Pastor: Rev. Christie Ashton
The Rev. Christie Ashton has served as our pastor since January 2010. She has undergraduate and masters degrees from The College of William and Mary, and obtained her Master of Divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. Pastor Christie has served the larger church and community in a variety of roles. Currently, she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Children’s Home in Talladega. She and her spouse Bill (a software engineer) have been married for over 20 years and have 4 children between the ages of 9 and 16. Three dogs and 2 cats, along with whatever the wildlife of the week is (according to her children), round out their household. Pastor Christie is a long-distance runner and can often be found engaging in ill-advised outdoor adventures. She enjoys gardening, creating art, and reading in her rare moments of spare time. She is a font of completely useless and moderately interesting information, and her favorite comic strip of all time is Calvin and Hobbes. (She has the complete box-set collection proudly displayed on her bookshelf.) Pastor Christie also has an unfortunate habit of randomly quoting lyrics to 1980s’ music and lines from the Monty Python movies. In her ministry, she most enjoys worship and preaching as well as connecting with people of all ages.
Music Director/Accompanist: Adam O’Boyle
We recently welcomed our new music director and accompanist Adam O’Boyle. Adam has degrees in Music and History from the University of Alabama and a Master of Music in Piano Performance degree from the University of Louisville. He is also currently studying for a degree in mathematics from the University of Alabama – Huntsville. (Because why not?) In addition to previously serving as a musician and choir director in a variety of churches and educational institutions, Adam also teaches private piano lessons. Adam and his partner Jill (a procurement supervisor for a defense contractor) enjoy hiking, reading, and antiquing together. They also have a Yorkie named Pookie, which is probably the best name ever for a Yorkie. Adam has an impressive collection of board games, has watched The Godfather more times than he can count, and his favorite flavor of ice cream is peanut butter and chocolate. He is an incredibly talented musician and wonderful choir director, and his musical gifts enrich our worship each Sunday.
Nursery Attendant: Brenda Brazier
Brenda Brazier is our longest serving staff member. She has been caring for our youngest disciples and their families faithfully for over 20 years. Brenda is a licensed nurse and runs a home-based daycare during the week. She is the youngest of five (yes, FIVE) siblings and the *only* girl, which probably explains why Brenda is completely unfazed by almost anything, and can remain cool, calm, and collected in an emergency. She has one adult daughter, and enjoys spending time with her mother, who lives here in Huntsville as well. Her kind, compassionate, and gentle spirit truly embody Christ’s love, which she readily shares with others.
Office Administrator: Susan Terry
Susan Terry has been our office administrator since 2018 and also oversees our Playschool ministry. She has previously served as a Director of Children’s Ministries in a variety of churches for over 20 years. Susan and her spouse Rob (an accountant) have been married for almost 30 years and have two adult daughters and one son-in-law. Her beloved, and incredibly cute, dog Archie is a constant source of entertainment and cuddles in her household. In her spare time, Susan enjoys gardening (she oversees the care of Pastor Christie’s office plants, which is why they are still alive) and is a very talented artist. Ask to see some of her beautiful oil paintings – you will not be disappointed. Susan enjoys murder mysteries, both in book and television form, so she is best equipped to hide the evidence should you ever find yourself in a questionable situation. Her favorite song is Sweet Caroline (and really, whose isn’t?) and her favorite dessert is crème brûlée (also an excellent choice, even if it is hard to spell correctly on a English keyboard). Susan has a true servant’s heart and brings a lot of joy and energy to our church’s ministry.