Pastors & Staff

Lewis was born and raised in Columbia, SC. He is a graduate of Davidson College and Union Presbyterian Seminary. He is married to Rev. Dr. Eleanor (Bunny) Alexander who is also a Union graduate, a PCUSA Pastor, and a Pastoral Counselor. Lewis served as Senior Pastor at Shandon Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC for fourteen years before being led to serve as Senior Pastor at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. Lewis served Second Presbyterian for fourteen years before he and Bunny retired to Black Mountain, NC in July of 2018. Lewis currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Montreat Conference Center and has served on the boards of both Union Presbyterian Seminary and Davidson College. Lewis and Bunny are actively engaged at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church. Lewis is often a guest preacher and serves on the capital campaign committee and Bunny is actively involved in a prison ministry. They are the parents of three grown children and have two grandchildren.

The Reverend Craig Foster was ordained in 2004 and joined the staff of First Pres in 2009. His work is focused in the area of Adult Education and Discipleship, including Sunday School classes, study groups, retreats, and other seasonal events, as well as with the Communications ministries of the church. Prior to joining First Pres, Craig served for over five years as the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Kingsport, TN, where he worked with education for children and adults, as well as missions and spiritual growth. A native of Greenville, SC, he holds a BA in Bible and Religion from King College, a Master of Divinity, a MA in Christian Education and a Master of Theology from Union-PSCE (now Union Presbyterian Seminary). He and his wife, Kellie, have three children, Jack, Sam and Robin.

Rev. Ansley Page grew up in the Carolinas and calls Orangeburg, SC her hometown. She is a graduate of Presbyterian College Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English and in psychology. In 1991, she received her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. After a pastoral internship at First Presbyterian Church, Ambler, PA, she was ordained at First Presbyterian, Spartanburg as Associate Pastor for Young Adults and Member Development in August 1992. During her nine years in that position, Ansley worked with young adults, visitors, new members, and adult education. Her delight was teaching, welcoming new comers, and connecting people to Christ through fellowship, pastoral care, and Bible study. Although she stepped out of her position in 2001 to focus on family, Ansley, her husband Ned, and their son Eli have remained active at First Presbyterian. Through the years since, Ansley has helped in various capacities with worship leadership, elementary, youth, and adult Sunday School teaching, VBS, and youth ministry. From 2010-2013, she served on staff as Pastoral Associate for Pastoral Care. Currently, Ansley co-teaches Tickled Pink, a women’s Bible study, and LIFT, a Sunday morning class for folks in the center of life. In August of 2021, we welcomed Ansley back to a full-time position. In addition to her current responsibilities for Bible Study, the Lift Class, and pastoral care, she expanded her duties to lead our educational ministry with children and their families.

Rafe was born in Charleston and spent his formative years right here at First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg, during which he was heavily involved in youth, music, and missions ministries. These helped form a worldview and ongoing career that has taken him all across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. After graduating Elon University in 2011 he spent ten years working professionally as a musician and co-founding a humanitarian organization called DAWNING which travels the developing world to research and tell the stories of those most in need. He has guest-lectured about these experiences at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. Rafe is beyond thrilled to be back in the Upstate and at FPC, once again actively engaged in the community that raised him.

In August of 2021, Beth Burris, our former Director of Children’s Ministry, began another ministry with us. Beth works on a part-time basis with Ansley to prepare curriculum, organize our children’s classrooms, supervise our nursery, and coordinate the weekly elementary Sunday School gathering.

Carrie begin working as our Youth Program Administrator in June 2019. Born and raised in Augusta, GA, Carrie moved to Spartanburg in 1992 to attend Converse College and has lived here ever since. After receiving her BA in Psychology from Converse, she worked for her Alma Mater for many years in the Admissions, Alumnae and Institutional Advancement offices. She also worked for the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce for both the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Spartanburg County Economic Development Corporation. She has been a member of First Pres since 2002 and married her husband, Mark, right here in our Sanctuary. They have two children, Eleanor and Thomas.

Dr. Kirk H. Neely has served on staff at First Presbyterian as Pastoral Counselor since September 2014.

Kirk is a native of Spartanburg. He received his BS from Furman University and his M.Div. and D.Min. in Pastoral Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was licensed to the ministry by First Baptist Church (Taylors, SC) and ordained to the Pastoral Ministry by Crescent Hill Baptist Church (Louisville, KY). He has served at Knollwood Baptist (Winston-Salem, NC), First Baptist (Spartanburg, SC), and Morningside Baptist (Spartanburg, SC).

Kirk and his wife, Claire, have been married since 1966. They are the parents of five children and 13 grandchildren.

Pastoral Counseling, with Dr. Kirk Neely, is offered by the congregation for First Presbyterian Church members. There is no fee; a contribution may be made to underwrite the ministry. Counseling is on Tuesdays, by appointment only. To make an appointment, please contact Cathy Rush; 864-583-4531/receptionist@fpcspartanburg.org.