George McLaird
| George McLaird | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 September 1939 Winterset, Iowa |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🎓 Alma mater | Los Angeles Pacific College |
| 💼 Occupation | Presbyterian Pastor, teacher, author, public speaker. |
| 👴 👵 Parent(s) | George L. and Florence E. McLaird |
| 👪 Relatives | Gloria Jane McLaird Lindner (deceased sister) |
George McLaird (born September 17, 1939, in Winterset, Iowa) is an american author and a presbyterian pastor.
Education and early life[edit]
McLaird’s parents, George and Florence, were both ordained Fundamentalist, Pentecostal preachers. Following the death of his father in Los Angeles when he was five, his mother moved his sister, Gloria and George Jr. to her mother's farm West of St. Peter. MN. When in the 6th grade, his family moved back to California.
McLaird graduated from Belmont High School, Los Angeles, CA in 1957 and earned his BA in 1965 from Los Angeles Pacific College. He married Sandra Joyce (Dixie) Dickenson in August 9, 1962, and divorced in 1976. Their son, Sean Noel McLaird was born March 17, 1969. In 1968 George graduated, M.Div. San Francisco Theological Seminary.[1][not in citation given] Married Linda Carol Johnson (June 9, 1983). For three years she taught Jr. High School French before joining United Airlines as a Flight Attendant for 37 years. They completed their bucket list in 2012 having traveled to 33 countries and 48 U.S. states.
Career[edit]
In 1960, George was hired by Youth for Christ as a Club Director in South West Los Angeles. As part of his work with YFC/LA for several summers he served as a counselor at Teen Ranch in Hesperian, CA.Utah State Club Director 1962. Chicago Club Director 1963, World Opportunities, Hollywood, CA. 1964–‘65, Youth Director at Congregation Church in Redondo Beach & Director of Stub’s Pub a coffee house ministry in Hermosa Beach, CA.[2][not in citation given] He served 4 Presbyterian churches from 1968–2001: St. Andrew’s in Redondo Beach, San Leandro and Newark. He concluded his Parish Ministry in 2001 having served the Sausalito Presbyterian Church for nearly 27 years. With the guidance of his seminary class mate, Rev. Jane Adams Spahr, McLaird advocated on behalf of Gay and Lesbian parishioners throughout the Presbyterian Denomination (USA) he advocated for their ordination as Elders and Deacons starting in 1975. In 2011 his denomination approved Gay and Lesbian’s to be ordained as Clergy. He has also been an advocate for Gay and Lesbian marriage.[3][not in citation given]
While an Assistant Pastor, St. Andrew’s, Redondo Beach from 1968–71, he served as the secretary of the South Bay Ministerial Association, Member of the South Bay Clergy and Mental Health Association. Developed Narcotic Round Table and organized committee for HOME (a half-way home for kids involved with drugs). Member of Presbytery of the Pacific.[4][not in citation given]
As a board member, he helped Dr. Bromley in San Leandro, CA start a program for young people struggling with drugs and alcohol. In 1975–2001, served as Pastor of Sausalito Presbyterian and The Presbytery of the Redwoods on Candidates and Peace Making committees till 2001.[5][not in citation given]
During his ministry in Sausalito, at the urging of a parishioner, Bob Hunter the church began supporting Leon Mission Partners in Leon, Mexico. The program supports over 100 abused and/or abandoned children in 3 houses in and around Leon. The program also provides transitional housing for indigenous families who move to the city for work.[1]
Again under the leadership of Bob Hunter and co-founder Denni Brusseau the church launched a tutoring program for under served youth in the neighboring town of Marin City. The program became Bridge the Gap College Prep and has an annual budget of more than one million dollars.[2][not in citation given]
From 2001 to present, he has been serving as Pastor Emeritus, Sausalito Presbyterian Church.[6]
He created and lead a seminar Mastering The Marital Arts for all couples he married. This educational seminar guides couples, be they partners who may remain unmarried as well as those who are engaged or married, create and maintain a relationship, which is healthy enough to last a lifetime. The foundation of this approach is found in the WE/ME logo.[7][not in citation given] He also taught marriage skills at the request of Army Chaplains, under the guidance of Rev. General, Wayne Hoffman to Chaplains, troops and families.George taught Mastering The Art of Spiritual Living at 4 residential drug and alcohol recover centers: Bayside Marin, 2004-2006,[5] Mayflower, 2007-2010. Alta Mira, 2011-2012,[8][not in citation given] and North Bay Recovery, 2012-2014.[9][not in citation given] His book, A Guide for Spiritual Living was the curriculum. In 2015 he became active in the death café movement[1] as well as advocating with Compassion and Choices for The End of Life Option Act in California, which was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in September 2015.
In December 2008 he served as the Protestant Pastor on Crystal Cruises sailing from Long Beach, CA to the Mexican Riviera.[2][not in citation given]
His Post Seminary Spiritual Influences include Meditation, Paramahansa Yogananda where he began lessons with The Self-Realization Fellowship.[10] He has practiced and taught meditation since 1973. That year he had a spontaneous Mystical Experience[citation needed] after which he and others began referring to him theologically as "a Mystic."
His most influential teachers have been: Dr. James Muilenburg, Dr. David Noel Freedman, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Dr. Brugh Joy[10] and Dr. Carolyn Conger.[11][not in citation given] In 1975, he began using night dreams as life directors. He has claimed to have had several ‘big dreams’ as defined by C.G. Jung which were life changing.[12] He led a dream workshop at the Sausalito Presbyterian Church for several years. 1976 he was introduced to A Course In Miracles by Gerald Wyker, M.D. He taught The Course at the Sausalito Presbyterian Church for 13 years and continues to use it as one of his guides and teachers. In 2012, he was the co-presenter of the Sexual Development Of Recovering People with Sonnee Weedn, Ph.D, at (SASH) The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health conference which received notable coverage.[13][not in citation given][14][not in citation given]
In 2015 he received EIPPY awards for his books, I Hear You're Afraid of Dying or Afraid Someone You Love Will Die Before You and for Cancer, From Tears to Triumph which he co-wrote.[15]
Books[edit]
- 2016 – I Hear You're Interested in Becoming a Mystic.
- 2015 – I Hear You're Afraid of Dying or Afraid Someone You Love Will Die Before You.[16]
- 2014 – I Hear You're Engaged.[17]
- 2014 – I Hear You're Contemplating Divorce.[18]
- 2012 – A Guide for Spiritual Living.[19]
- 2010 – Chronology, 9-17-1939 and forward.[20][not in citation given]
- 2002 – TAJ ii. Poems and photos for his wife.[21][not in citation given]
- 2000 – TAJ i. Poems and photos for his wife
- 1995 – The Marriage Maze, McLaird’s Field Guide for the Journey.
- 1994 – Linda With Lace. Poems for his wife.
- 1982 – Transformation is an Inside Job: The Internal University, DeVorss & Co.
- 1981 – Another Chapter On the Train. Son’s birth and early life.
- 1978 – Parables About You.
McLaird’s form of journaling is writing poems. He has written more than a thousand; most are unpublished.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "MISSION, Leon Mission Partners, Mexico". Sausalito Presbyterian Church. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "home - San Francisco Theological Seminary". San Francisco Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
- ↑ "Pacific Presbytery". Pacific Presbytery. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
- ↑ "Bridge the Gap College Prep". btgtutoring.org. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
- ↑ "Home - Presbytery of the Redwoods". www.redwoodspresbytery.org. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
- ↑ "Sausalito Presbyterian Church". Sausalito Presbyterian Church. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
- ↑ "Leading Executive Drug & Mental Health Rehab | Bayside Marin". baysidemarin.crchealth.com. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
- ↑ "Alta Mira | Drug & Alcohol Rehab & Addiction Treatment in the SF Bay Area". Alta Mira. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
- ↑ "Drug Treatment and Alcohol Treatment for Men | Innovative Drug and Alcohol Rehab foir Men | SF Bay Area". northbayrecoverycenter.com. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 M.D, W. Brugh Joy (1992-05-26). Avalanche: Heretical Reflections on the Dark and the Light. New York: Wellspring/Ballantine. ASIN 0345367227. ISBN 9780345367228.CS1 maint: ASIN uses ISBN (link) Search this book on
- ↑ "Carolyn Conger PhD". www.carolynconger.com. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
- ↑ http://members.core.com/~ascensus/docs/jung1.html
- ↑ admin. "SASH 2012 Conference Archives". SASH. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
- ↑ "A Course In Miracles by Helen Schucman on iBooks". iBooks. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
- ↑ "Extravaganza 2015 and EIPPY Book Awards". expertinsightspublishing.com. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
- ↑ McLaird, Rev George L. (2015-07-02). I Hear You're Afraid of Dying or Afraid Someone You Love Will Die Before You. George L. McLaird. ASIN B010VKGI4A. Search this book on
- ↑ "Smashwords – I Hear You're Engaged – a book by George McLaird". www.smashwords.com. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ↑ "Smashwords – I Hear You're Contemplating Divorce – a book by George McLaird". www.smashwords.com. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ↑ "Spiritual Living Books - George McLaird – A Guide for Spiritual Living - Book". www.mclaird.com. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ↑ "Blurb Books". www.blurb.com. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
- ↑ "Blurb Books | Blurb Books". www.blurb.com. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
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