Leadership

Pastor & Staff

Dave Emery

Bridge Pastor 

It is my pleasure and joy to be saying “Hi” to all of you. I have recently completed being the Transitional Pastor for Aberdeen First Presbyterian Church. It was great to be there, and I enjoyed being their pastor for a time.  So, God has blessed us by giving us this time to minister together. I look forward to working with those of you in leadership positions, those who are regular participants, and those of you who only are a part of us once in a while.

Because I am quite aware that this in-between called pastor time is full and can be quite consuming, I always hit the road running. I am ready to engage and resource all boards, committees, programs, and services.  In times like these we know that life can be trying, and it certainly can be demanding of our energy, time, and effort. Still, I seek to first and foremost make time for God and likewise make time and space for others as well.

So then, know that I look forward to ministering with all of you and may God richly bless us and keep us, now and forevermore.

Barbara Messelt

Office Manager/Bookkeeper

Hello, I’m Barbara and I’m the  Office Professional and Bookkeeper. I was born and raised in San Diego and attended Covenant Presbyterian Church until I left for college (Biola University). There I met my husband, Eric, and we’ve been married over 40 years.

Eric and I have 3 children (2 live in Lacey), and two grandkids. We’ve lived in 4 states (California, Washington, Oregon, and Michigan), but returned to Washington to be near our family, and now live in Tumwater. Eric works for the State of Washington’s Community and Technical Colleges, and I have worked for various organizations, including churches. I earned my AA in Office Administration at SPSCC and my college degree is a BA in Fine Arts. I love exploring the Northwest, fishing and clamming, and crafting.

I love serving Lacey Presbyterian Church, and I look forward to meeting you!

Katie Butler

Nursery Attendant

Katie is the Nursery Attendant here at LPC. She has worked for two years in the OHS Preschool Daycare Program. Katie has played many years of soccer and now enjoys backpacking with her mom and older sister. She is a very creative and crafty person; she loves creating jewelry and is a very skilled nail artist. Katie  graduated from Olympia High School in 2020 and also graduated from SPSCC with an associate degree. She plans to attend St. Martin’s College to obtain a degree in K-6 Early Childhood Education and become a teacher.

Ellen George

Worship Music Coordinator

Ellen and her husband Dan moved to Lacey in the Fall of 2020, and are grateful to find a church home at LPC in which to serve and worship. Ellen’s musical background in choral conducting, piano accompanying, and Church Music degrees in Music Ministry (MA) and Musicology (PhD), have prepared her for position as Worship Music Coordinator.

Her desire is to nurture stylistically diverse worship music as she engages LPC’s warm and grace-filled local body. She desires to cast wide the invitation to all who wish to serve in the music ministry, and is eager to meet with you. Contact her through the church office or at elleng@laceypres.org.

Ellen enjoys hiking, reading, singing in the Symphony Tacoma Voices, spending time with her two grown children, Katherine and Ben, and discovering the many parks and walking and biking trails in the Lacey/Olympia area.
Ellen is also Assistant Professor of Music at Pierce College, where she teaches a wide range of music courses.

Kevin Hutton

Technical Director

A lifetime member of LPC and a proud Evergreen grad, Kevin has 10 years of experience in audio, video and live production. Kevin has worked in various capacities for The Evergreen State College, TED, and the Devin Townsend Project. Going from volunteer to staff member at LPC has been an exciting journey, and he hopes to be a resource for everyone at the church, making sure our services run smoothly.

Christy Sumner

Director of Children & Family Ministry

Christy Sumner is a native of Olympia and has also lived in Seattle, Chicago, Nashville, Princeton, and Aberdeen, Scotland. Christy graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in electrical engineering and worked for seven years in production management for Big Idea, the creators of the animated video series VeggieTales. In addition to her role at LPC, today she works for a non-profit organization in Tacoma. Christy has spent years in volunteer leadership both inside and outside the church including women’s ministries, children’s programs, Bible studies, and mom's groups. She is the mother of three school-aged children, who keep her and her husband Darren continually busy!