Join us for Worship Sundays at 11:00am
A Thoughtful, Joyful and Diverse Congregation in Richmond, Virginia
Church Staff
Carla Pratt Keyes
Pastor
Carla Pratt Keyes has been pastor of Ginter Park Presbyterian Church since May of 2007. She loves GPPC’s commitment to sharing God’s welcome and to living with vulnerability, bravery, and gratitude. She finds great purpose in planning for the worship we share, taking particular care with sermons; she believes the Christian story challenges, comforts, and calls to us with power to heal the world.
Carla was born in Virginia, but moved from place to place growing up as part of a Navy family. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and Princeton Theological Seminary. She served the University Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge, LA, the First Presbyterian Church of Covington, GA, and St. Andrews Presbyterian Church of Tucker, GA, before accepting the call to GPPC.
Carla’s professional highlights include preaching for W&M’s Service of Celebration for graduates, leading worship for the Annual Event of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators, and helping to found and develop NEXT Church, which is working to further a lively and relevant PCUSA.
Carla’s personal highlights include marrying Brint (also a PCUSA pastor), parenting two children (Deborah and Elijah), and recognizing the gifts knit into every day: transformative ideas, stirring poetry, the pleasure of exercise, the beauty of the earth, and ways people bless each other.
Doug Brown
Music Director
Doug Brown is a Richmond native and a second generation church musician. He received his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, and he completed a master of music degree in both choral conducting and organ performance at the Yale University Institute of Sacred Music.
He has served churches in New Haven, Stamford, and Pittsburgh. In addition to his position at Ginter Park, Doug is director of Music at Union Presbyterian Seminary.
He is the father of three girls he adopted from Perú and the stepfather of three children; he and his wife Amy live with their collective six children in Mechanicsville. In his spare time, Doug enjoys building cabinets for his home.
Karen Mitscherlich
Office Manager
Karen Mitscherlich serves as Office Manager, working with the technology, financial, and administrative needs of the church. She is a graduate of James Madison University, and has an MBA from the University of Richmond. After a career as a business and information technology consultant and a hiatus to spend more time with family, Karen started working at the church in January of 2019. She and her husband, Bernie, have three children. Their adult son and his wife live and work locally, their older daughter is in college, and their younger daughter is still at home.
Caitlin Culp
Seminary Intern
Caitlin Culp Caitlin is a second year Master of Divinity student at Union Presbyterian Seminary (UPSEM) and is a Candidate under care of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Denton, TX, (Grace Presbytery). As a lifelong Presbyterian with a variety of ecumenical experiences, Caitlin feels called to serve older adults through her ministry. She is passionate about belonging and fostering community. Caitlin serves on UPSEM Richmond’s Student Government Association and is involved with Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities (RISC). You can find Caitlin and her husband, Charles, walking and running in the Ginter Park neighborhood, traveling, hiking, and exploring Richmond. Caitlin is excited to intern at GPPC and looks forward to connecting with the community.
Sam Smith
Youth Leader Intern
Sam Smith is a second year Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education student at Union Presbyterian Seminary. He is a lifelong Presbyterian and is originally from Martinsville, VA. Prior to moving to Richmond to begin his seminary studies, Sam had previously been serving as the Director of Youth & Family Ministries at First Presbyterian of Martinsville and as the Discipleship Program Director for the Presbytery of the Peaks. In prior educational endeavors Sam received a B.A. in Literary Studies and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Roanoke College. He then received an M.A. in Screenwriting and Film Studies from Hollins University. Sam is looking forward to connecting more with the congregation through his work as the youth leader intern here.
Cynthia Macmillan
Sunday Sexton
Ali Ansari
Event Sexton
