Lt. Col. Pynduss earned an MBA focused on Contract Management and Acquisition from the Naval Postgraduate School. He has received several awards, including two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and an Armed Forces Services Medal. In 2021, he was named Chief of Contracting Officer Leader of the Year. Jon currently works as PM Tactical Communications with the Program Executive Office Tactical Information Systems.

 

Jon hails from Richford, VT and currently lives in Tampa with his daughter Hannah Pynduss. His wife, Shannon, is currently serving as the Battalion Commander for Support Battalion aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Their son, Hunter, is attending State University New York Maritime Academy under a Navy Scholarship. When not serving our country, Jon enjoys traveling, fishing, hunting, and beach days!

The Rev. Canon Stephanie Allen holds the position of Canon for Leadership Development within the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina. As an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church, she dedicated 15 years to parish ministry before transitioning to her current role on the Diocesan staff, a position she has held for the past 18 months.

 

Originally hailing from the mountains of western NC, Stephanie humorously recalls her longing to leave her birthplace, only to find herself guided by a divine sense of humor to the Cumberland Plateau, where she pursued her studies at the University of the South in Sewanee. Later, she ventured north to New York City, where she attended The General Theological Seminary. By the time of her ordination, she had gained a husband and two young children, and she embraced the opportunity to return to North Carolina—this time to the eastern region—for her first call.

 

Stephanie currently makes her home in New Bern with her husband, where their two formerly little ones have grown into self-assured adults who seem to have all the answers. In her leisure time, she enjoys knitting and unwinding by the water with a good book.

Rev. Mike Queen, a West Virginia native, has devoted 48 years to serving churches. After 25 years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Wilmington, he recently retired. Alongside his colleague Jayne Davis, Mike co-authored Hopeful Imagination, a book aimed at guiding traditional churches in discerning God’s path amid a shifting world.

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Mike and his wife of 55 years, Bobbie, reside in Wilmington, where they remain active in ministry, having served as interim pastors in four additional North Carolina churches.

Dan has served as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, North Carolina since August 2017. A graduate of Davidson College (B.A.), Union Presbyterian Seminary (M.Div.), and Columbia Theological Seminary (D.Min.), Dan has been an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament since August 2006.

 

Prior to coming to Wilmington, he served as Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Statesboro, Georgia. Dan’s wife, Susan, is also an ordained minister, as well as a psychotherapist. They are the proud parents of daughter Elizabeth and son Jeffrey.

Sid Batts retired from his role as pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. A graduate of High Point University, he holds advanced degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He is the author of The Protestant Wedding Sourcebook.

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Raised in eastern North Carolina and later living in Charlotte during his teenage years, Sid served congregations in Atlanta, Mobile, Alabama, and Lowell, NC, before arriving in Greensboro in 2001. He now lives just outside Southport.

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Sid and his wife, Cathy, are parents to two grown daughters and proud grandparents to one grandson.

Bob, a retired Presbyterian minister, has been an unwavering presence at Figure 8 Island Church since 1996. After 28 years of heartfelt dedication as our Summer Worship Director, he stepped away to focus on family and chase the bucket list travel adventures he’d always envisioned. In February 2025, Bob celebrated a landmark moment—his 90th birthday—a joyous milestone that deepened the story of his remarkable life.

 

A lifelong sailing enthusiast, he’ll set sail this June with his entire family for a 10-day voyage aboard a 45-foot catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. Bob and his wife, Deborah, have called Wilmington home since 1980, where they feel blessed to have two of their four children and two grandchildren living close by.

Paul, a retired Lutheran pastor, is the son-in-law of the late Van and Kay Weatherspoon, who were cherished long-time homeowners on the island. Paul and his wife, Martha, are grateful for their family, which includes two sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren, with a fourth on the way.

 

Raised in East Africa within a missionary family, Paul has ministered as a pastor in Charlotte, Hartford, CT, St. Cloud, MN, and Elk River, MN, over the course of his career.

Christopher embarked on his ministry at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in 2011. He has taken on leadership roles such as moderating Presbytery Committees, serving on the Montreat Retreat Association Board, and acting as President of the Board of the Presbyterian Outlook.

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A regular contributor to various blogs and publications, including the Presbyterian Outlook and Duke Divinity School’s Faith and Leadership Blog, Christopher has shared his insights through preaching and teaching across the Southeast. He often leads church retreats and speaks at conferences, bringing his voice to a wide audience.

Bob is married to Sally, a retired Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and together they have four children and two grandchildren. He holds degrees from N.C. State University and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.

 

Over the course of his more than 40-year ministry, Bob has served five congregations: two in North Carolina, one in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, one in Troon, Scotland, and one in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

The Very Rev. Milton C. Williams, Jr. serves as the rector of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Greensboro, NC. Originally from Suffolk, Virginia, Father Williams graduated with a B.S. from Virginia State University in 1983, followed by an M.Div. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1987, and a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1996.

 

His ministry has taken him across the globe, including missionary work in South Brazil and Fairbanks, Alaska. Between 1988 and 1990, he taught at the University of South East Asia and Pui Ching Middle School in Macau, South East Asia.

Dr. Tom Milam oversees a team of clinicians, providing expert guidance in telemedicine and adherence to industry best practices. He earned his undergraduate degree in Anthropology from West Virginia University, graduating summa cum laude, before obtaining his M.D. from the University of Virginia. His psychiatric residency training was completed at Duke University and UVA. Throughout his career in psychiatry, Dr. Milam has held leadership positions and notably pioneered a telepsychiatry program at his prior hospital. 

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In addition to his medical achievements, Dr. Milam is an ordained Episcopalian priest, having earned a Master of Divinity from Yale University. He enjoys a variety of sports and loves traveling with his wife and their four children.