OLD PINE CHURCH - Key Persons
Bob Reinecke's life is marked by high accomplishments and an insatiable love of learning. An eye surgeon and former medical director of the Wills Eye Institute, Bob has written over 200 scientific publications related to the human eye. He is a father to one daughter and husband to his late wife, who passed away seven years ago. Bob's eclectic passions include shirt-making, long-distance running (he ran a 50 mile race on his 50th birthday), and perhaps most passionately, fly fishing. He spent many summers fishing at a vacation home near Lake Placid, NY. In the photograph above,Bob is holding a fly that he hand tied.
Bob was also involved in politics and came up with the slogan that gave his friend Harris Wofford a come from behind victory in his 1991 senate race: "If criminals have the right to a lawyer, a working man should have the right to see a doctor."
These days, Bob leads a very quiet life at his home near Headhouse Square. When I met with him last week, he was looking out the window, meditating on the natural world. "When I sit in this room looking onto the garden, I often see a butterfly in the hedges. Every time it enters the garden, it follows an identical route. It flies near the hedge, does a circle, then exits the same way. It's amazing that it knows to do that."
Bob has Parkinson's disease and, as a doctor, is keenly aware of how it is progressively affecting him. He has a harder time speaking and remembering. He spoke of how frustrating it is to be aware of his decline but not able to stop it. And yet Bob stressed how grateful he is for the life he's lived.
Elizabeth has been working with children since she was a youth, herself. She's led creative arts teams, been a camp counselor, and a Sunday School teacher. She loves the energy and imagination children bring, and loves to empower their voice while teaching them the importance of respect and self awareness.
Job Titles:
- Youth & Children 's Coordinator
Hannah Johnson has been working with Old Pine since 2021. With a passion for children's ministry and social justice, she brings her experience of programming, management and knowledge of child development to Old Pine's Children's and Youth Ministry. Hannah has a degree in Youth Ministry from Eastern University and is currently working towards her Master of Divinity at United Lutheran Seminary in Germantown. Hannah lives in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia with her two best friends and their cats. In her free time she explores Philly, eats lots of ice cream and works part time at Beacon Church in Kensington.
Ilse Poindexter joined Old Pine in the 1970s and has served the church in various capacities, including years as our Clerk of Session.
"I grew up in Dresden, Germany. During the Allied bombing campaign, my family and I hid in our basement. My mother told me that God would make a way for us to survive. When the bombs had quieted, my father and uncle pushed their way up through the rubble and suddenly a shaft of light shone into the basement from above. Ever since then, I have associated God with light.
Lani has been at Old Pine since 2019 and has an extensive administrative background and heart for serving others. She has served in music ministry in several capacities at various churches from New Jersey to Florida since the age of 13. She has also served abroad traveling to Haiti on several church-sponsored mission trips. Lani lives in Gibbstown, NJ and is married to Rev. Chuck Mitchell. Together they have four children: Nathan, Samantha, Luke and Gabriella.
Marc has a background working in different types of plant-based environments. He grew up working on his family's farm outside of Huntington, WV and later worked at an organic specialty farm called Woodland Gardens in Athens, GA, where he founded and ran a program called Farmer For A Day, a volunteer educational organic farm tour.
Marc was also the organic landscape gardener for R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, where Marc designed, installed, and maintained gardens at his home and commercial properties for nine years. While working there he earned a Master Gardener certificate from the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.
In 2016, Marc relocated to Philadelphia, continuing work as an organic landscape gardener, and eventually accepting the position of head gardener at the Rodin Museum for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Since moving here, Marc has also become a Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Organic Landcare Accredited Professional.
Job Titles:
- Pastor and Head of Staff
- Writer
Jason Ferris was installed as the 18th minister of Old Pine in 2011. He studied English at Davidson College, where he was awarded the Patricia Cornwell Scholarship for Creative Writing. After working for Public Television in New York City, Jason graduated from Union Theological Seminary (NYC), where he received the Maxwell Award for promise of excellence in future ministry.
Jason is a writer and preacher who loves wrestling with the Bible until it both blesses and wounds him. (If you don't catch that reference, read the story of Jacob in Genesis 32.) Jason teaches regularly on Christianity's intersection with philosophy, science, art, and culture. A recent lecture on Science and Religion can be viewed here.
Jason's wife Rebecca is a documentary filmmaker and they are the parents of three children.
Jason's office hours are Tuesday-Friday each week.
Job Titles:
- Pastor of Christian Education
Rebecca Blake joined our pastoral staff in 2018. Trained as a visual artist, writer, theologian, and pastor, she is grateful for the opportunity to incorporate those various skills into ministry. She is passionate about the power of art-making in personal and community transformation and helping others discover, explore, and grow their faith, especially via creative expression. In preaching, Rebecca loves exploring how the threads of God's Story are woven in and through our stories, and in pastoral leadership, she delights in discovering the gifts of others and empowering them to be shared for the enrichment of all.
Rebecca's background includes church planting, coaching, teaching art, and implementing trauma-informed practices when working with children and adults experiencing various hardships. She is a graduate of Eastern University (BA) and Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div).
Rebecca is married to Sean, a mom and stepmom, and dog-parent to three American Brittanys.
In spring 2001, Tom Faracco became Old Pine's Director of Music. He provides music leadership for worship, directs the Adult Choir and organizes special musical events during the year. Born in New York City, he attended Westminster Choir College and Indiana University, holding degrees in church music, organ and voice performance.
Since 1983, he has been on the voice faculty at Westminster and chaired the Voice Department for 6 years. Tom brings close to 40 years of experience in the field of church music, having served as Director of Music in a wide variety of churches in the Tri-State area.