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The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green

Staff

Kyle Otterbein

Transitional Pastor

Kyle began ministry as a pastor in the Presbyterian Church, USA, in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1988 on the heels of graduating from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He and LeAnn were married in the spring of 1989. Kyle grew up in Richland, Washington. Before arriving in Richmond, Virginia, he studied at the University of Washington and Central Washington University.

He and LeAnn and have lived the last 25 years in Coralville, Iowa, adjacent to Iowa City and the University of Iowa. Here he served Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church, which gave him experience in transitional ministry. While in Coralville, Kyle and LeAnn raised two children: Madelin, our daughter, now married to Ciaran and living in Nashville, Tennessee; and Micah, our son, who lives with his wife, J.D., in a small farming community in Alburnett, Iowa.

Along with life in ministry, the Otterbeins love to take walks or day hikes, read, enjoy good food, and spend time sharing food and live music with friends. Kyle still likes a good DIY project, along with games and sports of all kinds.

Cheryl Gregory Church Secretary

Cheryl Gregory

Church Secretary

Cheryl Gregory has worked for the church since June of 2006. She grew up in Virginia and has been living in Kentucky for 25+ years. Her husband of 25 years, Chuck, also works downtown and they are frequently seen lunching together downtown. Cheryl is a graduate of Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia. Her hobbies include hiking, making altered books, and reading. She and Chuck have one dog at home, and most of their family living here in the state of Kentucky. Cheryl is amazingly efficient at handling multiple tasks such as answering the phone, assisting people with food needs from our pantry, preparing the weekly bulletin, printing a multitude of various reports, etc…. She is the best church secretary in the world!

Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green Staff

Robin Watkins-Tolbert

Office Assistant

Robin is a native to Bowling Green and attended/graduated from Warren Central High School (1988). She is married to Charlie Tolbert, III and they have one son, Jared. She loves talking/laughing/meeting new people, cooking, traveling, cruising. Robin began her career in 1990 at the Commonwealths Attorney’s Office as a victim’s advocate and then became the Director of the Victim’s Advocacy Program in 1994. She attended Western Kentucky University and completed her Associates of Art in both, Office System Technology and Information Systems and received her Bachelor’s in General Studies w/Emphasis in Business and Information Systems. In 2009, she was hired by the Unified Prosecutorial System in the Attorney General’s Office as a Program Advisor/Information Technologist and retired in August, 2017. After retirement, she earned her Masters of Science in Computer information Systems and began working remotely (quarterly) for the Unified Prosecutorial System as Program Planner/IT worker again for  an additional six years and then permanently retired from the State of Kentucky in December, 2023.

Terry Johnson Church Administrator, Accountant

Terry Johnson

Financial Administrator

Terry joined the staff at the Presbyterian Church in July of 2019. She has lived in Bowling Green all of her life and attended Western Kentucky University. Over the last 30 years she has worked as office manager or bookkeeper at the BG Area Chamber, Booth Fire & Safety and AAA Alarms. She loves being with family, friends and going to the beach. 

Dr. Wayne Pope Choir Director

Dr. Wayne Pope

Director of Music/Chancel Choir Director

Wayne Pope joined our church staff as Choir Director in September 2011. Wayne is a Professor of Music at Western Kentucky University where he teaches voice and directs the opera theatre program. Wayne holds the D.M.A. in Voice Performance from the University of South Carolina. He is also a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans, and Murray State University. He is an active recitalist and soloist, and has been featured with numerous orchestras and choral groups. In addition to his baritone voice, Wayne’s “other instrument” is the guitar, which he plays professionally. The Personnel Ministry and Session were impressed with Wayne’s background in choral music, his interest in multiple styles of music, his acquaintance with the music students and faculty at Western Kentucky University, his previous experience as a choir director, and his sense of call to his work. Dr. Pope and his wife Beth, who also teaches voice at WKU, have two children, a daughter, Caitlin who graduated from Western in 2008, and a son, Will who graduated from Western in 2014.

Kimberly Watkins Preschool Director

Kimberly Watkins

Director, Preschool Learning Center

Kimberly Watkins is a native of Bowling Green and has been working in the church nursery for many years. Kimberly has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science Pre-law with a minor in Family Studies from WKU. She also holds a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Studies with a concentration in Public Policy and Child Advocacy from Walden University. Kimberly is also currently working part time as an Independent Living Adviser for Seven Counties (formerly USpiritus). She has been working with children since the age of 16.  Preschool Learning Center Page 

Nathaniel Brown

Organist

Nathaniel was an Adjunct Professor of Music History at Western Kentucky University and now our church organist. He holds a DM and MM in Organ Performance, an MA in Music, and a Certificate of Specialized Studies in Early Music from Florida State University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Music from WKU. During his time as a student at WKU, he was the keyboardist for the Symphony, which toured in China in the summer of 2013, and was the student carillonneur for WKU’s Guthrie Bell Tower. He has previously held organist positions at major churches in Bowling Green and Madisonville, KY as well as Quincy, FL. He is also a baritone, having sung and performed with many choral societies. He holds memberships in Early Music America, the Society for Seventeenth-Century Music, the American Heinrich Schütz Society, and the American Guild of Organists (Nashville chapter).

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Cedric Whitney

Custodian

Cedric has been our custodian since 2006. In addition to the time he spends keeping our facilities clean, he works full-time for Bowling Green Technical College on their facilities staff.

People Of The Church

SESSION

Ministries

Meets third Tuesday, 6:00pm., in the conference room.
Term of service is from August 1 to July 31.

Rev. Steve Fortenberry (Central Presbyterian Church, Princeton, KY), Moderator
Debbie Trickey, Clerk of Session

Class of 2024: Frederica Kernohan, Tim Leigh, Bobby Rabold, Debbie Trickey, Larry Warden
Class of 2025: Karol Kirby Ahmed, Buzz English, Pamela Napier, Julia Roberts, Julie Wedge
Class of 2026: Pam Bratcher, Rachel Crocker, J.B. Hines, Susan Howard, Mike Kanan

BOARD OF DEACONS

Ministries

Meets first Tuesday, 5:00pm., in the Conference Room
Term of service is from August 1 to July 31.

Ernie Small, Moderator

Class of 2024: Trudy Burkeen, Evan Goad, Linda Leigh, Catherine Reber, Susan Thomison
Class of 2025: Barbara Brindle, Craig Long, Teri Polen, Ernie Small, Dan Stelling, Fred Trickey.
Class of 2026: Phil Burkeen, Kim Ferguson, Kathy Higgins, Brianna Trickey