Our Leadership Team

Christ alone is the Head of the Church.  

We all strive to be servant leaders here at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church.

  • reverend dr. stephen d. adkison

    The Rev. Dr. Stephen Douglas Adkison, born in 1968, grew up in the River Valley of Russellville, Arkansas. He graduated from Russellville High School with honors in 1987, from Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Theater in 1992, from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky with a Master of Divinity degree in 1995, and from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California with a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2011. Before being called to Chapel by the Sea, Ft. Myers Beach, Florida in 2014, Dr. Adkison served churches in Indiana (1994-1997); Arkansas (1997-2008); and Missouri (2008-2013). He has pilgrimaged to Israel twice, in addition to Italy, Greece, and Turkey.


    In addition to parish ministry, he served as a Pastoral Counselor at both Norton Psychiatric Hospital and Dismas Charities (St. Patrick’s Halfway House) in Louisville from 1995 to 1997. He also served as an Adjunct Professor of Speech Communication at Hannibal LaGrange University in Hannibal, Missouri from 2011 to 2013. He served as a member of the Chaplaincy Corp of Hannibal Regional Hospital and served as its President in 2013-2014. Dr. Adkison enjoys his family and friends, fishing, aviation, motorcycles, reading, travel, playing and listening to music, and martial arts.


    He is married to Amy Taylor Adkison and they share three children: Hannah, April, and Taylor.

  • Linda Betjeman

    Minister of Music

    Linda Shelton Betjeman has been the Minister of Music at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church since 2007. She is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary School of Sacred Music, New York City, where she received a Master’s Degree in Organ Performance and Choral Conducting. During her 50-year career in church music she has served in congregations in Manhattan, Westchester County, and Long Island.

     

    Linda has been a recitalist at concert series in Manhattan, Westchester, and Rockland Counties, and has performed as a soloist in England and Italy (including St. Peter’s in Rome). She has been a keyboard soloist (organ, harpsichord, piano) with the Broadway Bach Ensemble of Manhattan and has performed with the Chappaqua Chamber Orchestra and Mimosa Chamber Ensemble of Manhattan. Additionally, Linda has been the accompanist for Taghkanic Chorale and Tri-County Opera of northern Westchester and has taught on the music faculty of the Walden-Lincoln and Trevor Day School in New York City as well as the Riverdale Country School and Sarah Lawrence College.

     

    Linda is currently the Director of the Shelter Island Community Chorus and summer organist-choir director at Union Chapel in the Grove, Shelter Island.



  • karin bennett

    Sexton


  • Ruling Elders (Session)

    Ruling elders are so named not because they "lord it over" the congregation, but because they are chosen by the congregation...to strengthen and nurture its faith and life.  Ruling elders, together with teaching elders (pastors), exercise leadership, government, spiritual discernment, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of the congregation as well as the whole church. (Book of Order - G-2.0301)


    Class of 2024: Lee Ann Bastible, Laura Dickerson

    Class of 2025: Laurie Fanelli

    Class of 2026: Pamela Jackson, Heather Reylek, Laura Nelsen

  • Deacons

    The ministry of deacon as set forth in Scripture is one of compassion, witness, and service, sharing in the redeeming love of Jesus Christ for the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lost, the friendless, the oppressed, those burned by unjust policies or structures, or anyone in distress. (Book of Order - G-2.0201)                                         


    Class of 2024: Cindy Griffin, Rachel Brigham

    Class of 2025: Marianne Baird, Alison Binder, Sharon Donno, Lynn Thomson

    Class of 2026: Roswitha Wissemann, Brenda Bergman

                             

  • congregational nominating committee

    This is the team of people who are elected by the congregation to put forth nominations for congregational vote for elections of Ruling Elders and Deacons.


    Class of 2024:  Lee Anne Bastible, Cindy Griffin, Heather Reylek