Simply click on name to send email to staff member or feel free to call the church office at 703-549-6670, individual extension numbers are listed beside name.
Robert R. Laha, Jr., D.Min., Th.M., Ph.D., was born and raised in Kentucky where he was active in church and community affairs. As a child of the church, he felt the first stirring of a call to ministry in his high school years leading him to a church related college in Tennessee. While in college he began doing youth work in local churches, which led to a full time job after graduation. That work confirmed his sense of call and led him to undertake a theological education at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia as a Bridges Scholar. He engaged in additional graduate work both at UTS and at Oxford University where he was named an Oxford Foundation Fellow. He maintains a keen interest in preaching, teaching, social justice work, and the promotion of ecumenical and inter-faith work.
He has served churches in Tennessee, Virginia, and Louisiana and has served the larger church at every level including a stint on the General Assembly Council and its Executive Committee. He currently serves on the Council of National Capitol Presbytery. He is the author of a commentary on Jeremiah and is working on additional manuscripts related to biblical interpretation.
For fun, he enjoys the theater, cooking, interior design, boating, golf, Harley riding and spoiling his grand-daughter! He is married to Sally, a first grade teacher and an ordained Elder in the church. Together, they have two grown children, Jenny, and Ben.
Ann Herlin came to the Meeting House in 2001, after receiving her Master of Divinity degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Prior to seminary, she taught first grade for two years in South Texas (as part of Teach for America), and then spent 16 months teaching English to elementary students in Costa Rica. She received her BA from Yale University in 1993.
In addition to her Meeting House responsibilities, Ann serves as a first-grade reading tutor at Lyles Crouch Elementary School, and as vice-chair of the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium. She is vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the Reformed Institute of Metropolitan Washington, and serves on the Immigrant Ministry Team of National Capital Presbytery. Outside of work, Ann enjoys reading, running, and otherwise being in the outdoors. In January of 2011, she and Terry Staley were married here at the Meeting House. They have one daughter, Leah Elizabeth Staley, born February 2, 2012. Ann is currently on maternity leave from the Meeting House.
The Rev. Dr. Joyce Ann Mercer joined the Meeting House staff as a part-time Parish Associate in April of 2008. The focus of her work here is on providing pastoral care to church members, with a particular emphasis on older members and the homebound. As time allows, she also helps train and support the Deacons, and helps with the worship and educational leadership of the church.
Dr. Mercer serves full-time as Professor of Practical Theology at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. She completed her Ph.D. at Emory University in 1997, focusing on issues of faith, gender, and violence in the lives of adolescent girls. She previously earned a D.Min. at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago; the Master of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut; the M.Div. from Yale Divinity School; and a B.A. in religious studies from the University of Virginia.
Before coming to Alexandria, she served on faculties at San Francisco Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union, and at Union Theological Seminary in the Philippines. She is the author of Welcoming Children: A Practical Theology of Childhood (Chalice Press, 2005), Lives to Offer: Accompanying Youth on Their Vocational Quests (co-authored with Dori Grinenko Baker, Pilgrim Press, 2007), and most recently, Girl Talk, God Talk: Why Faith Matters to Teenage Girls—and Their Parents (Jossey Bass, 2008). She also enjoys playing violin with the Irish Breakfast Band, and hiking in the mountains with her family.
Joyce worships at the Meeting House with her husband, the Rev. Dr. Larry Golemon and their three children, Micah, Andrew, and Sarah.
Linda Lanam received her B.S. and J.D. from Indiana University-Bloomington, and her M.T.S. with honors from Virginia Theological Seminary. Linda was a corporate attorney for more than 30 years before retiring to pursue her theological education. Since completing her studies at VTS in 2009, Linda has been a part-time employee of the Seminary in a number of different capacities. She manages the Seminary’s Writing Center and serves as a writing tutor, is a teaching assistant in Old Testament, coordinates the Oral Interpretation of Scripture and Liturgy program and is the administrator and editor of the self-study required of VTS as part of its accreditation by the Association of Theological Schools. At the Meeting House, Linda will work with the Deacons and assist the Senior Pastor with needs in areas of worship and education.
Priscilla Andre-Colton is our Director of Christian Education, with responsibilities for children and adults. Priscilla joined our staff in November, 2006. She previously served churches in Florida, North Carolina and Pittsburgh, PA. Priscilla earned her bachelor’s degree at Valparaiso University (Indiana) and her masters at the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (1979). She received her certification in 1981. Priscilla’s family includes her husband, Todd, two grown daughters, Caitlin and Erin. Caitlin serves as a Deacon at the Meeting House. She also has two precious little granddaughters.
Priscilla has served the church in many capacities. In Florida she chaired the Youth Council for Suwannee Presbytery, served on the Christian Education Committee for the Presbytery, chairing one term. In Pittsburgh Presbytery she served on the Equipping Ministry committee for six years, serving two years as chair and on the planning team for the annual teacher training event for eight years. She served both Pittsburgh Presbytery and Suwannee Presbytery as a curriculum advisor for several curricula. She has served on the Committee on Ministry, clearance team, in National Capital Presbytery since her arrival in November, 2006.
Since coming to Alexandria, Priscilla has served on the cabinet of East Region Association of Presbyterian Church Educators. In 2010 she was elected East Region representative to the national cabinet of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators.
Mary comes to us from Trinity Presbyterian Church in Herndon, where she served as Director of Youth Ministry from August 2009 to the present. In that job, Mary planned and led youth activities for grades 4 through 12. Those activities included weekly youth fellowship meetings, mission and service activities (including summer youth mission trips), retreats, fundraisers, Youth Sunday, Youth Advisory Committee meetings and special events. So, Mary brings a wealth of practical experience to the job. In addition, Mary is currently pursuing a Certificate in Youth Ministry, from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Mary was ordained as an Elder by her home church, The Presbyterian Church of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where she also served as a Youth Advisor and a member of the Chancel and Oratorio Choirs. She continued her church activities at Colgate University, where she received a B.A. in Art and Art History in 2007, with a minor in Environmental Studies. At the University Church, she was a Deacon and a Steward. (She also managed to run varsity track, serve on the Executive Board of her sorority - Kappa Alpha Theta - and participate in the "Swinging Gates" a cappella singing group.)
Following college, Mary visited Kenya, where, among other things, she used her artistic skills to design and execute a large-scale painting. She also organized a fundraiser for the local orphanage. Among other post-college jobs, Mary worked as the co-director of the overnight summer camping program of St. George's School, in Newport, Rhode Island, a program for the children of low-income families in the area.
Mary has utilized her award-winning artistic skills, and her great voice (and musical instrument-playing ability) to good advantage in working with youth. At Trinity, for example, she was the co-leader of "The Rock," a youth rock band that participated in the Youth Sunday activities and performed at services several other times throughout the year.
Mary combines her skills and experience with an enthusiasm and excitement for Youth Ministry that I'm sure you will find contagious. We are fortunate to have her with us.
Samuel Baker was born in the Midwest but raised in Miami, Florida. The church-musician seed was sown at an early age as he watched the organist finish the postlude each Sunday and yearned for the day his legs would be long enough to reach the pedals and begin organ lessons. He began playing church services at age eleven, continued organ and piano lessons and studied clarinet, conducting, and music theory through high school. He is a graduate of Drake University (Bachelor of Music) and Southern Methodist University (Master of Sacred Music) where his principal teachers included Carl Staplin, Hans Vigeland, Robert Anderson, Lloyd Pfautsch, and Jane Marshall.
Since moving to Washington, DC in 1986, he has held positions at the National Presbyterian Church, Church of the Epiphany (Episcopal), All Souls Episcopal Church and, since 2008, the Old Presbyterian Meeting House. His recordings include two discs as choral conductor and one as organ soloist. His performances have been broadcast over National Public Radio on Pipedreams, and he has been presented in recital at a national convention of the Organ Historical Society. He serves on the Board of Directors of the DC American Guild of Organists Foundation.
Sam has been partnered with organist and harpsichordist James Weaver for twenty-four years. In his spare time, Sam enjoys travel, architecture, cooking, and Felix, their German shorthaired pointer.
323 South Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 