PAULA LYTLE

The Reverend Paula Lytle, a native of Minersville, Pennsylvania, is the Pastor at Winona Park UMC. Paula answered the call to ministry after her husband's death. She had felt the leading to God to minister since she was a child.

She graduated from Wesleyan College and Chandler School of Theology of Emory University to fulfill the education requirements for ordination as an elder in the United Methodist Church.

She has served appointments as pastor of the Hopewell-Concord Charge of the Americus District, East Macon UMC, chaplaincy of Wesleyan College, associate pastor of Riverside UMC in Macon, Mt. Vernon-Aile Charge, Grace UMC in Savannah, Port Wentworth UMC, and Soperton Charge.

Pastor Lytle has served on many district conference committees and was the first clergywoman elected to general conference from south Georgia. The weekly newsletter of the Riverside Optimist Club won state awards and received honorable mention at the international level while she was the editor. She also served as a voluntary chaplain for Hospice in Macon. In Savannah she served on the Board of Directors of Goodwill of the Coastal Empire.

She has a son, Larry, and a daughter, Lori. She has four grandsons. Her favorite activity is spending time with her grandsons, Andrew and Cory Lytle and Clay and Forrest Dixon.

Pastor Lytle retired in June, 2009.