Our Staff

Our Staff

Bridge Pastor

Rev. Shannon Weston (she/her/hers)

The Rev. Shannon Weston (she/her) is a preacher, a teacher, and a lover of all things bright and beautiful.  She is a partner of the Coach Approach Skill Training (CAST), which includes being a Lead Trainer and Director of Training. Shannon works with pastors, church leaders, and nonprofits as a Leadership Coach, Consultant, and Conflict Mediator through her company Unburdened Inc. Her work is recognized as a valid ministry by the Presbytery of Baltimore. Shannon is an accredited Professional Certified…
Minister for Racial Justice & Multicultural Engagement | Music Director
Lea Gilmore

Minister Lea Gilmore (she/her/hers)

Minister Lea has a long history of social justice activism and music performance. Named by Essence Magazine as one of “25 Women Shaping the World,” Lea is a past winner of the Blues Foundation’s “Keeping the Blues Alive” award (the “Grammys of the Blues”) for her historical work on women’s contributions to that music. Lea is the recipient of the 2016 Golden Formstone Award from Baltimore’s Creative Alliance for her efforts with community arts and commitment to social justice. She…
Music Director

Marie Herrington (she/her/hers)

Ms. Herrington has a Bachelor’s degree in vocal and organ music from the Peabody Conservatory and has experience as an organist and cantor at numerous churches of various denominations in the area. She is a member of the American Guild of Organists and is an accomplished composer, arranger, and performer of music in diverse styles including jazz, gospel, classical, rock, baroque, and modern. She has experience conducting a variety of musical ensembles, including youth and women’s choirs and symphony orchestra,…
Interim Christian Education Coordinator

Missy Smith

Missy holds an Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Loyola University of Maryland and a Master of Arts Certificate in Instructional Systems Development from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her certificates in the Pedagogy of Online Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching provide a unique skill set for the demands of 21st century classrooms and conversations. Her undergraduate degree is in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is the Founder of Universe Consulting and Design LLC, and partners with organizations…
Office Manager (Interim Church Administrator)
Andy Wilson

Andy Wilson (he/him/his)

Andy has been a member of Govans since 2010 and on the staff since 2018. He works behind the scenes, handling administrative tasks like coordinating our online worship services, preparing our email communications, editing our monthly newsletter, and whatever else might come up. He loves Govans for its commitment to social justice and its acceptance of different points of view. In his free time, he enjoys playing music, cooking, and being outdoors and spending time with his wife, Jane and…
Bookkeeper

Rufus Ingram (he/him)

Rufus Ingram, CPA, MBA, joined our staff in November 2022. His primary responsibilities are to manage the financial activities of the Church and support the finance committee in carrying out their mission. Rufus is also the owner and operator of a CPA firm and the president of a non-profit organization. Hisbackground is a great fit to our organization. Rufus was born and has lived his entire life in Baltimore. In his free time he enjoys swimming, bicycling and nurturing his…
Rental Manager

Myra Brosius (she/her/hers)

Myra Brosius, our part-time rental manager since 2020,  is also a member of Govans and joined around the year 2000.   In her position, she meets with people interested in renting our facilities for a range of activities from baby showers to weddings and drafts agreements to make sure everything goes smoothly. Myra enjoys getting to know potential tenants, welcoming them to our campus and sharing with them a little about Govans. She loves Govans for the warm community of people, its…
Soprano Section Leader

Jocelyn Taylor (she/her/hers)

Jocelyn leads the soprano section of Govans choir during worship and rehearsals. The Govans choir sings during the joint 10:00 am service (first Sunday of the month) and during the 11:00 am service (every other Sunday).
Alto Section Leader

Nerissa Paglinauan (she/her/hers)

Nerissa Paglinauan (pronounced ne-REE-sa pag-lee-NOW-an) holds Bachelor’s degrees in music and child development from Tufts University where she received the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Department of Music. She has sung with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society since 2005, and previously was a member of the Cathedral Choral Society in Washington, DC for five years. Nerissa is trained in both piano and voice, and has been a church musician since the mid-’90s, beginning in high school as a cantor for…
Tenor Section Leader

David Willerup (he/him/his)

David Willerup is a father of three, and grandfather of two, a singer, a woodworker, a cyclist, and a really bad fisherman. He’s been singing in churches since he was a toddler with his first unofficial solo blowing directly into the microphone when the Sunday School sang “This Little Light of Mine.” Besides singing in multiple choirs and performing in multiple collegiate musicals, he’s been a worship leader and soloist for four different churches over the last 27 years with…
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