On September 14, 2008, Overbrook called Rev. Wallace W. Bubar to be the Pastor and Head of Staff. Wallace comes to Overbrook from the First Baptist Church of Iowa City, Iowa and will begin his ministry on November 1, 2008.

Wallace was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Baylor University, where he majored in Religion and Philosophy. He graduated summa cum laude in 1995, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

Wallace received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he studied with Martin Marty and concentrated in American religious history. He then spent one year as an exchange student at the Universität-Göttingen in Germany, pursuing the study of Reformed theology.

In 2001, Wallace earned his Master of Divinity degree from Emory University, where he focused on worship and preaching, studying the latter with Tom Long. He received several awards at Emory, including the John W. Rustin Award for Outstanding Preaching. A highlight of his seminary experience was the opportunity to take a course with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was a visiting professor there at the time.

Wallace was ordained in August 2001 in the American Baptist Churches USA, a mainline Protestant denomination similar in theology and outlook to the Presbyterian Church (USA). From 2001 to 2008, he served as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Iowa City, an historic downtown congregation located directly across the street from the University of Iowa campus.

Attracted to the Presbyterian Church (USA) because of our Reformed theological heritage, our connectional polity, and our ecumenical witness, Wallace recently made the transition into the PC(USA).

Throughout his career, Wallace has been very active in ecumenical activities, especially in the areas of liturgy and church music, as well as in advocacy for social justice, peacemaking, and greater inclusiveness within the church. Wallace is married to Gabriele Albrecht, originally from Hildesheim, Germany, and they have a daughter, Magdalena.

Wallace and his family were welcomed to Overbrook at a dinner held on Saturday September 13, when members and friends of the congregation had an opportunity to greet them. See photos.