Pastors and Staff
Pastors
Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward
Pastor
Larry became the sixth Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in October 2004. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and holds a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. Larry is deeply committed to the preaching and teaching ministry of the church, having taught courses surveying the Old and New Testaments to over 500 members and friends of Westminster. He is an avid sports fan (especially when one of his teams is winning!) and likes to read literature and politics.
Rev. Patrick Hunnicutt
Associate Pastor (Mission & Pastoral Care)
Patrick joined Westminster in 2005 and was ordained and installed in 2006 as our Associate Pastor for Youth and Families. In 2017, he assumed his current role as Associate Pastor for Mission and Pastoral Care, in which he provides pastoral leadership of our ministries of care and compassion within the church and through our local, national, and international mission programs. He also serves National Capital Presbytery as the incoming chair of its National Committee. Patrick was baptized in Clarks Summit, PA, confirmed in Ambler, PA, and was under care of First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, VA as he explored his call to ministry in young adulthood. Before donning clerical garb, he labored in government relations with IBM, and as a Blue Devil-mascot-turned pastor, Patrick still roots hard for Duke (and Philly) sports. He lives in Alexandria City with his wife Sally and their twin daughters (and Buddy the dog).
Rev. Dr. G. Jacob Bolton
Associate Pastor (Christian Formation)
Jacob joined the staff in 2019 after serving Huguenot Memorial Church in Pelham, New York and Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. A native of Michigan, he played intercollegiate baseball at Kalamazoo College while earning his teaching certificate. Jacob has a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and holds a Doctor of Ministry from Portland Theological Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jacob has an inclusive pastoral style: one that involves relationship building, a love of creation, and intentional spiritual formation. A Certified Christian Educator, Adjunct Professor at Marymount University, and GreenFaith Fellow, Jacob and his wife Susan have two children.
Rev. Olivia Patterson
Associate Pastor (Youth & Young Adults)
Olivia joined the Westminster staff in August 2021. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Olivia previously served as Associate Director for Youth and Family Ministries and for Young Adult Ministries at Trinity Presbyterian in Atlanta. In her time at seminary she studied the theology of disability, provided pastoral care at a long-term care facility in New Jersey, and helped lead worship and Bible study for a church in Philadelphia through the pandemic. Olivia is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and she and her husband, Corey have two adorable dogs.
Program Staff
Dr. R. Benjamin Hutchens, II
Director of Music Ministries
Ben became the Interim Director of Music at Westminster in August 2017 and Director of Music Ministries in January 2018. A native of Statesville, NC, he is a graduate of Furman University, the University of Alabama, and the University of North Carolina. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting. Ben is deeply committed to bring people of all ages and abilities together through music. If you are interested in joining one of our ensembles, Ben is interested in hearing from you! While previous experience is helpful, Ben firmly believes that everyone can learn to be a capable musician. He is passionate about helping musicians of all levels achieve greater confidence and ability. In addition to playing the organ, Ben maintains a robust performance schedule as a violinist and vocalist.
Patty Chamberlain
Director of Children's Ministry
Patty joined Westminster in 1996 (she was also a member from 1990-1992) and joined the staff in 2012. Patty served on the Session, and was the chair of the New Member and Congregational Life Committees. Prior to becoming an Elder, Patty was a Sunday school teacher, a substitute in the bell choir and a regular usher. Patty is a teacher at the Westminster Weekday Preschool and the former president of the PTSA at TC Williams High School. Prior to having children she was in higher education as an Associate Director of Admissions.
Christine Hershey
Director of Seniors Ministries
Christine joined the Westminster staff in Fall of 2023. She originally comes from Connecticut, where she earned her Master's of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. She then continued her education in Berkeley, CA, where she obtained a Certificate of Advanced Professional Studies from the Graduate Theological Union. While she was in Berkeley, she became a member and very active and involved in First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. Traversing back to the East Coast, she did her chaplaincy residency at Goodwin House and was a hospice chaplain in the DMV. She loves nature, exploring, smiling, and bringing and finding joy, depth and meaning to all whom she meets.
Rev. Scott Planting
Director of Adult Formation
Scott is a Presbyterian pastor who spent his entire ministry in Maine before joining the staff at Westminster in 2024. From 1975-2010 he was the pastor of a three-church parish located in western Maine, affiliated with a cooperative parish called Mission of the Eastward (MATE). He served as executive director of MATE for 23 years. From 2010-2020, he was president of the Maine Seacoast Mission, which serves coastal Downeast Maine and its offshore islands by offering healthcare, education, food, shelter, and spiritual support. Scott received his Bachelors of Arts from Amherst College and his Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has taught at Bangor Theological Seminary in Bangor, ME and Acadia Senior College in Southwest Harbor, ME. He is the co-author of Mission: The Small Church Reaches Out.
Kari Parsons
Director of Congregational Life
Kari became a member of WPC in 2022 and joined the staff in 2023 after being a member of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Kari served and supported ministries that helped members of the D.C. community experiencing homelessness. Kari has a deep love for bringing people together and is excited to share this passion with friends and members of the church. Professionally, Kari has worked for the Department of Commerce as a statistician and in analytics and government relations for specialty pharmacy and Federal health insurance. Kari lives in Arlington with her husband, son and two cats.
Nancy Hall Berens
Director of Women's Ministries
Nancy has been a member of Westminster since 1989, and joined the staff in 2008. She is an elder who has served on the Session of Westminster and has been a regular commissioner to National Capital Presbytery, a commissioner to General Assembly in 2003 and served on the NCP Bills and Overtures Committee and NCP Peacemaking Committee. She has been involved in a number of activities at Westminster including SOME, Bag Lunch, Carpenter's Shelter, Christmas in April, A Cappella, Westminster Choir, Bell Choir, Missions Committees, Nominating Committee, Congregational Life Committee, Westminster Weekday Preschool, and Hannah Circle for mothers of young children. Nancy is also a professional educator who taught French at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School in Alexandria for 13 years.
Yeri So
Assistant Director of Music Ministries
S. Yeri (Jang) So is an accomplished organist who has served in many music ministries, choruses and recitals. As a recitalist, Yeri’s performances have been featured in the DC and Baltimore metro areas as well as in Austria and South Korea. She received her Master of Music degree in Organ Performance under Mr. Donald Sutherland at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where she was awarded the Bruce R. Eicher Prize in Organ. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Church Music with a concentration in Organ Performance from Seoul Theological University in South Korea. She also studied under Dr. Rudolf Scholz (1933-2012) at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts in Austria. Off the organ bench, Yeri is an enthusiastic and experimental chef in her kitchen, and her husband Bryan is the biggest fan most of the time. Yeri currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland with Bryan and two cats Charlie and Woozie.
Administrative & Building Staff
Westminster Weekday Preschool
Carolyn Burke
Director, Westminster Weekday Preschool
Carolyn came to Westminster Weekday Preschool (WWP) as a parent with her first daughter in 1992. After serving as a substitute at WWP, Carolyn joined the staff when her second daughter came to WWP in 1996. Carolyn taught the 2½s, 3s and 4-day 4s, and also served as the Curriculum Coordinator, before becoming Director in 2008. Carolyn has a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Virginia and taught Head Start, 2nd, and 4th grades in Fairfax County after college. Her daughter Megan, son-in-law Mark (both UVA graduates), and grandson Paul live in Washington, DC. Her daughter Colleen is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and lives in Arlington.
