FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN SOUTH SAINT PAUL - Key Persons
Cal Ross has been a member of FPC-SSP since 2011 and Youth Coordinator since 2019. Cal spends their non-working hours playing video games, painting, playing fetch with their lab/pitbull rescue Dutchess, watching Star Wars, and rocking out to Queen. Cal is also an avid public speaker, teaching organizations (primarily churches) how to be accepting and inclusive of their LGBTQIA+ neighbors. Travel is another favorite activity and Cal has a very long wish list of places to visit someday.
Eleta Pierce, Church Administrator, is the friendly voice you hear when you call and the friendly face you see when you come into the office. She has been serving Presbyterian churches since 2006, FPC-SSP since 2012, and is a member of Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church. She views her role in the church as her calling, and enjoys being part of God's ministry by serving others. Eleta is a life-long resident of the West Side of St. Paul where she resides with her three children, Chris, Ollie and Zack.
Linda Kachelmeier, Director of Music, believes music plays an integral part in worship with its ability to help us pray, heal, and praise God. She plans music for worship, directs our vocal and bell choirs, teaches our children, leads our ensembles, encourages our soloists, secures special guests, and writes new music. A composer and performer of sacred and secular music, Linda sang with the former a capella ensemble Dare to Breathe, and was a founding and long-time member of the award-winning Rose Ensemble. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she received a degree in Choral Music Education. Linda lives in St. Paul with her husband Mike.
Tom Watson has been a pastor here at FPCSSP off and on for 18 years serving us with a variety of different titles. Since 2007, he has been one-half of a Co-Pastorate and in 2020 he became our one and only pastor.
He began his college career at the University of Northwestern in Evanston, IL, as a Film Studies major. He wanted to write and direct his own movies, but settles now for just watching them. Tom graduated from the University of Minnesota with an English Literature degree then moved on to seminary at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. He is a voracious reader and still loves poetry.
Tom lives in the north end of St. Paul with his wife of over 30 years, Lisa. Lisa is also an ordained Presbyterian minister, currently serving as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. They have two adult children (Emily and Ben), son-in-law (Jeff) and three grandchildren.