The Presbyterian Foundation mourns the loss of Rev. Mary “Minner” Serovy, a former Ministry Relations Officer for the Presbyterian Foundation. She died on Tuesday, November 28, in Minneapolis.

She was born in Ames, Iowa, to Janice Serovy and George K. Serovy. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Carroll University in Wisconsin and a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

Minner served a number of ministry units with the Presbyterian Church in New York and Louisville prior to her ordination as Minister of Word and Sacrament in 1994. She began in 1988 as Associate for Specialized Personnel Services. She later served as Director of Admissions and Student Relations at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and most recently with the Board of Pensions, first as a Regional Representative and then as Director of Presbyterian CREDO. Minner was honorably retired in February 2020. She was a member of the Presbytery of Milwaukee.

Minner provided a reflection to the Presbyterian Foundation upon her retirement. She reflected on the changing nature of the church and what she had observed during her time serving the PC(USA). You can read that reflection here.

Steve Keizer, Vice President of Ministry Relations for the Presbyterian Foundation, served with Minner for about 12 years. He is deeply appreciative for her wonderful service to the church.

“Minner loved the PC(USA) and knew the church incredibly well,” Keizer said. “She was a dedicated Ministry Relations Officer who had a wealth of knowledge that she happily shared with congregations. She wanted every church she worked with to thrive, to make an impact on their communities, and to be around for decades to come. She truly cared about every pastor she met. She was a joy to work with, and we will all miss her deeply.”

Sherry Kenney, who also served as a Ministry Relations Officer with Minner, provided this wonderful memory of working with Minner as a friend and colleague.

Minner Serovy was for me a unique combination of gravitas and playfulness, a friend and colleague I could count on both for thoughtful input and lighthearted fun. We claimed to be “arts and culture partners,” and during our time together at the Presbyterian Foundation often added an impromptu outing to the end of a business trip – a concert, perhaps, or a visit to an art museum.

The most notable of these was a snowy road trip to Chicago after a January meeting in Louisville to see Hamilton. We knew the lyrics could be problematic when heard for the first time, so we downloaded the soundtrack for the four-and-a-half-hour trip and listened to it twice in preparation for the show. The Hampton Majestic, where we stayed, and the CIBC theatre entrance were only a few steps apart, but I remember thinking those were the coldest steps I had ever walked. Afterward, over pizza and Chianti, we began planning our next adventure; the planning was the best part.

I feel blessed to have known Minner, a saint with a servant heart, a true gift to the Church.

May God grant comfort to her family and her many friends.