Abington Presbyterian Church recently received the recommendation of the Designated Pastor Nominating Committee and voted to affirmed the pastoral ministry and leadership of Rev. Sudie Niesen Thompson as APC’s Designated Pastor and Head of Staff. We are pleased to introduce Rev. Niesen Thompson and look forward to having you join in welcoming her to ministry at APC, in Abington, and in the Presbytery of Philadelphia.

Sudie Elisabeth Niesen Thompson served as Associate Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, a large urban church in Wilmington, Delaware, from 2016 until February of 2024. Prior to that call, she served as Pastoral Associate, first at Arch Street Presbyterian Church, then at Wayne Presbyterian Church. In these three placements she worked as part of a large leadership team that collaborated, both cultivating and respecting the extant skills of the team members. She describes herself as a “cradle Presbyterian,” where both her home church in Saint Louis, Missouri, and her experience as a PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer in India helped cultivate her faith and discern her calling. She began her career in non-traditional ministerial settings, has been active in both the Philadelphia and New Castle Presbyteries, and has recently served in more established churches like Abington. She also brings experience in diverse settings from teaching college students on Philadelphia’s Main Line, introducing inner city youth to Bible stories, and praying and working with Guatemalan partners.

Niesen Thompson was ordained in 2012 and holds a Master of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary (2016), specializing in the Hebrew Bible, and a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (2012). She has participated in a variety of continuing education experiences, ranging from conferences, including the Worship and Music Conference at Montreat; regular leadership coaching; and CREDO, a support and development program for recently ordained ministers.

Pastor Niesen Thompson has distinguished her ministry through leadership competencies that matched those our church identified in our search survey, including Preaching and Worship Leadership, Communication, Collaboration, and Motivation. Niesen Thompson’s husband, Rev. Brenton Thompson, is the Director of Congregational Resourcing at the Presbytery of Philadelphia. They have two young children.