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Dr. Barksdale Pullen
Pastor
Barksdale Pullen is originally from Hattiesburg, MS and his wife Bo is from Amory, MS. They have three grown children, one grandchild, and a beagle. His son Bob is a High School math teacher in Jacksonville, FL, and daughter Katie is married and is a missionary in Nicaragua, and daughter Maddie is married and works as a Manager in a Bridal Shoppe in West Palm, FL.
Barksdale and Bo met and married while at the University of Mississippi, and then attended Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA where he received his M.Div. and then later, he received his PhD from Trinity International University in Chicago, IL.
He has served at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN; The Kirk of the Hills in St. Louis, MO; and at Wildwood Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, FL. He came to First Presbyterian Church in Janurary 2020. He enjoys archery, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and some of his favorite authors are
RC Sproul, Ed Stetzer and Tim Keller.
Debbie joins us from Atlanta where she worked for 19 years at Ivy Creek Presbyterian Church (PCA). She is originally from Eau Claire, WI and has worked as a financial administrator as well as a church administrator. Her husband Pete and she have two children, Erik and his wife Stephanie and Kristi and her husband Chris. They also are the proud grandparents of Scotlyn, Jack, Lilia and June. Debbie was a voice major in college and loves to sing. She is a member of Key Chorale and the Key Chorale Chamber Singers in Sarasota. In Atlanta she sang with The Michael O'Neal Singers.
Debbie has sung in her church choirs wherever God has called her to live.
Debbie Rostad
Office Manager
Denny Ausman
Organist
Born in Wisconsin, I attended the Univ of Wi-Eau Claire, majoring in Choral Education, and later graduating from Garret-Evangelical Theological Seminary, located in Evanston, IL with a Master of Arts in Music Ministry in 2006, having been ordained in the United Methodist Church in Minnesota, in 2005. My wife is from Princes Town, Trinidad, and three sons and their families are in Fort Myers. FL, Milwaukee, WI and Fort Hood, TX.
Having started in music and the church at a young age, my mother always sang in the church choir, father taught Sunday School, and my three brothers and two sisters all learned to eventually play piano; however, I started at age 6, teaching myself while the two older siblings took lessons, and at age 7, I was finally able to learn from the same teacher we all had. She was our church organist, and I didn't really learn to play the organ until in the 1990's, first playing for others at my Mother's funeral at our hometown church. Wanting to teach young people to enjoy music, I began teaching Kindermusik for newborns-7 years of age in 1992 and continuing until 2014.
Having been appointed to the Port Charlotte United Methodist Church in 2006, I moved from Minneapolis, MN as my three sons were attending the University of FL at Gainesville, FL. Since then I have served also in churches in Fort Myers, Fl. I spend time substitute teaching in Charlotte County, like riding bicycle, playing piano, reading, walking, and helping my wife care for our two dogs - a Shih Tzu and a Chihuahua. Both my wife and I have been Stephen Ministers and believe strongly in the power of prayer and the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives.
Gail moved here in 1997 from Montgomery, IL and joined the church in that same year. She has been a volunteer office assistant since September of 2002. Gail has 4 children, 16 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and 7 great, great-grandchildren. She enjoys reading, designing posters, etc. on the computer, and helping others when needed.
Gail Thornton
Secretary/Treasurer
Email first@fpcpunta.org