Raised in the manse, church has always been central to Mary’s life. Her call to Christian Education (C.E.) led her to Waynesburg College with a major in Christian Education. Two years of working with teens in the YWCA were followed by a time of staying at home to raise her family. After three unsolicited job offers in C.E. in six months while living in a small town in upstate New York, Mary moved from volunteer status to paid Christian Educator. As they say, the rest is history! Following a move to Pennsylvania, Mary was invited to join the Risk Evangelism Task Force of the Synod of the Trinity and shortly after that to join the staff at Abington Presbyterian Church located outside of Philadelphia. 

Mary has worked in several churches in Carlisle Presbytery, for the Synod of the Trinity as Synod Associate for Education, the presbyteries of Carlisle and Donegal as Educational Consultant, and for Congregational Ministries Publishing in Louisville where she recruited and trained the first core of POINT people.

Mary has served on the worship and stewardship committees of her local church as an Elder, and currently resources the mission, communication, fellowship and nurture committees of her church as a member of the staff.  She served as secretary for the Education Committee of the Synod of the Trinity in an earlier configuration of the Synod. This January she finishes her second term of service with the Committee on Preparation for Ministry with Carlisle Presbytery.

ary and her husband, Jim, have been married for over forty years and are the parents of two children. Their son, Capt. Edward (Ted) Speedy, is stationed at Fort Lewis in the state of Washington. Daughter, Melissa Pilla, is currently settling into life in Singapore with her husband, Matthew, and their two children Natalie and Benjamin. Needless to say, Mary is now planning a trip to Asia! Mary rarely travels without her yarn and needles to keep her hands busy. She is part of a prayer shawl ministry at her favorite yarn shop, and she also knits at home with cats Barclay and Fiona curled up near by.

Mary is welcomed as Moderator and can be reached at mspeedy@comcast.net.