The board
Doing the background stuff so you can play daily!
Chair
Nancy Myer has been in educational ministry in one form or another for 16 years, serving churches in Indiana, Tennessee, and now North Carolina. She currently serves as Staff Associate for Children's Ministries at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill. She is also a M.Div. student at the Charlotte campus of Union Presbyterian Seminary. In her free time, she enjoys reading, walking, playing games, and attempting just about any craft.
Vice Chair
Shannon Guse serves as the Director of High School and College Ministries at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX and has been attending ARW for almost two decades! Having taught multiple classes and served on the 2022 ARW planning team, Shannon is excited to give back to the organization that continues to refresh and renew her each May! Shannon loves reading Young Adult novels, spending time outdoors, and cheering on her two, grown-ish children who live in Tallahassee, FL.
Registrar & Admin
Lisa Diedrick serves re:create as our administrative specialist, organizing and tracking our finances and databases and is the face of ARW as our registrar. She dabbles in numerous areas of ministry, including leading the occasional retreat or playology event and serving as the adjunct staff for two weeks of summer youth conferences at Montreat. Her current passions include tennis, traveling and spending time with her six grandchildren.
Events
Carl Horton leads the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program for the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is a lifelong Presbyterian and has served in installed and transitional pastorates in California, Nebraska and Kentucky. He spent a number of years doing leader development for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and most recently served for 3 years as the interim coordinator for the PCUSA’s Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP). Since 2011 he has served as the Coordinator of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. He is highly committed to equipping peacemakers and strengthening the church at all levels for its engagement in peacemaking. In his free time he is a backyard farmer, piano student, and dog wrangler. .
Funding
Roger Maness is a longtime recreation leader and is co-author of two books in the field of recreation. He began his experience by studying under some of the "giant oaks” of ARW. Roger brings loads of experience to the Board, having staffed the recreation and outreach ministries of three different churches along the way. On the Board, he currently serves as Chair of our FUNdraising Committee, a group of dedicated ARW enthusiasts who work behind the scenes to raise extra money to provide special scholarships and to help underwrite a portion of the real cost for each participant attending ARW.
Networking
Noelle Castin currently serves as the Director of Christian Education at the historic Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria, VA. Noelle and her husband, Mark, enjoy traveling and making memories with family and friends. In her spare time, she also loves reading (children’s literature and young adult fiction, in particular!), listening to podcasts, cooking, and practicing yoga.
Marketing
Kelly Fitzgerald is the Parish Associate at Peace Presbyterian Church, Lakewood Ranch, Florida. Her passion for bringing faith into homes led her to team up with fellow parent and pastor, Rev. Anne Russ, in a project called Beyond Sunday. Kelly also has a keen artistic eye, which she has found an outlet for through her experiences with ARW. As Marketing Chair, her goal is to connect and communicate all the exciting developments in worship, recreation, and the arts, both within and beyond the ARW community. She believes that adaptive change is essential for our churches and worship communities and is grateful to the re:create community for being willing to embrace new ideas.
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Playology
Ginny Harville Baker is a Christian education consultant, retreat leader, and leisure ministry enthusiast. She loves to help people of all ages find joy and faith connections through play, dance, and arts and crafts. She is currently a part-time Uber driver and caregiver for her mother. Ginny and her husband, Darryl serve churches through By Design Ministries, their joint consulting and workshop ministry. Ginny loves any opportunity to spend time with grandson, Owen, and she enjoys reading, crocheting, crafts, going to Montreat, and watching a variety of sports – especially the Green Bay Packers1
Montreat Liason
Carol Steele is Vice President for Program at Montreat Conference Center. As a preschooler she attended Family Conferences at Montreat, and later roller skated in Lingle Hall on the campus of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA. Later still she had epic homesickness at summer camp but finally decided that while she didn't enjoy attending camp, working there as a college student was quite nice. Now she's married to her fellow camp counselor Dwight Christenbury and they have two children who (they hope) are aspiring campers.
Treasurer
William Pender served over 40 years in pastorates in NC, FL, SC, and TN, with a M.Div from Columbia Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Duke University. In retirement, he and his wife Sheri live in Montreat, welcoming visits of children, grandchildren, family, and friends. He enthusiastically embraces art, recreation, and worship (ARW) as healthy and faithful expressions of a life well-led.
