Staff
Judy Edmonston, Church Secretary
I joined Pullen as part-time secretary in June 2008 and have enjoyed my new role tremendously. Thank you to all the staff, members, and volunteers who make Pullen a wonderful place.
My “elevator speech” background is shortish: I am a native of Wilmington, NC; a journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the mother of two super young people: Melissa and Michael. My husband Russ is a native of Washington, DC, a Guilford College graduate, and a FEMA employee. I live in Five Points with a stubborn cat named Murcielago (bat in Spanish) and am a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh. I love people, to knit, to read, and do all kinds of puzzles.
Pullen feels like home to me because of our many shared values, its strong sense of mission and outreach, and its search for the truth as we ourselves define and believe it. This is a place of great compassion for all and has a truly caring congregation of members and a staff who give of their time and resources generously. I’m proud to be a part.
Nancy E. Petty, Pastor
If we want to have all our bases covered before we act, nothing exciting will happen. But if we dare to take a few crazy risks, because God asks us to do so, many doors, which we didn’t even know existed, will be open to us. -Unknown
I often think about this quote when I am asked to reflect on my life journey, especially my journey with Pullen Church. While the risks I have taken in life have not always been intentional, I have been fortunate that most of them have opened exciting doors for me.
When I arrived at Pullen in 1992 I was 28 years old—a young minister ready to change the church. Over time, I learned that that process would work the other way—Pullen church would change me. While my time as a youth minister, first at Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh (1985-88) and then at St. John’s Baptist Church in Charlotte (1989-92), had somewhat prepared me for the challenges of ministry, nothing could have really prepared me for the exciting and meaningful journey I have had with the folks of Pullen church.
I started my ministry at Pullen as Minister of Christian Education, which gave me the opportunity to engage my love of learning and supporting others as they nurtured their spiritual life. My seminary training at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary prepared me well for this endeavor. As the needs of Pullen began to change in the mid-1990s the church decided to change my job title and responsibilities. I became the Associate Pastor with increased responsibilities in the areas of pastoral care and organizational/institutional support. Realizing that I could benefit from continuing education as I moved deeper into my new role, I began the Doctorate of Ministry program through McCormick Theological Seminary—a parish-based doctorate program. The work I did through that program opened new doors for my ministry. It was during that time that I realized that parish ministry was truly my calling and what gave my life meaning and purpose.
The craziest risk I have taken in ministry was saying yes to Jack McKinney’s invitation (and eventually Pullen’s invitation) to consider a co-pastor role at Pullen. While that process was spiritually and emotionally challenging, daily I offer my deepest gratitude for the invitation and the risk that Pullen took in saying yes to a new model for ministry.
Now, as I begin a new phase of my ministry with Pullen as senior pastor, I do so with excitement and hope that the risks we continue to take together will further God’s love and grace in the world.
Larry E. Schultz, Minister of Music
I began work at Pullen in 2001. As Pullen’s first full-time Minister of Music, I have enjoyed the opportunity of helping to provide an expansive church music ministry that engages all age groups in meaningful experiences through congregational, choral, and instrumental music.
At an early age I discovered an interest in and developed a focus for work in music ministry. The Baptist congregations of my childhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, nurtured that interest and led to my attending the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts at Oklahoma Baptist University. After the happy surprise of winning the high school division of a composition contest sponsored by Oklahoma Baptists, I decided to study music theory and composition at OBU and apply the skills of composition to my ministry in the church.
My wife, Cindy, and I met in the church music school of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, where we both received the Master of Church Music degree in 1989. After graduation and our wedding in the seminary chapel, we left Louisville to serve together in music ministry at the First Baptist Churches of Walterboro, and later, Greenwood, South Carolina.
Our two children, Ryan and Kelly, complete our family and bring us much joy. Some of our favorite times together include watching movies, playing games, and throwing a ball to our dog, Miki.
Gretchen Staebler, Financial and Publications Secretary
I have attended Pullen since 1994 and began serving as Financial Secretary in 2001. Publications Secretary (including website administration) was added to my position in 2008. Following many years of full-time mom-dom and prior to coming to work at Pullen, I had several jobs in the nonprofit sector and a brief gig as a school counselor following graduate school. What I have confirmed is that nonprofit work is my passion and working at Pullen is my dream job (maybe because I get to use both sides of my brain, analytical and creative).
I have one cat, two amazing adult children, one really special daughter-in-law, an excellent grandson, and a family of wonderful friends. I enjoy gardening, reading, solo camping, North Carolina and Pacific Northwest (my childhood home) mountains, journaling, writing, riding my scooter, and making art; along with anything else that captures my imagination at any given time.
I love Pullen church, and not much gives me more pleasure than the opportunity to work and serve in this community of incredible people.
Libby Stephens, Minister with Children and their Families
Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would be a minister. I grew up in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where I spent most of my time reading, playing in the school band and taking dance classes. I attended college at Marshall University (Go Herd!). My initial plans were to be a teacher, but by the time I graduated I was not sure what I wanted to do. After college, I was a full-time volunteer in Hamilton, Ontario for 1-1/2 years leading programs for inner-city children at a Mennonite outreach center and church. When I finished my term of service, I thought I would never do anything like that again. Never say never! Two years later, I surprised myself more than my family when I decided to go to seminary.
Even during my time at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond I shunned the idea of working in a church. My desire to work with children did become clear during that time, and I served my seminary internship in a Jewish preschool. I met my husband, Nathan, at seminary, and about a year after we were married, I surprised myself (again, more than him) when I announced that I wanted to start looking for a job working with children in a church. That job search led us to Raleigh and Pullen. I have been on staff since October 2000.
At Pullen, I am constantly learning something new and being challenged to look at things from different perspectives. I love getting to play and learn with the children of Pullen. They are the coolest kids!
The Pullen community is an integral part of my family’s life. My husband, Nathan jokes that as the son of a Baptist preacher he is well prepared to be a minister’s “wife.” He loves that Pullen is a place where lay people are fully involved in the ministries of the church.
In 2004 when our son, Henry, was born, the Pullen family surrounded Nathan and me with love and support and welcomed Henry with open arms. Henry truly feels at home here (maybe, a little too much).
When I am not at Pullen, I still spend most of my time reading (and dancing around the living room with Henry on occasion). My family loves to cook together (fajitas and homemade pizza are our specialties), go camping, work in our garden, have cook-outs, and watch movies on the shed in our backyard.
Cathy Tamsberg, Minister of Outreach and Adult Education
Being in full-time church ministry is my third career. Serving as staff to Pullen’s outreach ministries and adult education is my ideal job.
In high school, I felt called to be a teacher and coach, so I earned two degrees in physical education, one from UNC-Greensboro and one from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Following that path, I came to Raleigh in 1978 to serve as assistant women’s volleyball coach at N.C. State. I enjoyed the work, but exposure to poverty while on a church work team in rural Appalachia sent me down another path.
After pursuing a law degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, I began my second career as a legal aid lawyer in downtown Raleigh in 1986, providing civil legal assistance to low income residents. I understood my flavor of lawyering to be ministry and stayed with it for eleven years. During that time, I was a student as my clients taught me what it’s like to be poor in our community. I also became a member of Pullen Church during this period because of its commitment to social justice and its willingness to wrestle with hard issues.
As the years passed, I felt increasingly drawn to full-time ministry where I could be explicit about the connection between my concern for the poor and my faith. So at the age of 44, my career path took another turn that led me to Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. I relished my seminary experience as I studied in a diverse environment, worked in an inner-city church, and experienced the nation’s capital in all its shame and glory.
I returned to Raleigh and Pullen after graduation from Wesley, and was hired by the church in 2001. Since then, I have loved being a part of this wonderful faith community and our gifted staff. Because Pullen people are deeply committed to both learning and ministry beyond our walls, the job keeps me very busy. But I am inspired daily by the faithfulness of our staff and congregation as we try to join our efforts with what God is doing to bring justice and peace to our world.
I share my life with Felicia and Lizzy, a teenager, and our two cats, Brie the Magnificent and Annie the Bold. In my spare time, I like to garden, read, and return to the South Carolina beaches where my childhood heart is at home.
Norma Whitfield, Church Administrator
In July 2000, I began my work at Pullen as the Administrative Secretary. I thought this would be my “retirement” job but it became so much more. When the search for a new church administrator began in the fall of 2007, I felt a strong desire to serve Pullen in this role and I submitted my application for the position. Pullen members expressed their faith in me by electing me to this position in February 2008.
I became Church Administrator at an exciting and challenging time in Pullen’s history—the beginning of construction on an addition to the building. I believe I have been preparing for this role long before I arrived here—I have been a school social worker, a Salvation Army social worker, and I have served as administrative manager in a state-wide, nonprofit organization.
In addition to providing me with wonderful co-workers and friends, Pullen has given me something totally unexpected—a renewal of my love for music. I play French horn in the Pullen orchestra.
Richard is my husband and we enjoy working in our yard and making it a place that attracts all kinds of wildlife.