Our Staff

To contact a staff member

of the Presbytery of New Hope, call (919) 322-0143 and refer to the staff member’s phone extension below. Staff work remotely on Fridays from 8:30 AM-12 PM and the office building is closed. Staff can be reached by email or phone. Refer to the Contact Us page for our complete office hours.

Rev. Dr. Bruce Grady

Executive Presbyter

As Executive Presbyter, Bruce serves as: chief executive to the Presbytery; head of staff; pastor to and on behalf of the Presbytery; and Presbytery’s representative at all Council levels.

NC State University (BS), Duke Divinity School (MDiv), Princeton Theological Seminary (ThM), Columbia University (EdD)

Bruce brings over 26 years of experience as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA). In the public sector, he has practiced management, leadership and strategic planning as a university vice president, dean, associate professor, academic program director, major gifts officer and government liaison.

Bruce enjoys music, theater, and physical fitness. He is happily married to his best friend, Michele, and they have two lovely children- Isaiah and Alexa.

Rev. Ed Johnson

Stated Clerk

The Stated Clerk is the ecclesiastical officer of the Presbytery under the provisions of the Book of Order; serving as parliamentarian of presbytery, the interpreter of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the official correspondent of the presbytery.

M.Div. – Union Presbyterian Seminary, Charlotte; Master of Landscape Architecture, NC State Univ.

Ed has served as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in several churches in our Presbytery, including Pinetops, Western Blvd, and White Memorial in Willow Spring.

Ed is a Horticulturist and a Landscape Architect and enjoys all kinds of music, design and being with family. He also enjoys riding his bike, especially at the beach. He is married to Kathy Johnson and they have three grown children.

Christine Kelson

Office Manager

Christine works with the executive presbyter, stated clerk, and key committees to further the work and mission of the presbytery and PC(USA).

BA Psychology

Forty years as an office manager/business administrator, including 20 years serving the PC(USA).

Christine volunteers with wildlife rescue organization CLAWS (Creative Learning about Wildlife Species). She enjoys working with hawks, falcons, owls, kestrels, and vultures to educate the public about these majestic and beautiful birds of prey.

Rev. Katie Cashwell

Temporary Associate Presbyter for Small Churches & Technology

In this role Katie supports the relational ministry of the presbytery with its congregations, particularly with congregations with less than 100 members. She does this by building networks among small churches. She also equips New Worshiping Communities in their growth and development. In the area of digital ministry, Katie coordinates and implements technology to support and extend the ministry and mission of the presbytery and its churches.

Katie is a graduate of Davidson College (B.A.) and Union Presbyterian Seminary (M.Div.).

Katie has served churches in Annapolis, Maryland and Washington, D.C. and spent several years managing conferences at the Montreat Conference Center where she welcomed hundreds of congregations, of all stripes and sizes, from across the PCUSA.

She lives in Raleigh, N.C. with her husband, two young sons and a barky dog. Katie enjoys road trips with her husband Sean, reading fiction, birding, and spending as much time outdoors as possible.

Amber Zapffel

Temporary Financial Administrator

Responsible for all financial and accounting tasks for The Presbytery of New Hope.

Assist churches with any financial questions they may have. Responsible for all financial and accounting tasks for The Presbytery of New Hope. Assist churches with any financial questions they may have.

University of West Florida, B.S.

Amber has served as a Business and Financial Administrator in a variety of church and small business settings over the last eleven years, including First Presbyterian Church in New Bern.

Amber has too many pets! The small town she lives in has many strays and she has helped many of them find homes. She has lived across the US, from Florida to Washington (Seattle) and now North Carolina. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and traveling.

Shauna Villela

Office Administrator

Shauna is the first face that visitors see upon arrival to the Presbytery Office. In addition to greeting visitors, within the office Shauna manages the mail, office supplies and equipment, staff travel, the e-news layout, and database management. She provides administrative support to the presbytery’s networks, grant management, and logistics of the presbytery’s continuing education events.

Bachelor’s degree in human resource management

Shauna has 12 years of administrative and human resource experience and has worked in a variety of office settings, providing administrative support.

Shauna enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering for Wake County Schools in her free time. Shauna and her husband are North Carolina natives and together they have a daughter who plays volleyball and a son who plays soccer.