Frank Pottorff is the senior pastor at Lexington’s First Presbyterian Church, the oldest continuous church community in the city. After graduating from divinity school, he served his first call in Mount Sterling for five years, followed by seven years as an associate at a large church in Philadelphia. Frank, his wife, Abby, and their sons, Charlie and Ollie, moved to Lexington two years ago and love the community and their neighborhood.
First Presbyterian is home to many Rotarians, and Franklin Thompson introduced Frank to Lexington Rotary. After attending a couple of lunches together, Frank knew he wanted to continue his community service by joining Rotary, and Franklin agreed to be his mentor.
Frank grew up in Indiana on a farm that has been in his family since 1837. Quite a few family members still live in the area, and Abby is from nearby Greenwood, Indiana. They met at Franklin College (there seem to be a lot of Franks, Franklyns, and Franklins in this story!).
Frank enjoys long walks with the family dog as well as reading, but his real passion is coffee. Both he and Abby are big coffee fans, and his favorite spot is Old School Coffee in Dudley Square. Frank says it has a “cool vibe,” and he has met many nice people there for early morning conversations.
As an undergraduate, Frank had the opportunity to study in Italy, visiting Rome, Florence, and Siena. One morning, while working on a paper in a café in Venice, he thought, “I could just live here.” I truly think that all of us who have visited Italy have thought the same thing at some point!
We’re glad Frank’s calling led him to Lexington—and Rotary!
— John Meyers