St. Simons Presbyterian Pastors & Staff
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Rev. Alan Dyer
Pastor alan@sspres.org Alan Dyer was called to St. Simons Presbyterian in June 2013. As pastor, Alan's responsibilities include leadership across all ministry areas of the congregation including Sunday worship and preaching, pastoral care, administration, and service to the greater church. A life-long Presbyterian from Dayton, Ohio, Alan worked in roles from retail to Capitol Hill to consulting before going to seminary. When not at church, you can usually find him spending time with his family (Erin, Sam, Jack, and Gordy the dog), on the golf course, out for a run, or at WakeUp Coffee. |
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Rev. Annie Franklin Arvin
Associate Pastor for Youth & Mission annie@sspres.org Annie Franklin Arvin was called to St. Simons Presbyterian in August 2018. Annie was raised in Morganton, NC and grew up attending First Presbyterian Church Morganton. After graduating from North Carolina State University, she spent a year as the Campus Ministry Intern for the Presbyterian Student Association at the University of South Carolina. She graduated in May 2018 from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA. In her free time, Annie enjoys running, daydreaming about puppies, and spending time with her husband, Thomas! |
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Kate Buckley
Parish Pastor kate@sspres.org Kate Buckley was raised within the walls of St. Simons Presbyterian and was joyfully welcomed as Parish Pastor in the Fall of 2019. Kate received her BA in journalism from University of Georgia and her Masters of Divinity at Columbia Theological Seminary. As Parish Pastor, Kate spends much of her time leading Congregational Care and visiting with members, writing thoughtful letters as an expression of concern and/or celebration, organizing meal trains and delivering flowers. In her spare time, Kate is a loving wife and mother of three who loves to run, cook, read, write, laugh with friends and is an avid coffee drinker! |
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Frieda Warner
Director of Christian Education and Children's Ministry frieda@sspres.org Frieda Warner has spent the past 25+ years working with generations of children at St. Simons Presbyterian. As Director of Christian Education and Children's Ministry, Frieda oversees all educational programming for the church with a special focus on nursery and elementary age children. Her self described "happy spirit" allows her to meet children and young people where they are, and engage them through creative, age-appropriate learning. |
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Rhonda Hambright
Director of Music Ministry rhonda@sspres.org 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. |
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Nat Scott
Director of Congregational Life nat@sspres.org 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. |
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Jeannine Torbert
Church Administrator jeannine@sspres.org After many years spent at home raising three children, Jeannine came to St. Simons Presbyterian in 2015 as our full-time Church Administrator. In addition to managing the church's finances, Jeannine works to ensure that all ministry areas of the congregation are adequately equipped to fulfill their mission. When asked what her favorite thing is about working at SSPC, Jeannine says, "Watching how the members of St. Simons Presbyterian show the love of God not only by their generous financial gifts, but also by stepping out in the community with open arms, ready and willing to assist those in need." |
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Madelynne Risi
Director of BRIDGE Mission Program madelynne@sspres.org 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 toddler, Charleston, or hanging out with her husband, Scott. |
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Ada Owens
Director of Communications ada@sspres.org 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. |
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Walter Lynn
Facilities Maintenance Coordinator walter@sspres.org Walter Lynn has served as the Facilities Maintenance Coordinator since 2015. In this role, Walter oversees all maintenance and necessary repairs to the church campus. It is not unusual to find Walter around the church at all times of day and night helping to problem-solve, setup, tear down, and generally keep the church running. Walter lives by the ageless words of Flaubert: "Stop whining and do it." |
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Judy Cauley
Director of Preschool judy@sspres.org Judy Cauley began working in the St. Simons Presbyterian Preschool in 1993. In her role, she manages a staff of roughly sixteen teachers and oversees the direction of St. Simons Presbyterian's highly respected preschool. Judy's favorite part of her job are the children, the parents, and the awesome staff she gets to work with. |
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Amy Bishop
Organist amy@sspres.org 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 and her husband, Art (a retired Methodist pastor) live on St. Simons where they are raising their two grandchildren. |
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Suzanne Morrison
Handbell Director suzanne@sspres.org 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. |
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Phoebe Roland
KidZ Music Director phoebe@sspres.org Phoebe is a music teacher at Frederica Academy and began working at SSPC in 2018 as director of music for our Wednesday night KidZ Crew. She received her Masters in Music Education from Boston University College of Fine Arts. She received her Bachelors in Music Education and graduated Cum Laude from Nazareth College of Rochester in Central New York, where she grew up. As a member of the Orff-Shulwerk Association, she has also received her Orff certification and is a member of the National Association for Music Education. Phoebe has a teacher’s heart and a gift for leading vibrant, innovative, and spiritual music experiences for the youngest worshipers of our church. |
