Pastors & Staff
Rev. Dr. Rachel Rhodes
Senior Pastor
Rachel Achtemeier Rhodes has served as Senior Pastor and Head of Staff at St. Simons Presbyterian Church since September 2024. Prior to her call to SSPC, Rachel served for over seven years as Senior Pastor of Morrisville Presbyterian Church in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and for six years as Associate Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Rachel earned her Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Duke Divinity School, her Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Princeton Theological Seminary, and completed her undergraduate studies at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Although Rachel is a native of North Carolina, she spent most of her formative years growing up in Dubuque, Iowa.
Outside of church, Rachel’s greatest joy is spending time with her two children, MJ and Ben. She loves the simple pleasures—a cup of coffee on the porch, a good book at the beach, dinner with friends—as much as she loves an adventure somewhere entirely new. Rachel enjoys photography, music, staying active (especially outdoors), trying new restaurants, a good glass of wine, and traveling whenever she gets the chance. Most of all, she treasures time spent with the people she loves.
ASSOCIATE Pastor
Rev. Nadine
Ellsworth-Moran
Rev. Nadine Ellsworth-Moran serves as the Associate Pastor at Saint Simon's Presbyterian Church after having served as an Associate Pastor in Augusta, GA and solo pastor in Charlotte, NC. Nadine is a second-career minister having worked at Union Presbyterian Seminary (Charlotte) and at various law firms in North Carolina and Washington, D.C. as a paralegal.
Nadine has a Masters of European Studies from KUL in Belgium, a Masters of Divinity and Masters of Arts in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary (Charlotte), and she is currently pursuing her Doctorate at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Texas.
In her free time, Nadine enjoys spending time with her husband, Bill, and six (yes, six!) cats as well as reading, a variety of artistic endeavors, and enjoying a good cup of coffee -- and she is always ready to try something new!
Rev. Whit Malone
PARISH Pastor
Whit Malone has served in Presbyterian congregational ministry for more than 40 years, leading churches in Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, and North Carolina. A Georgia native, Whit grew up in Atlanta and has long cherished St. Simons Island as a place of rest, renewal, and deep spiritual significance.
Whit earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Georgia State University before attending Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. Although he originally planned to pursue Christian social service ministry, God led him into pastoral ministry—a calling that has shaped his life for more than four decades.
Whit is married to Kris, a retired social worker and attorney. They have three daughters, two granddaughters, and are excited to call St. Simons Island home. Outside of ministry, Whit enjoys staying active, woodworking, gardening, and keeping up with current events.
Rev. Jim Jackson
Part-time PARISH Pastor
Jim grew up near Tampa, graduated from Chamberlain High School in 1959, and became committed to Jesus Christ, feeling called to be a pastor. After moving to north Florida, he attended junior college, now Florida Baptist University, and earned a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He began his pastoral journey at twenty, initially as a Southern Baptist and later converting to Presbyterian at fifty due to the SBC's shift in the seventies. Jim's pastoral skills include preaching, teaching, and counseling, serving churches in South Carolina, Texas, and Richmond Hill, Georgia.
Jim and his wife, Linda, have two grown children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. They moved to Brunswick from Spartanburg to be closer to their daughter and son-in-law, who are active in Saint Simons Presbyterian. Their son resides in Charlotte, NC.
Rhonda Hambright
Director of Music Ministry
912-638-2220 ext. 109
Rhonda began as the full-time Director of Music Ministry at St. Simons Presbyterian in 2008. Rhonda has a passion for working with all those in our church and community who desire to glorify God through song and music. In addition to leading the overall music ministry of the church, Rhonda's work extends into the broader Golden Isles community where she holds leadership positions in several organizations promoting music and the arts for all ages.
Nat Scott
Director of Congregational Life & adult faith formation
Nat Scott came to St. Simons Presbyterian Church in 2005. As Director of Congregational Life, Nat seeks to foster ministries of care, fellowship, and fun across all ages of the church. He has a particular focus in leading the "Try Something New" ministry for older adults. In addition to being a professional potter by training, Nat enjoys being out in God's creation biking, kayaking, sailing, hiking, and live music festivals.
Dara Pickren-Davis
Director of Children and Youth Ministries
912-638-2220 ext. 108
Dara brings nearly two decades of experience in church ministry, serving congregations across coastal Georgia and northeast Florida. She has a deep love for children, families, and creative ministry, with a special passion for formative experiences like Vacation Bible School, Fall Festivals, and Christmas celebrations.
With a background in music, theatre, and education, Dara has spent years nurturing young people—from toddlers to college students—both in church and classroom settings. Her ministry is grounded in faith, creativity, and grace, reflected in her favorite verse, Ephesians 2:8: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… it is the gift of God.”
Dara and her husband, Howard, have been married for 22 years and have three children—Hall, Ella, and Allie. As a family, they love to travel and explore, and Dara especially enjoys photography and adventure.
Alyssa Lee
assistant director of children & youth
A Glynn County native, Alyssa grew up attending two local non-denominational churches, where she committed 17 years to service in various roles. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from CCGA. Alyssa and her husband, Josh, are proud parents to Olivia (8) and William (5), and their family has been part of the SSPC community since September 2024. Alyssa is deeply honored to have the opportunity to invest in the church’s youth, with hopes of nurturing their relationships with God, themselves, and others. She looks forward to meeting new families and engaging with the youth every Sunday morning at church and Sunday evening at the youth group.
Jeannine Torbert
Director of Finance & Administration
Jeannine Torbert joined Saint Simons Presbyterian Church in April 2015 and serves as Director of Finance and Administration. In this role, she partners with church leadership and staff to steward the church’s financial resources responsibly, promote faithful stewardship, and support each ministry area in fulfilling its mission.
Jeannine brings more than 30 years of experience in financial accounting and management. She earned her BBA in Accounting from Valdosta State University and began her career as a Certified Public Accountant with Mauldin & Jenkins CPAs in Albany, Georgia. She later continued her accounting career with Henderson & Godbee CPAs in Valdosta.
Jeannine and her family moved to St. Simons Island in 2011. She and her husband, Jay, have been married for 31 years and are proud parents of three University of Georgia graduates: Matthew, Jacob, and Sara Grace. Their family also includes daughter-in-law Katherine and their beloved grand-dawg, Kirby.
Outside of work, Jeannine enjoys reading, traveling, attending concerts, and sharing good food and wine with family and friends. During the fall, she can often be found tailgating with loved ones, cheering on the University of Georgia Bulldogs, and supporting the Redcoat Band.
When asked what she loves most about working at Saint Simons Presbyterian Church, Jeannine says, “Watching the members of Saint Simons Presbyterian show the love of God—not only through generous financial gifts, but also by stepping into the community with open arms, ready and willing to assist those in need.”
Ada Owens
Director of Communications
Ada is the conveyor of information for all things SSPC as the Director of Communications. Ada holds a degree in Marketing and a minor in Philosophy from Georgia State University. Before joining the church staff in September 2018, Ada and her husband Graham worked together as owners of CJ’s Pizza in the Village. When Ada is not redesigning the church website, perfecting the bulletin, or designing ads for church events, she enjoys being mom to three awesome boys, tackling small home improvement projects, and hosting friends for dinner.
Madelynne Risi
mission coordinator & bridge director
Madelynne Risi helped to launch and grow the BRIDGE Summer Mission Program at St. Simons Presbyterian Church beginning in 2016. A lifelong member of St. Simons Presbyterian, Madelynne is passionate about helping to connect people of all ages with opportunities to serve and learn about God's work in the world. In her free-time you can find Madelynne wrangling her kids, Charleston, Draper Evans, Colson, and Frannie, or hanging out with her husband, Scott.
Donna Purdy
Administrative Assistant
Donna Purdy has been a member of the Saint Simons community since 2013. She joined the Saint Simons Presbyterian Staff in 2022, after dedicating years to staying at home to raise her two daughters. As the Administrative Assistant, Donna is eager to greet guests and church members either in person or over the phone. In her spare time, Donna enjoys adventures with her family, loving on her dogs, cooking and baking, and being present in God's beautiful creation.
Shirley Redanz
bookkeeper
Shirley Redanz serves as our church’s bookkeeper—yes, with two Ks, because she checked the ledger twice. With 28 years of experience in finance, she has been balancing books since the days of floppy discs, dial-up internet, and software installations that required both patience and prayer.
If it involves numbers, spreadsheets, budgets, or convincing a computer to cooperate, Shirley has probably seen it, balanced it, and filed it somewhere under “miracles.”
She and her husband, Dan, have been married for almost 31 years and are the proud parents of five children: Kara, Anna, Lily, Ethan, and Amber.
When she’s not keeping the church books in order, Shirley enjoys good wine, plenty of laughter, and maintaining the firm belief that she is still 29. She is grateful to be part of Team SSPRES!
David Keen
director of facilities
David Keen, a native of Brunswick, graduated from Brunswick High School in 1971. Following his high school graduation, he served in the military and attended Southern Technical Institute in Marietta, where he earned his degree. For over 33 years, David worked in engineering and construction in the Atlanta metropolitan area. He then transitioned to a building consultant for insurance companies for the remainder of his career.
David now resides on Saint Simons with his wife, Karen, of 34 years. They have a daughter, Joanna, residing in Santa Fe, NM, and David has a son, David Jr., from his first marriage, who lives in Cartersville, GA, with his wife Courtney and their daughters, Gracie and Caroline.
David is actively involved in the community, having served in various volunteer capacities over the years, including as a scout leader, baseball coach, and youth leader at his church in Atlanta.
Ashley Biletzskov
Director of Preschool
Ashley graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2011 with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She has taught at the preschool for the past ten years, but her roots are much deeper. Ashley and her husband both attended Presbyterian Preschool as children. They now have three children; 2 have graduated from SSPC preschool and their youngest is currently attending the church preschool. As a member of St. Simons Presbyterian Church, Ashley loves seeing our preschool families join our congregation.
Amy Bishop
Organist
After growing up on St. Simons, Amy Bishop and her family returned to the island to begin serving at St. Simons Presbyterian as the church organist in 2008. Amy lives on St. Simons with her granddaughters, Ami and Mackenzie.
Suzanne Morrison
Handbell Director
After serving as the director for a five-octave bell choir in Jacksonville, FL, Suzanne Morrison began leading the handbell choir at St. Simons Presbyterian in 2004 . As a member of both the church and staff, Suzanne has dedicated herself to working in the area of music and worship to help create immersive, God-filled worship at SSPC.