Donovan Drake
Pastor | Head of Staff Donovan was born in Waukegan, IL, and grew up in Orange City, IA, and Vincennes, IN. A graduate of Northwestern College in Orange City, Donovan also holds a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, and a D.Min. from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has served churches in Morganton, NC, and Durham, NC. His primary areas of interest and experience in ministry include preaching, teaching and pastoral care. Donovan is married to Beth Beran…
Guy D. Griffith
Guy Griffith is of Welsh ancestry and was raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. An avid reader, Guy is nurtured by art, the theatre, and nature. A lifelong learner, he enjoys reading and writing poetry. He holds a D.Min. from Columbia Theological Seminary (Christian Spirituality); a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary (Homiletics and Missiology); and a B.A. from the American University, School of International Service (International Relations with a minor in philosophy/religion). Prior to joining Westminster’s staff, he served churches in Alpharetta…
Heidi Hudnut-Beumler
Growing up in a suburb of Minneapolis, Heidi is a graduate of Brown University and Union Theological Seminary (New York). She has served three large, multi-staff churches much like Westminster: in New York City (associate), northern New Jersey and Indianapolis (both interim associates); one mid-size church in central New Jersey (associate); and a solo pastorate in Nashville. In addition, she brings training and experience in hospital chaplaincy and interim ministry. Heidi is excited about this opportunity to continue the strong ministries shepherded by the…
Parish Associate of Adult Education
Will Wellman
Stephanie Boaz
Stephanie Boaz is a graduate of Sweet Briar College and Princeton Theological Seminary. She was ordained in 1998 as a Minister Of Word and Sacrament in the PCUSA. Since then, she has served churches in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Georgia. She moved to Tennessee with her husband, Craig, and son, John, in 2021 to be closer to family. They live in Hermitage with their dog Bali. The Boaz family began attending Westminster during the Fall of 2022 with Craig joining…
Sophie Maness
Sophie Maness was born in Richmond, Virginia and grew up in the Presbyterian Church. She received her BA in psychology from Randolph-Macon College and her MA from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond. As a certified Christian Educator, Sophie has enjoyed working with children and parents for over twenty years. Her husband Roger has recently retired from thirty-nine years of service to the Presbyterian Church. Her twins, Jerry and Sophie Ann, have recently graduated from college. Sophie and…
John Semingson
John Semingson is the Director of Music Ministries for Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he oversees a multi-faceted music program, involving nearly two hundred (200) children, youth and adults. Prior to this, John served as Minister of Music and Organist at the Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, North Carolina; Director of the University of North Carolina-Asheville Community Chorus; the Carolina Chamber Singers; and was Centennial Summer Director and Organist for the Montreat Conference Center. Since his childhood days in the…
Dale Nickell
Dale Nickell is excited to be Westminster Presbyterian Church’s new Organist and Associate Director of Music Ministries! He had previously been the Director of Music Ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, TN, where he played the organ and directed the Adult Choir, Children’s Choirs, and Handbell Choir. Dale received his Master’s Degree in Organ Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in the studio of Nathan Laube. At Eastman, he also studied improvisation and clavichord with William…
TJ Piccolo
T.J. Piccolo claims Michigan as his home state. He received his B.A. in Playwriting from Columbia College Chicago in 2012 and his MDiv from Vanderbilt Divinity School in 2022. In his free time, T.J. enjoys writing, running, traveling, attending ghost tours, spending time with his fiancé and future stepdaughter, and secretly living inside the Charlotte location of Hattie B’s.
Hannah Norris
Hannah was born and raised in Nicholasville, Kentucky, as a lifelong Presbyterian. She received her BA in English Literature and Religion from Maryville College and her MA in Mission and Discipleship from Dubuque Theological Seminary. Hannah has served Presbyterian Churches in Youth Ministry for the past 18+ years in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Hannah loves to find ways to help youth connect more deeply to the church and their faith: whether that be through mission trips and service projects,…
Jo Ann McFarlin
Jo Ann relocated to Nashville from Oklahoma City, where she was the Executive Director of Westminster Presbyterian Church for more than 13 years. Prior to that, she lived in Chicago and was the Business Administrator at 4th Presbyterian Church for 3 years. When she relocated to Chicago, she came from Tulsa, Oklahoma and was the Church Administrator at First Presbyterian Church for more than 12 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a major in…
Communications & Digital Media Manager
Joel Rayburn
Business Office Assistant / IT
Alec Koukol
Membership Secretary
Hannah Boles
Accountant
Joann Covington
Assistant to the Executive Director of Children & Youth Ministries
Jaleen Rayburn
Print Media and Administrative Assistant for Adult Education
Kris Pardue
Receptionist / Event Coordinator
Sherri Givens
Assistant to the Pastor
Terri Eckert
Human Resources and Accounts Payable Coordinator
Trisha Presley
Receptionist
Anna Ketron
Sound Engineer
Joe Debusk
Facility Manager
Troy Carpenter
Sexton
Koko Gray
Sexton
Camille Torchon
Sexton
John Penton
Sexton
JW Pryor
Sexton
Mary Davis
Sexton
Steven Fradette
Director of the Westminster School for Young Children
Logan Lyman
Associate Director of the Westminster School for Young Children