Profiles of
Our Pastors and Staff
Dr. Thomas M. Pipkin, Senior
Pastor
Tom Pipkin is now in his tenth year as Senior Pastor
of Clairmont Presbyterian Church. Tom and his wife, Dawn
arrived here in 1998 with their two sons, Luke and Joshua.
As a family they have engaged in ministry in many forms.
From 1993-1998 Tom was the Associate Pastor at Westminster
Presbyterian Church in Gwinnett County. He served as youth
minister and worship assistant at Presbyterian Church of
the Redeemer during his Seminary years and before that he
was an Area Director for Young Life, a non-denominational
outreach ministry to teenagers, for eight years in Florida.
In January 2005, Tom, Dawn, and the boys traveled to China
to bring home their new daughter and sister, Hope. And so,
the family begins yet another adventure, together.
Tom grew up in Colorado and loves the outdoors and outdoor
sports. Tom is a skier, a backpacker, and has been known
to rappel off of sheer rock cliffs from time to time. Since
he has adjusted to life in the Southeast, Tom has taken
a liking to water sports and beach fun as well. While he
enjoys playing the guitar, he would never call himself a
musician. Tom holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia
Theological Seminary with an emphasis on the relationship
between the Gospel and Culture.
Tom and Dawn see their ministry as a team effort and seek
to live out their faith in a variety of ways as God has
called them to serve Clairmont. Dawn is currently spending
more time at home with their new daughter, but hopes to
continue to help lead music at First Light as well as working
in our children's ministry and with a women's small group.
Tom preaches at most of our worship services as well as
being our head of staff working closely with the staff and
Session of the church to ensure that we are keeping the
"main thing" the main thing. Tom has a passion
for leading a church that sees itself as mission community
where we do indeed discover "real life" together.
You can reach Tom by calling him at 404-634-3355, or by
email.
Rev. Ron Hieber, Interim Associate Pastor
Greetings to all of our past friends and hello to the many
new faces we look forward to recognizing in the near future!
Weather these five years seem too long or too short …we
have returned. This is our second visit at Clairmont and
our eighth Presbyterian church in greater Atlanta area in
the past twenty-seven years. For us this is like returning
home. Fran stays busy with her two home based business’
, Tyler is twenty-one and lives and works downtown. Wesley
is eighteen and is a junior at Fork Union Military Academy
in Virginia; and Fran takes very good care of her three
boys! We all are excited and expectant in return visit.
We ask for your prayers and support. We need both as we
arrive. May our Heavenly Father give us opportunities to
create and renew our friendships and ministries. To that
we look forward.
Megan Filston Johnson,
Associate Pastor
Megan Johnson grew up in Durham, North Carolina where
she attended Durham Academy and Salem Academy. Upon graduating
from High School, Megan attended Furman University where
she majored in Religious Studies and served as a Young Life
leader in a local high school. After graduating from Furman,
Megan attended the Candler School of Theology at Emory University
where she earned a Master of Theological Studies. Upon graduation,
she worked at the Webb School of Knoxville in Knoxville,
Tennessee as a high school teacher; she also coached the
field hockey and swim teams. In the summer of 1996, while
traveling in the Middle East on a grant from the Webb School
to develop the curricula for her World Religions and World
History courses, Megan met her husband, Eric. They married
in Tennessee two years later. After their wedding, Megan
and Eric moved to the Washington, DC area where Eric worked
as an attorney at both a private law firm and eventually
at the non-profit organization, World Vision; Megan served
as the Executive Director of the National Center for Leadership,
training recent college graduates in Leadership Skills for
the Marketplace. Eventually she resigned that position in
order to enroll as a part-time student (full-time Mom) in
seminary. Megan was graduated in May of 2007 from Wesley
Theological Seminary in Washington, DC with a Master of
Divinity. Megan and her husband, Eric, and their two sons,
Scott (7) and Phinehas (3) moved to Decatur from Silver
Spring, Maryland (a suburb of Washington, DC) in September
of 2005 when Eric accepted a position as Associate General
Counsel for CARE, an international relief and development
organization headquartered in Atlanta. The daughter and
sister of Presbyterian ministers, Megan has been a life-long
Presbyterian and actively involved in youth ministry and
adult education in the various churches of which she was
a member. She will be ordained on January 13, 2008 at Clairmont
Presbyterian Church. She serves Clairmont in many areas,
but specifically Evangelism, Small Groups, and Women's Ministry.
Michael L. Strain, Director
of Music and the Arts
Mike became the Director of Music and the Arts at Clairmont
Presbyterian Church in October of 1999. Prior to his call
to Clairmont, Mike served as Minister of Music at Noroton
Presbyterian Church in Darien, Connecticut for 10 years.
Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Mike served was first
organist, then Director of Music at Westwood First Presbyterian
Church in Cincinnati for 14 years. He holds a Bachelor of
Music degree in Organ and a Master of Music degree in Choral
Conducting, both from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory
of Music. Choirs under Mike’s leadership have been featured
in performances at Carnegie Hall, on church concert series,
and at regional and national workshops on church music,
worship, and choral conducting.
Mike is an active member of the Presbyterian Association
of Musicians, the American Choral Directors Association,
the Choristers Guild, and Chorus America. Mike resides in
Lilburn with his wife, Cathy, and their daughter, Rachel.
William H. Spinks, Jr., Church
Administrator
A native of western Kentucky, Bill earned a bachelor of
science in civil engineering at the University of Louisville.
He was then commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy where
he served as a Radar Intercept Officer in carrier-based
fighters.
Following active service in the Navy, Bill has worked as
an executive recruiter, commercial insurance account executive,
and a consultant to small businesses, including his own
wholesale foods distribution. He earned an MBA at
Georgia State University, graduating with a concentration
in finance in 1995. Since coming to Clairmont, Bill has
become accredited as a Fellow of Church Business Administration
by the National Association of Church Business Administration.
Bill attended the Candler School of Theology of Emory University
to earn this credential.
Bill is married to Elaine Justice, a native of Virginia
and an Assistant Director of media relations at Emory University.
They have a daughter, Virginia, and are members of Briarcliff
Baptist Church.
Debbie Palmore, Activities
Director
Debbie Palmore, Activities Director Debra Miller-Palmore
joined our staff on August 2, 2004. She is originally from
New York City and comes to us with a great depth of experience
in education and professional sports. Debbie is an Olympic
athlete and a Collegiate All-American, cum laude graduate
of Boston University. In addition to many years of experience
as an educator, Debbie has been a corporate sales trainer,
a GM of a professional sports team, a TV color commentator,
a radio talk show host, a dynamic motivational speaker and
a professional athlete. Debbie is also the president of
Top of the Key Inc., which provides camps, clinics and training
for individuals, coaches, teams, churches and other youth
organizations. You can learn more about Debbie by visiting
her website, http://www.topofthekey.org.
Debbie lives with her family in Stone Mountain.
Nate Perry, Director of Youth Ministry
Nate was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Michigan.
At the age of four he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal
Lord and Savior! At the age of ten he moved to Greenville,
SC, and met the girl of his dreams! That’s right;
he met Molly (his wife) at the age of ten! Nate graduated
from Hillcrest High School in 1999 and took a position as
regional manager of his dad’s company. He ran three
of his Subway restaurants for three years. Nate then felt
led to become involved in ministry at his church. He absolutely
loved it and felt God wanted him serving full time. Soon
after, he applied and was accepted to Philadelphia Biblical
University. Shortly after his move to PA, Molly (who had
recently graduated from Clemson) decided she didn’t
want him that far away and she moved to New Jersey to be
closer. Nate attended PBU for three years and rather than
sticking around for his last two courses and another semester
he and Molly moved back in with their parents to save money
and plan their wedding! They got married on January 14,
2006 and honeymooned in the Bahamas. Upon returning and
in limbo of a permanent address, they moved in with Nate’s
newlywed sister and her husband for two weeks. Nate’s
parents are happily married (28 years) and he has an older
brother and two younger sisters: Nick (26), Renee (23),
and Dana (21).
Nate loves to play and watch all sports! He played four
years of soccer in high school and played two years of college
basketball at PBU. While at PBU he interned with a nearby
church, Grace Point, and while in South Carolina he interned
with his home church, Christ Community Church. Both of these
internships were very rewarding and he grew and learned
so much. Now, Nate is here!! He feels that the youth at
Clairmont are awesome and can tell they are on fire for
Christ and he is so eager to get to know, encourage, and
challenge them. Nate and Molly are so very excited to be
involved with the youth, parents, CPC church family, and
community of Decatur. Psalm 34:3 - O magnify the LORD
with me, And let us exalt His name together.
Barbara Powers, Director of Preschool/Kindergarten
and Children's Ministry
Barbara is a graduate of the University of North Carolina,
Greensboro with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She
has been director of the Pre-School/Kindergarten at Clairmont
since 1984 and became the Director of Children's Ministry
in June of 1999.
Barbara has been married to Chuck for 27 years. They have
three children, Brian, Brad, and Amanda.
Besides working with children, Barbara enjoys singing in
the choir and playing the piano and violin.
Timothy Shepard, Associate Director of Music and
Organist
Tim received his Bachelor's Degree in Church Music (Organ
major) from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ and
his Master's Degree in Sacred Music (Choral Conducting major)
from Emory University, Atlanta, GA. In the fifteen years
between Princeton and Atlanta, Tim served churches in Camden,
SC and Summerville, SC. He is a composer and arranger of
choral, handbell, keyboard and congregational music for
Churches. Several of his handbell pieces have been published
and have been performed and recorded by handbell choirs
throughout the handbell world. He has been a handbell clinician
at numerous denominational music conferences and for AGEHR
regional Festivals. Mr. Shepard also was a presenter / keynote
speaker where he advocated the idea of "church musicians
as teachers" for the SC Episcopal Church Musicians Conference
at Seabrook Island, SC. As conducted the SC premier of Gian
Carlo Menotti's Children's Opera, "The Boy Who Grew Too
Fast", a production in which Menotti himself directed. He
is an elected member of the Worship Committee for the Greater
Atlanta Presbytery. Tim also has a keen interest in computer
technologies and the Internet. He is the webmaster for www.AGOAtlanta.org
and www.AtlantaConcertRingers.org
(both of which he is a member); for www.AzaleaCircle.com
(an Internet music publishing company, which he founded);
and www.RayLenVineyards.com
(the fruit of which he occasionally enjoys). Timothy Shepard
endeavors to compose, teach, learn, write, practice and
'make music for our Lord to hear.'
Danielle
Wilson, Administrative
Assistant
Danielle
was born and raised in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Danielle has lived in Georgia since 1997. She is currently
working on her undergraduate degree in English, with her
eye on a career in real estate law. Her future goals include
owning a corporate firm that assists low- to moderate-income
families qualify for a home. Danielle’s professional experience
includes working as a volunteer administrative assistant
at Trinity Community Ministries, a nonprofit that serves
people who are homeless in downtown Atlanta, a communications
secretary at Holy Trinity Parish, and an administrative
assistant at St. Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church.
Her family in Georgia includes her mother, Dianne and sister,
Nia.
Linda Massey, Director
of Publications
Linda has been a member of Clairmont since 1982. She earned
her degree in Commercial Art in 1993 and began working at
Clairmont in 1995. Linda is responsible for all major publications,
for the weekly bulletins and newsletter, and for special
publications, flyers, brochures, posters, newspaper/magazine
ads, banners, and maintains the Clairmont Website. In addition,
she prints and folds all the publications produced. Linda
designs logos and produces peripheral material for special
events as needed for all Ministries. She acts as social
director for staff functions.
Linda has two girls, Kristine and Laurie. Kristine received
her Masters Degree in 2003 at Stephen F. Austin University
and is the Environmental Education Curator at the Natural
Museum in Tucson, AZ. Laurie is graduate of the University
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Oglethorpe University
where she earned her graduate degree in Elementary Education.
She married Ryan Jensen on June 2, and is living in Austin,
TX. Laurie is teaching first grade a private Presbyterian
School and Ryan is in his third year at the Austin Seminary.
Linda now lives in Lilburn and enjoys yard work, water
sports, golf, painting, and camping.
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