First Presbyterian Church

Welcome Rex R. Childs

Our next Associate Pastor, Rex Childs, will join us in ministry on July 2. In addition to duties of pastoral care and worship leadership, he will also lead us in Mission and Christian Education.

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Employment Opportunities

The First Presbyterian Church of Naples is searching for a Director of Children and Youth. Please click here to read the job description. All resumes may be directed to Sharman Pfaus, Executive Office Manager.


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Senior Pastor/Head of Staff Rev. Craig N. Goodrich Craig has served the First Presbyterian Church of Naples with energy and joy since October 2015. A native of Washington, D.C., he is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Boston College Law School and Columbia Theological Seminary. Craig practiced law in both Washington, DC and in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 1996 he has been engaged in full time ministry, first with the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta where he served as Associate Pastor for Administration/ Executive Director until 2013 and then with Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta as Senior Associate Pastor until 2015. Craig served the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta as chair of the Conflict Management team and as Moderator of the Presbytery’s Permanent Judicial Commission. Here in the Peace River Presbytery, he serves as Co-chair of the Steering Committee. Craig is married to Andie Evans Goodrich. They just celebrated their 40^th anniversary and are the parents of three young adult children and grandparents of five. Craig loves serving alongside an amazing staff and devoted lay leaders “in the heart of Naples with the Love of God.” Associate Pastor Rex Childs Rex began serving the First Presbyterian Church of Naples in July of this year. A native of Naples, FL, Rex received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida before attending Union Presbyterian Seminary where he completed a dual-degree program, earning both Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education degrees. This is Rex’s first call to a church and he is looking forward to working in the areas of Christian Education, pastoral care, and Mission in addition to helping lead worship. Rex has been married to Cayla Childs, who is also a Naples native, for almost three years and they love spending time with the many members of their extended family here in Naples. When not at the church or spending time with family, Rex likes to watch sports, particularly soccer, or get out on one of the many golf courses Naples has to offer.
Director of Music Ministries Dr. Brice Gerlach Brice was appointed Director of Music Ministries at First Presbyterian Church in 2001. A native of La Jolla, California, Brice received his bachelor's and master's degrees in organ performance from the Eastman School of Music and Indiana University respectively. He received his doctorate in choral conducting from Indiana University. In addition to his duties at First Presbyterian Church, Brice is the assistant director and accompanist of the Naples Philharmonic Choruses. He is also Adjunct Faculty at Ave Maria University in Organ Performance and Conducting and directs the Ave Maria University Chamber Choir. He and his wife, Michele, have a fifteen year old son, Colin, who is the joy of their lives.
Director of Preschool Ashley Houk Ashley hails from North Carolina and graduated from UNC Greensboro with a Bachelor’s degree and from East Carolina University with a Master’s degree in Child Development. She has worked in the Early Childhood arena since 1995 as a Preschool teacher, program quality specialist, state licensing consultant, program manager and Director. Ashley and her husband, Scott, live in Estero and have a son, Seth, and a dog, Gyp. Ashley and her family have been members of the church since 2005 and enjoy boating, fishing and college football!
Office Staff Steve Bowser, Director of Finance Steve Bowser, originally from Morgantown, West Virginia, moved to SW Florida in 2009. In 2013 he and his family moved to Charlotte, N.C. for two years for his wife’s job and in 2015 they moved back to SW Florida. Steve has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible from Central Bible College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Belmont Abbey College. He and his wife, Billie Jo have been married for 20 years and have two adopted children, Michael and Maiah. In his free time, Steve enjoys golfing, cycling, going to the beach, kayaking, and travelling. Those closest to Steve knows he is a die-hard West Virginia Mountaineer Fan, he studies tax laws for fun, is crazy organized, and loves sports. Steve comes from a big family of 4 siblings and numerous nieces and nephews. Loida Garcia, Receptionist Loida moved to Naples in 2011 from Tennesee and has over 15 years of office clerical experience, serving as bilingual office assistant for the Health Department in McMinnville, TN and Senior Clerk for the Collier Co. Revenue Office of Child Support. She has a degree in Christian Education, and a Minister’s Certification. Originally from Cuba, Loida came to America in 1997 with her husband Rev. Ramon Garcia and their first of three sons, Abdias. Her other two sons are Abimael and Misael. As the Church Receptionist, she loves to be in contact with people and assist them in what they might need. Her biggest passion is to sing in the worship team and serve God. Ashley Hancock, Administrative Assistant to Christian Education Originally from Tallahassee, FL. Ashley moved to Naples with her family in 2015. Next year she and her husband, Chris, will celebrate 15 years of marriage. They have 3 amazing children; Caitlin, Devan and Declan. Their spare time is spent reading, watching movies and going to Disney World as much as possible. Ashley has worked with children for almost 10 years and joined the FPCN family in January of 2017 as the Nursery Care Provider. She is very excited to move into her new role in the CE department and be a part of the growing CE programs! Nickie Hannula, Administrative Assistant Nickie is unique in that she was born and raised right here in Naples, Florida. After graduating high school she travelled to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado where she started her family. A few years later she moved to Texas and eventually found her way home to Naples. Nickie joined the First Presbyterian family in September 2017 as the Administrative Assistant, working closely with the Executive Office Manager. She is the proud mother of five beautiful children and spends her free time with her family. Nickie enjoys kayaking, boating, camping, gardening and tending to her small farm animals. Kathleen Law, Communications Coordinator Kathleen considers herself a true "Jersey Girl" even though she moved to Naples over 25 years ago. She attended Rowan University where she majored English Literature and Business. Kathleen began working at First Presbyterian Church in 2002, after also serving us in the mid-1990’s. She holds certifications in desktop publishing and Photoshop. She and her husband Bill have been married for 20 years and she is the proud step-mom of two grown children and four grandchildren. When Kathleen is not working she can be found tending her butterfly garden, reading, quilting, cruise vacations and playing with her dog Shelby. Her latest hobby is researchng her family ancesters which trace back to the Mayflower. Sharman Pfaus, Executive Office Manager Sharman Pfaus is a native of Michigan, having moved to Naples in 1999. She has functioned in several roles of the church from Youth Director, Administrative Assistant, Administrator, and most recently as the Executive Office Manager for First Presbyterian Church Naples. Sharman holds two nationally recognized certifications in human resources, the first with the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) and the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and has been a member of the HR Collier Chapter of SHRM since 2003. In her spare time, Sharman enjoys spending time watching sunsets on the beach, playing with her four granddaughters and reading. She is married to Bill and they have four grown daughters, all of whom live in the SW Florida area. Liz Psota, Preschool Administrative Assistant
Facilities Staff Sandy Poore, Director of Facilities Sandy is our longest serving staff member and began working here in 1981. Originally from New Jersey, she moved here as a teenager, when Naples was a much smaller town. She and her husband, Eugene have been married for 40 years and have two grown children Jennifer and Dustin. Sandy enjoys spending time with her twin granddaughters, Ashleigh and Alyssa. She loves supporting her favorite football team, the Miami Dolphins, cruising the Caribbean and chocolate! Lisa Ethier, Custodian Lisa joined the First Presbyterian staff in April 2018. Originally from Buffalo, NY, she moved to Naples in 1984. Lisa has a daughter, Ashley. She enjoys spending time with her mother and watching NFL football. She also loves watching movies and going for walks. Eduardo Martinez, Maintenance