Staff
I’m serving Palma Sola Presbyterian Church, following Pastor Indy Dennis’s retirement in June 2019, until the church calls a permanent pastor. I came to Palma Sola after similarly serving in an interim role for two years at Lely Presbyterian Church in Naples, Florida.
Some folks in the congregation remember me from the 26 years I spent as pastor in Arcadia. That’s where I earned the alternative distinction of being a cowboy. I actually do have a little ranch there, with a small herd of cows. I’m a life-long horseman, though I don’t own one right now, and also a bit of a cowboy poet.
Prior to Arcadia, I served churches in West Virginia and Mississippi. My education was at the University of Tennessee, Louisville Seminary, and Columbia Seminary, where I earned a doctorate in the Old Testament. My enduring enthusiasm is for teaching the Gospel.
Since I gained the status of honorably retired in 2011, I have served as Interim Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Marianna, Florida. Coordinating Presbyter for the Presbytery of Florida, and Transitional Shepherd for the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca, New Mexico, before returning to Peace River Presbytery to begin at Lely Church in 2017.
My wife Polly and I celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary on June 15, 2019 the day before I started at Palma Sola. Our son, Kris, is an Assistant Manager with Solitude Lake Management out of Ft. Myers, and lives in Fort Myers Shores with his wife Bobbi, and her two sons, Spencer and David.
I am excited to be here at Palma Sola, ministering with and among the congregation and community.
Billy was born in North Providence, RI and moved to Bradenton, FL at the age of 12. In his high school years he spent summers leading worship at various Christian summer camps. Soon thereafter, he started a band and spent several years traveling the United States performing original songs. He first came to PSPC in 2010 as an Audio Technician. In 2012, he became the leader of the Dawning Service Praise Band.
Elenita has been the Palma Sola Presbyterian Church choir director since June 2018. She has a bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance from USF in Tampa. She is an active member of the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra since 2006. She studied voice in high school under the direction of Jim Forsell, a former choir director at PSPC, and has been a member of the PSPC choir since 2006. Elenita has worked with multiple churches in the Tampa Bay area since 1988. She also works as a registered nurse. She strives to create a fun, welcoming environment for worship through song.