Church Team
Meet the Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church Team
The Rev. Dr. Seth E. Weeldreyer
Senior Pastor
The Rev. Christina “Chrissy” Westbury
Associate Pastor
The Rev. Amber Nettleton
Associate Pastor
The Rev. Annamarie Groenenboom
Associate Pastor
Michael Montgomery
Director of Music
Autumn
Organist
Meredith Alspach
Youth, Families & Outreach
Shawn Smith
Building Superintendent
Louise Taylor
Financial Coordinator
Kelly Short
Operations Coordinator
Sandy Sinotte
Lovell Street Reception
Jennie Barry
Lovell Street Reception
Deb Wuerding
Lovell Street Reception
Randy Randt
Custodian
Logan McCafferty
Custodian
Shelly Parkhurst
Communications Coordinator
Bob Brush III
Lovell Street Reception
The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Hakken Candido
K-College Chaplain
The Session
In the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) local Congregations govern themselves through an elected board called the Session. Session members serve for three years. Each year, one third of the Session members retire from Session and are replaced by members elected from the congregation, or agree to an additional three year term. This provides stability and continuity in governing the congregation. A senior Minister moderates the Session which is headed by the Clerk of Session, neither of whom are voting members of the session.
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Much of the work of directing the mission and ministry of the church is done by committees, in conjunction with the professional staff.
These standing committees report to, and are directed by, Session. Committees of Session are chaired by elders; members of the congregation are invited and encouraged to serve on them as well. Following is a list of our committees and some of the ways in which they contribute to the life of our church.
The Congregational Life Committee provides meaningful social events to foster relationships between members of our church body of First Presbyterian Church, and to coordinate the process of receiving new members into this church.
The Faith Formation Committee coordinates learning experiences for the congregation, developing individual’s spiritual gifts with the mission of fostering faith and commitment, nurturing spiritual growth and developing servant-leaders.
The Health Ministry Committee serves the needs of the congregation for physical, emotional, intellectual health endeavors with education and support.
The Stewardship Committee connects giving to the church’s mission by organizing and conducting the annual Stewardship Campaign, the results of which provide the major portion of the funds to operate the church.
The Communications Committee assists with a wide range of internal and external communications of the church.
The Worship & Music Committee helps plan all aspects of worship services partnering with the clergy and music leaders of the church.
The Endowment Committee is charged by the Session with the responsibility of managing the endowed funds of the church, encouraging contributions to the Endowment Fund, and recommending to the Session the annual distributions from the various Designated Funds.
The Finance Committee manages the Operating and Capital finances of First Presbyterian Church.
The Personnel Committee works in an advisory role to the Pastor/Head of Staff and Session with responsibilities of assisting in building an effective and efficient work environment; recommending new and revised policies and practices; developing and revising staff position descriptions; recommending compensation for staff through the budget process; providing equal employment opportunities, in consultation with the Presbytery and approved by the Session; supporting professional growth of staff; recommending strategies to manage risk exposure; supporting a review process to assist in staff evaluation and work planning; and acting as a support team for the pastors and members of the staff.
The Officer Nominating Committee meets annually to fulfill the requirements of the Book of Order in that, “Ruling elders and deacons shall be nominated by a committee elected by the congregation, drawn from and representative of its membership, reflecting the rich diversity of the congregation’s membership and shall guarantee
The Outreach Committee strives to represent a Christian presence in the local community and to promote faithful service both locally and to the wider world, thus kindling a vision of First Presbyterian Church as a light to our community and to the world.
The Property Maintenance Committee manages issues related to the maintenance and improvement of church-owned property.
Brian Nederveld
Clerk of Session
Becky Demcovitz
Class of 2024
Heather Cloetingh
Class of 2024
Mark Loehrke
Class of 2024
Pat Stromsta
Class of 2024
Scott Wilson
Class of 2024
Mark Ohrstrom
Class of 2024
Kathy Jennings
Class of 2025
Bev Murray
Class of 2025
Al Parfitt
Class of 2025
Rick Wielopolski
Class of 2025
Pam Zandt
Class of 2025
Joseph Sablan
Class of 2025
Susan Agostinelli
Class of 2026
Logan Brown
Class of 2026
Chris Cross
Class of 2026
Ginny Dell
Class of 2026
Wendy King
Class of 2026
Laurie Tupper
Class of 2026
The DEACONS
Deacons are typically involved in hospital visitation, reaching out and maintaining contact with families, particularly in times of need, praying with and for their parishioners, and coordinating activities such as Sunday morning social time.
Allison Hammond
Moderator Class of 2024
Joanne Dunlop
Class of 2024
John Fiore
Class of 2024
Nancy Johnson
Class of 2024
Rick Taylor
Class of 2024
Karen Hassler
Class of 2025
Jim Mulcrone
Class of 2025
Michelle Greve
Class of 2025
Sanny Nutter
Class of 2025
Deb Weurding
Class of 2025
Joann Yochim
Class of 2025
Jan Carpenter
Class of 2026
Victoria Coleman
Class of 2026
Grace Cook
Class of 2026
Lana Griffin
Class of 2026
Paul Minert
Class of 2026
Carol Noland
Class of 2026
Tom Noland
Class of 2026