Bill Hay

William Hay (born May 1, 1940, died February 11, 2024) was he founding pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church. He founded Covenant in 1978 and led it until his retirement in 2011

Hay grew up in Minnesota. He graduated from the Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia in 1966 and began his career as pastor of Edgewood Presbyterian Church. He and Frank Barker co-founded the Birmingham Theological Seminary at Edgewood in 1972.

He split with the mainline denominaton and joined Barker's more conservative Presbyterian Church in America. He announced from the pulpit his intention to launch a new church in 1978, surprising even his wife, Cyndie. The new church met at Samford University's Reid Chapel until establishing their own campus on Old Montgomery Highway nearby.

Hay informed his church of his desire to retire in 2008, but no successor was named until 2011, when Bill Boyd was called to Covenant Presbyterian. Hay remained a member of the church. He was survived by his wife Cynthia Hagman Hay, three children, and twelve grandchildren.

References

• Garrison, Greg (October 1, 2011) "After 45 years as a pastor in Homewood, Bill Hay retires." Birmingham News
• William Hay obituary (February 16, 2024) AL.com