Staff
Pastoral Staff
The Reverend Dr. Brent James Eelman
Brent was born and raised in Central New Jersey. His
father was pastor of Bethel Reformed Church in Passaic, New Jersey
and later a professor of preaching at Brunswick Theological
Seminary. Brent graduated from Albright College in Reading,
PA, and from Princeton Theological Seminary. He also holds a
Doctor of Ministry from Graduate Theological Foundation, South
Bend, Indiana.
Brent has continued his studies as a three year participant in
the Pastor-Theologian program developed by the Center for
Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey (www.ctinquiry.org).
Brent also participated in the Oxford Round Table (www.oxfordroundtable.com)
reading a paper on religion and science education in the United
States. He has had over 25 sermons published by
GoodPreacher.com, an online subscription preaching resource for
pastors.
Brent was ordained as a pastor in 1976 and has served
congregations in Missouri, Wisconsin, New York and Texas before
coming to Abington. He has held many different positions
within the judicatories of the church. He was recently
elected as the Vice-Moderator of the Presbytery of
Philadelphia.
Brent's primary academic focus continues to be Church and
Society. His most recent studies involve film and narrative
literature as a vehicle for communicating and understanding
theological themes.
Brent is married to Karen, an elementary school teacher at The
Shipley School in Bryn Mawr. They have an adult daughter,
Emily, who lives in Washington D.C. In his spare time
he enjoys reading, writing, "puttering" at his mountain home, and
fly-fishing. Brent loves all types of music and plays jazz
guitar. Brent keeps a blog of his sermons and other writings
at http://revjazz.blogspot.com/.
The Reverend Jack Norrie, HR
Older Adult Ministries
jnorrie@apcusa.org
In May of 2009 Jack Norrie retired as Senior Pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church in Springfield, also known as Flourtown
Presbyterian Church. He served at Flourtown for over 15 years,
having previously served as solo pastor in Long Branch, N.J. and
Sr. Pastor in Plainfield, N.J. He also worked several years
for the General Assembly helping to raise funds for the
denomination.
Jack's ministry here is primarily to Older Adults. His
call as Parish Associate is for 20 hours per week, and he spends a
good deal of my time visiting in the hospitals, nursing homes and
retirement communities. He relates to the
Congregational Life Council of Session and to the Older Adult
Ministry Committee. He will also be spending some time working with
the Deacons, especially as the Deacons work with the older members
of the church.
Jack is a Bostonian by birth (read" he cheers for the Red Sox,
Celtics, and Bruins). He and Jeanne have been married 38
years and have two grown children. Their Son Doug is married and
teaches elementary school in New Jersey. Doug's wife Sabrina works
for the United Way. Their daughter Kathryn, an RN is married and
she and her husband Casey, a banker, live in Flourtown. They have a
one year old boy, Jackson, (Jack's first grandchild).
Jack attended Muskingum College, Boston University and Oneonta
State University, and received a M.Div from Princeton Seminary. He
has done graduate work at Oxford Univ. England, and at St. Andrews
Univ., Scotland. Prior to ministry he served in the Navy and as an
Asst. Vice President for a savings and loan in Washington, D.C.
The Reverend Christine Bruce
Parish Associate
Christie was born in Texas, but raised in Philadelphia, in a
family whose spiritual roots drew from Presbyterian, Quaker, and
Southern Baptist traditions, and whose regular practice was to
offer hospitality to everyone, most notably to visitors from around
the world. Christie received a B.A. in music from Vassar College
and a Master of Creative Arts in Therapy from Hahnemann Medical
College in Philadelphia. Continuing her spiritual journey, Christie
went through the Jewish Agency to study and work for a year on a
Kibbutz near Hiafa, Israel, then returning to Washington, D.C. area
as a music therapist. She was active in ministries to youth and the
homeless through the Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church.
Recognizing Christie's call to ordained ministry, the Warner Church
sent her under care to Grodon-Conwell Theological Seminary in MA
where she completed her M.Div. in 1985 and met her future husband.
Christie was ordained by the Presbytery of Philadelphia in July,
1985 as Minister of Visitation and Evangelism at the Suplee
Presbyterian Church. Christie is a licensed Marriage and
Family Therapist.
Christie is married to Rick Bruce, (an Elder at APC) and they are
parents to three sons: Chris, Josh, and WIlliam.
Program Staff
John Sall jsall@apcusa.org
Director of Music Ministries bio
G. Stanley Powell
Minister of Music, Emeritus
Ethel Geist egeist@apcusa.org
Organist bio
Ruth Ideen Sall ruth.sall@apcusa.org
Director of Children's Choirs
Gary Koch gkoch@apcusa.org
Operations Manager
Support Staff
Anne O'Shea aoshea@apcusa.org
Book keeper
Yola Stuliglowa ystuliglowa@apcusa.org
Secretary
Jean Deans jdeans@apcusa.org
Secretary
Ed Ambrose
Custodian
Tom Owens
Custodian
Nelson Yeardley
Night custodian