Bill Golderer with his wife Julie
REV. BILL GOLDERER
Bill feels a powerful call to the ASPC congregation. He is confident that God has great things in store for the its future; he is convinced that through our worship and work, ASPC is to become a blessing to the neighborhood, the city and the larger world.
In addition to serving as Arch Street’s Pastor, Bill is the founding pastor and convener of the Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia. BSM is an innovative ministry that emphasizes hospitable outreach, civic involvement, and creative expression (see Faith in Action section for more on BSM).
Earlier, Bill served as the founding Director of the Center for Church Life at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City, where he was also a lecturer in Reformed theology at Union Theological Seminary. Prior to his work in New York, Bill served as Associate Pastor for Youth, Young Adult and Public Church Ministry at the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. His time there was spent integrating the Gospel with the demands of everyday life through fellowship, advocacy/outreach programs, public forums, and discernment exercises. While serving in Chicago, Bill helped to found a national network of Presbyterian clergy under the age of 40, called The 7 Percent. The group takes its name from the statistic that only 7 percent of clergy currently serving the Presbyterian Church U.S.A are under the age of 40. To learn more about the ministry of Fourth Church, visit www.fourthchurch.org. To learn more about The 7 Percent, visit www.bmbweb.com/sevenpercent/. Bill was also the Founding Director for Religious Outreach for The Interfaith Alliance in Washington D.C. This membership organization that has grown to over 150,000 members to promote interfaith cooperation around shared American values of civic participation, freedom of religion, diversity, and civility in public discourse and to encourage the active involvement of people of faith in the nation’s political life. www.theinterfaithalliance.org.
Bill’s energies away from ministry are devoted to home renovation with his wife, Julie, maniacally listening to sports radio, marveling at the wonder that are his sons, Sebastian and Deacon.
REV. BECKY WHITE NEWGREN
Minister for Community Life
becky@archstreetpres.org
As the Minister for Community Life at ASPC, Becky wants you to know there is a place were you can come to feel loved and valued as a child of God. It’s so easy to live our lives anonymously, but doing life with a community is very rewarding (and challenging) and rewarding. With an eye out for kids in Center City, Becky looks to foster an open environment for families to support one another as we learn to live as faithful citizens of this world and teach our children to do the same. Becky lives in the city with partner Andy, four-year old daughter Anneke, and baby Nora.
Becky White Newgren was raised in Bloomington, Illinois and attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. She spent a few years doing youth ministry mostly in Michigan before pursuing a theological education at Princeton Seminary. Ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she served for two years at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr, PA. Though initially drawn to the church at a young age because the games were fun and the boys cute, Becky remains committed to ministry because she believes God enlivens our lives and spurs us to live deeply in community with all people.
REV. MIKE PULSIFER
Pastor for Executive Leadership
Mike Pulsifer is in his 4th decade of service as a pastor. He grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and attended Westminster College, in Fulton, Missouri and Princeton Theological Seminary. Mike has served churches in a rural county seat town in Oklahoma, in a college community in Iowa, in an urban setting in southern California, in a suburban community in northern New Jersey, and another suburban Presbyterian Church in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Mike and his wife, Marion, live in Center City. They have two married sons and four grandchildren also living in the Philadelphia area.
J. DONALD DUMPSON
Minister of Music and The Arts
jddumpson@aol.com
J. Donald Dumpson was raised in Philadelphia, PA and is working on his Ph.D. in Music Education at Temple University. He has been involved in music ministry for over 40 years. His most recent post was 25 years at the Bright Hope Baptist Church. He is the founding director of the Westminster Choir College Jubilee Singers in Princeton, NJ. Donald presents sacred music presentations around the world and is also known for the special events he produces via his company J. Donald Dumpson Productions. He has collaborated with the Philadelphia Orchestra; New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, served as musical director for several television specials and have worked with artists from Patti LaBelle to Denyce Graves. At ASPC, he serves as Minister for Music and Arts.
REV. SUDIE NIESEN THOMPSON
Pastoral Associate
Sudie@archstreetpres.org
Sudie Niesen Thompson was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. A cradle Presbyterian, she grew up in a family who made “church” a priority. Sudie was confirmed at Glendale Presbyterian Church, where she was ordained as a Deacon during high school. Sudie attended Miami University (Ohio), where she studied Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Dramatic and Literary Art as Facilitators of Social Change. In 2008-2009 Sudie served as a PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer in South India; there she taught English and tutored children in the Dalit (‘Untouchable’) community. Upon her return from India, Sudie enrolled at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
VICTOR COUCH
Sexton
Victor Couch is the go-to-man around ASPC. He brings humor and hard-work to the Arch Street Staff. Victor Couch was born in Delaware, and grew-up in Queens New York. As a proud New Yorker his sports teams are the New York Giants, the New York Mets, and the New York Jets. Victor loves working at Arch Street because of the unique and wonderful people who work at Arch Street, and in the congregation. Victor also loves helping out at the preschool because the strong personalities of the preschoolers always makes him laugh.
JOSEPHINE KABAMBI
Director of Children’s Ministry
josephine.kabambi@alum.wellesley.edu
Joséphine “Josie” Kabambi grew up in South Dakota and graduated from Wellesley College in 2011 with a B.A. in Biological Chemistry and Peace and Justice Studies. Growing up, Josie had the opportunity to attend churches of various sizes and denominations which exposed her to creative and engaging ways to do children’s ministry. Josie is an ordained elder in our denomination and is currently working for Woman Organized Against Rape. Josie is excited to join Arch Street Presbyterian Church as the Director of Children’s
FEMI N. JORDON
Manager of Operations
femi@archstreetpres.org
Femi has a strong call to help others. She has a Master of Social Work degree and over 14 years of experience as a Social Worker. Femi comes to Arch Street with a desire to serve and help the church grow. She spends her spare time pursuing business interests.
HOLLY
Children’s Room Coordinator
Holly grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and now lives with her very soon- to-be husband Ben, in the city. She is currently obtaining a degree from Temple University in American History. Holly has worked for over 15 years in public libraries throughout Bucks and Montgomery Counties working as a Children’s and Youth Service’s Librarian . Holly loves to spend time outdoors in nature: hiking, backpacking and camping. She also has many hobbies including, jewelry making, scrapbooking, gardening and of course reading. Holly’s Books for Ghana is a special project she is interested in that supplies books for the African Library Project to build Libraries for children in some of the most poverty stricken parts of Africa. Holly especially loves to share her passions with children, and is excited to become a new member of the Arch Street Presbyterian Church community.