Alan was born in Atlanta, GA, but grew up in Dayton, OH. He served as the Pastor/Head of Staff of St. Simons Presbyterian Church on St. Simons Island, GA, since 2015. Prior to that he was an Associate Pastor there. Previously, he was the Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at First Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA, (2010-2013). Alan received his B. A. (Cum Laude) from Vanderbilt University in 2008 and his M. Div. at Columbia Theological Seminary in 2013.
Alan and his wife, Erin, have two boys, Jack and Sam. Rev. Dyer began his ministry in Spartanburg in March of 2022.
Pastors
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 L. 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. 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 (now King University), a Master of Divinity, a MA in Christian Education and a Master of Theology, all from Union-PSCE (now Union Presbyterian Seminary). He has three children, Jack, Sam and Robin.
John Daniel was born and raised in Orlando, Florida where his parents (Rev. Drs. Dan and Helen DeBevoise) have been the co-pastors at Park Lake Presbyterian Church for 29 years. John Daniel graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Information Communication Technology. During his time at FSU, he was active in the UKirk Presbyterian campus ministry and was a youth advisor for First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee. John Daniel served as the intern to youth and their families at Peace Presbyterian Church (Lakewood Ranch, FL). Prior to attending seminary, John Daniel served as the pastoral intern at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church (Tampa). He graduated with a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2022. John Daniel is married to the Rev. Eliza Smith, the chaplain at Converse University.
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.
Program Staff
On August 7, Kara Clark will begin her ministry at FPC Spartanburg on Sunday, August 7, 2022. Kara most recently served as a middle school teacher at McCracken Middle School and for ten years has worked at Montreat during summer camps, most recently as Director of Children’s Camps. Kara comes to FPC with extensive experience in shepherding children, a proven ability to build strong relationships with families. Her energy and thoughtfulness will be a blessing to not only our young people but also to our whole congregation! Kara and her husband, Douglas, have two sons: Huntington and Shaffer.
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.