The Session of FPCE |
The Board of Deacons |
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Florence K. Raisig, clerk
Rhonda Apessos Marcia Haley Tim Hoffman Tyler McGuigan Tim McKee Amy Moore Judy Mysels Jim Segedy Lisa Segedy Bobbie Thompson |
Angel Lehrian, moderator
Elaine Cloonan, vice moderator Rick Masten, secretary John Foster, treasurer Wayne Dean Abigail Lehrian Stephanie McGuigan Sue Pollick |
Our Church Staff
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The Rev. Jason A. Dauer - Pastor
click for e-mail Jason Dauer (he/him) is excited about what the Church is and what it is called to become. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Jason has always felt called to grow deep where he is planted and is excited about the ways in which God is moving in this region. Jason earned his Master of Divinity with an emphasis in New Faith Communities from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2021. He received the John Watson Prize in New Testament Greek and the Jackson Hale Prize in Polity. During his second year at PTS, he received the Valentour Fellowship, allowing him to travel to South Africa, the Philippines, and Indonesia to learn about LGBTQ-affirming ministries from our Christian siblings in other countries. While at PTS, he served as the Student Pastor for Sanctuary Faith Community. Over the past three years, Jason worked to form the new church development Stonewall Abbey, a faith community that seeks to create holy, intentional places of connection for spiritual wanderers and outcasts. This community has gathered for a monthly bonfire to talk about spirituality and non-traditional saints of the Church. He also worked as the Office and Communications Coordinator for Wexford Presbyterian Church. Before seminary, Jason enjoyed serving up iced lattes and flat whites at the Franklin Park Starbucks and was the Director of Family Ministries at Perry Highway Lutheran Church. Most of Jason’s extended family live in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, and his great-great-grandparents helped form Franklin Park Baptist Church, where Jason led youth Sunday services and took part in many years of church cookouts and Cub Scout meetings. It was at this church that his family instilled in him a love for music—playing in the bell choir, singing in the choir, and playing violin. Jason is married to his husband David Falk, who works as a Senior Technical Product Manager for McDonald’s. Although they met in Pittsburgh, they maintained a long-distance relationship while they completed their respective master’s degrees, but they were able to visit each other regularly thanks to the overnight Amtrak train between Pittsburgh and Chicago. Together, David and Jason enjoy exploring local breweries, trying new board games, and playing with their cats Blake and Byron and new addition puppy Harvey Milkbone. They recently bought their first home in Morningside and look forward to many happy years in Pittsburgh. |
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Shaun Cloonan - Minister of Music
Click for e-mail Shaun Cloonan is no stranger to FPCE. This is his home church – he's been around the congregation since he was baptized as an infant by the late pastor emeritus Dr. Hollingsworth. Upon graduation from Westminster College in 2000, Shaun became tenor soloist with the Edgewood Sanctuary Choir. Shortly thereafter, he joined pianist Sunny Sakai leading music at the former Wednesday Night “Edge” service, while working as a graduate assistant in the choral department at Duquesne University. In late 2003, he took over as Interim, then a year later, as Director of, and now Minister of Music. He selects the music for weekly worship, directs the Sanctuary Choir, serves as song leader/cantor, leads the Emerging Worship Ensemble, and coordinates the church's Music Outreach efforts that bring outside ensembles into the church building. Shaun also maintains FPCE's online presence (website, social media, YouTube), and is the resident "sound guy." Outside of Edgewood, Mr. Cloonan is a music teacher in the North Hills School District. He currently leads 3 curricular and 2 extra-curricular middle and high school choirs, directs the middle school musical, and serves as producer for the high school drama program. Professionally, he has sung with the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, St. Maurice Masterworks Choir, and is a current member and board president of Voces Solis. Shaun is active with his professional organizations, having served in various board positions for PMEA and ACDA-PA, helping to plan conferences, manage websites and social media accounts, design and coordinate publicity, edit newsletters, host festivals, lead workshops, and guest conduct choral festivals. Shaun resides in Blackridge, just around the corner from retired FPCE Pastor Michael Rucker. |
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Sunny Sakai - Pianist
Click for e-mail Sonomi Sakai and her family joined FPCE in 1999 after moving to the Pittsburgh area from Toronto. Originally from Kyoto, Japan, Sunny began her piano studies at the age of four. She is a graduate of the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, with a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Piano Performance. In 1984, she attended a four-week master course in Vienna, Austria, where she studied with Noel Flores. She has performed in numerous recitals as a soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist in Japan, Canada, and the United States. Since moving to Pittsburgh, she has begun teaching private lessons, played for recitals, accompanied choirs, and played with the Cross Culture Jazz Quartet. Beginning in 2001, Sunny served as the primary accompanist for FPCE’s Wednesday Night Worship service, “The Edge.” Her time exploring more contemporary styles of music sparked an interest in jazz, and she began studying improvisation at the Afro-American Institute with Dr. James Johnson. Over the next 10 years, she would start playing more with the Sanctuary Choir on select anthems as well as with the Emerging Worship instrumental ensemble. In 2010, she began taking organ lessons, at which point she took over as organist in addition to her piano duties. Sunny resides in Wilkins Township with her husband, Ted. They have three adult children who grew up at FPCE and are now pursuing successful careers across the United States. |
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Judy Mysels - Office & Cleaning Manager
Click for e-mail Judy Mysels joined the church staff as Program Secretary in 1989, back when the church supported 2 full time pastors and 2 full time secretaries. Over the years, her responsibilities have evolved as the church has changed. If you call the church office, it will likely be Judy's friendly voice that greets you. She serves as office & cleaning manger, making sure the office runs smoothly and the building is kept beautiful for daily use. From 2015-2020, she served as Program Director of our after school program for neighborhood children, FROGS. Judy oversaw a staff of dedicated volunteers, partnered with Edgewood Elementary School, Wilkinsburg Community Ministry, and PACES educational non-profit, assuring that our elementary students had a safe place to come for a snack, activity, and homework help 2 days per week until the program ended due to Covid closures. She has also served on the board of Deacons and is a current member of Session, chairing the Communication and Outreach Committee. Judy has coordinated FPCE participation in the Pittsburgh East CROP Hunger Walk each October since 2003. She and husband Rob reside in Edgewood, and have 2 adult children. |
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Rob Mysels - Building Manager
click for e-mail Rob Mysels has served as Building Manager at FPCE since 2004. He can be seen doing larger projects around the church building and grounds, like painting, repairing ceiling tiles, climbing up on ladders to change light bulbs in the sanctuary, helping with setup/teardown of holiday decorations and larger events, landscaping, and any other special requests of the Session's Property Committee. When not at FPCE, Rob can be found all over the city as a Silicon maintenance engineer (aka master window washer - which explains why he's so comfortable on ladders!). |