Rev. Brenna Dykman has been designated by Session to serve as our Bridge Pastor until an Interim Pastor is appointed. Rev. Dykman normally serves as the Associate Pastor for mission and outreach but is excited to fill in as the acting head of staff and help with this time of transition.

Education:

She received her Bachelor of Science at Portland State, and her Master’s degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary in Divinity, Christian Education, and Theology & Philosophy. She is currently working on her Doctorate of Ministry in Christian Spirituality.

Brenna’s Favorites:

Favorite thing about Portland: Forrest Park and all the trails to explore right in the city!

Favorite hobbies: Traveling, hiking, doing most things outdoors, reading, podcasts, and more!

Favorite Portland restaurant: How can you have a favorite restaurant in Portland when there are too many good ones to choose from?

Rev. Spencer Parks is the Executive Director of Menucha Retreat and Conference Center, located in the Columbia River Gorge, and serves as an Associate Pastor here at First Pres.

Education:​

He earned a BA in History from St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and his D. Min. from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia.

​Family:

​Wife (Sarah), Son (Christopher), Daughter (Jessica). Kids are grown and live in Tennessee and Oregon.

Spencer’s favorites:

• Favorite thing about Portland: I like the eclectic nature of the city. It has been nice to live in a place with such rich diversity.

• Favorite books to read: I’ve been a long-time fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy, but I also enjoy several other genres. I especially love to read cookbooks.

• Favorite hobbies: Woodworking (I especially like woodturning), cooking (I’m a BBQ fanatic (please note that BBQ is a noun, not a verb)), and reading.

• Favorite Portland restaurant: This is another thing I love about the Portland area. There are way too many good restaurants from which to choose. Among the top (at least this week) would be Jake’s (the original), Higgins, and Bryant St. Station.

Rev. Carmen Goetschius coordinates the Children’s Ministry program, helps in pastoral care, and leads in worship.

Education:

She has a BA in Political Science and Drama from the University of Washington and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. She has led educational trips to the Holy Lands and to Greece and Turkey.  She values a global perspective on Christian faith and has a particular passion for the continent of Africa, which she developed following a year of service in Zambia in 2007 and 2008.

Family:

Carmen’s husband, Rev. Clark Scalera, is the Presbyter for the Presbytery of the Cascades. They have two daughters.

Carmen’s favorites:

• Favorite thing about Portland: The nearness of family, spectacular greenspace, and long summer days spent in local parks.

• Favorite books to read: A collection of poems by Billy Collins or a long novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Sherman Alexie.

• Favorite hobbies: Backpacking in the Southwest, exploring new hiking trails in Oregon, and photographing her family and the world around her.

• Favorite Portland restaurant: Eager for recommendations!

Rev. David Dornack joined our staff in 2021 after he retired from serving more than 20 years at Rose City Park Presbyterian in Portland. Previously, he has served churches in Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.

He has a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, and did his M.Div. at Louisville Seminary, with additional study at McCormick Seminary. He has served as Co-moderator of the General Assembly Committee on Justice for Women, and in the Presbytery of the Cascades as chair of the Commission on Ministry.

Dave serves as a part-time parish associate at our church. His ministry involves pastoral care, visitation, assisting in worship, and acting as a pastoral liaison to the church’s Deacons. He brings a caring heart to his ministry with our congregation.

Greg works closely with the clergy and staff of FPC to provide opportunities for spiritual growth for the congregation. More specifically, he assists in planning worship services, prepares members of the music ministry to lead music for worship, and of course, plays the organ/piano and leads the choirs. He does this all for the glory of God, and in service to God’s people…and loves it!

Education:

Greg has a Master’s degree in Organ Performance (2002), and Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance (1999), both from Indiana University Bloomington. He also earned the “Associate” certification (AAGO) from the American Guild of Organists in 2004.

Family:

Greg has an amazing wife (Leah), two amazing parents (Eli and Mary Jean) in Gainesville, FL; an older brother in FL (Drew), an older sister in GA (Amy),  and a clowder of kitty-cats.​