Shelter Island Presbyterian Church

RevEREND robert griffin

temporary supply pastor

Pastor Bob arrived at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church on July 1. He attended Lake Forest College in Michigan and later Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

He spent many years ministering in Los Angeles in both a congregational setting and as a Hospice Chaplain until moving back to New York, where he had spent much of his youth. He accepted a call to the Cutchogue Presbyterian Church and joined East End Hospice as Chaplain.

Most recently, he served as the Interim Pastor of the Middle Island Presbyterian Church on Long Island at a time of pastoral transition. He has also served the Presbytery on the Committee For Preparation of Ministry, the Communications Team, and currently the Board of Trustees.

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.

Karen Tudor

Administrative Assistant & Clerk of Session

Karen arrived on Shelter Island in July 1975 along with her parents, Edgar and Dorothy Brownlee and brother Ron, after relocating from Cranford, New Jersey.

She worked as an office manager and bookkeeper most of her career and added waiter and bartender to her resume soon after arriving on Shelter Island. Before arriving on the Island, she was told by Bob Morgan (also a transplant from Cranford) that work was for the finding and she has not stopped working since then.

In 1995 she moved to San Diego and enjoyed seven wonderful years exploring the West Coast. Karen attended Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church on Coronado Island and served as a Session Member there. While in California she worked her creative side when she was employed with an award winning interior designer. Karen also managed seminars for an educational corporation and was a coach for the sales staff for the largest hair distributor in San Diego County. In 2002 she was called home to Shelter Island to care for her mother.

At the end of 2010 she retired from a position in an accounting firm in Bridgehampton. However, after only 6 months she was offered a position at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. The time was perfect for taking the position at the Church. The Church was going through exciting times with the retirement of Pastor Bill and the search for the next pastor. During the transition Karen is proud to have participated with Interim Minister Reverend Anne Stewart Miller through to the welcoming and installation of the next pastor, Reverend Stephen M. Fearing.

Karen has been the Clerk of Session since 2012. Additionally, her service to the Church has been as a Session Member, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary.

Karen's favorite pastime is gardening which is where you will find her most days after work. During the summer months on Sunday you will see her scurrying out to go sailing with friends from Sag Harbor. She volunteers on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Peconic, Inc., an affiliate of International HFH; and also welcomes summer visitors to Mashomack Preserve at their Visitor Center one morning a week.

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)

SIPC Session

Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Class of 2020

Lynn Franklin Laura Dickerson Laura Nelsen

William Anderson Marilynn Pysher Dan Binder

Chris Lewis Heather Reylek Ellen Gove

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)

SIPC Diaconate

Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Class of 2020

Lynn Thomson Dana Hallman Brenda Bergman

Alison Binder Carol Gray Colleen Smith

Peter Vielbig Rose Wissmann Karin Bennett

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.

2018 SIPC Congregational Nominating Committee

Heather Reylek (Session Representative)

Carol Gray (Diaconate Representative)

Marianne Baird (Member-at-large)

Ken Lewis, Jr. (Member-at-large)