Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina (with UNC-CH grads for parents), Anna Pinckney Straight was the sixth generation of her family to join Second Presbyterian Church. After graduating from Agnes Scott College in 1993, Anna journeyed north to attend Union Theological Seminary in New York City, receiving her Master of Divinity degree in 1996.
Her first congregation was in Arthurdale, West Virginia, and then in 2001 she moved to Greencastle, Pennsylvania, a small town just north of Maryland. Both of these calls were as solo Pastors.
In 2006, on a whim, she replied to an advertisement for an associate pastor position at here University Presbyterian Church, and was terrified to find out that she might, in fact, be called to return south. Terrified, that is, until she traveled to Chapel Hill and met with the search committee, when she wisely began to celebrate the wisdom of this wonderful call. In November of 2006 Anna moved to Chapel Hill with her family (husband, daughter, dogs, cats, and fish). She completed her Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. and graduated in May of 2007.
At UPC Anna works in the general area of pastoral care. She visits, welcomes new members, works with the Deacons, helps lead the Stephen Ministry program, and preaches approximately once a month.
