SDPC Staff and Leadership
Mark Cary, Senior Pastor
 Pastor Mark Cary was converted in 1979. Shortly after his conversion,
Pastor Mark worked in an inner city church in Philadelphia. He helped
with a variety of ministries including teaching English to refugees and
managing a thrift shop designed to touch the lives of people trapped in
poverty. While there he met and married his wife, Sarah.
Mark began his seminary studies at the
Reformed Episcopal
Seminary in Philadelphia and finished seminary at
Sangre
de Cristo Seminary in Colorado. He holds a BA in biblical counseling
from Trinity College and a Master of Divinity from Sangre de Cristo
Seminary. He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in
May of 1990.
Mark has pastored in rural Custer County, Colorado, suburban Las Cruces,
New Mexico, and in the Baltimore/Washington, DC metro area at Chapelgate
Presbyterian Church where he served as Minister with Single Adults,
overseeing a singles group and a divorce recovery ministry. He was the
associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Gadsden, Alabama,
before coming to South Dayton Presbyterian Church in 2004. Pastor Mark
and his family spent 2001 ministering in the Czech Republic.
Mark and Sarah have two children, Elisabeth (1987) and Paul (1989).
For a fuller picture of our pastor's heart and direction in ministry,
see:
Email Mark at mark.cary@southdaytonpcachurch.org.
Fred McFarland, Interim Assistant Pastor
Pastor Fred McFarland grew up in a Christian family. His relationship with God grew though family devotions and the churches the family attended as they moved around the United States. He shared his faith for the first time in eighth grade. When he was a college freshman in southern California pursuing an engineering degree and involved with campus ministry, Fred was call to pastoral ministry. He transferred and graduated from http://www.covenant.edu where he met and married his wife Celeste. They moved to St Louis, MO where Fred graduated from http://www.covenantseminary.edu/. At both Covenant College and Covenant Seminary he was influenced by the teaching and books of Francis Schaeffer.
His post seminary internship was in Christian Education through Christian Training, Inc at Coventry House, Coventry, CT. He was ordained by the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod in October 1976.
Fred pastored Grace Presbyterian Church in the historic university town of Lexington, VA. He was then called to pastor Hope Presbyterian Church in Gilbert, AZ in the growing metropolitan Phoenix area.
Fred joined the US Air Force Reserves as a chaplain in 1983 and was called to active duty in 1989. He first deployed overseas in 1988, served in Desert Shield/Storm, Allied Force, Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent almost eight years overseas. A lieutenant colonel, he retired from active duty in the Air Force 1 August 2010.
Fred and Celeste have three married daughters and seven grandchildren.
Email Fred at fred.mcfarland@southdaytonpcachurch.org
David Pratt, Director of Music and Worship Leader
 David Pratt has been part of the South Dayton Presbyterian Church (SDPC)
family since 1996. He quickly became part of the music ministry, and in
May of 2001 he became the part time Director of Music and Worship Leader
while also working at Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems. In June of 2006
David became the full time Director of Music and Worship Leader.
David's musical background includes childhood piano and theory, school
orchestra, marching and symphonic bands, and vocal and jazz ensembles.
He has experience in strings, brass, percussion, guitar, and choral/solo
voice. He has sung in the University Men's Chorus and the Show Choir at
University of Cincinnati, the University Chorus, the Collegiate Chorale and the Chamber Singers
at Wright State University, and the Chorale and Chamber Singers at
Sinclair Community College. He also played percussion in the Sinclair
Community Concert Band. In 2006, he sang in the chorus in the Dayton
Philharmonic Orchestra production of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. David holds an AA in Music from Sinclair
Community College with concentration on vocal studies. He is currently
attending Wright State University where he is working on a BA in Music
Education.
Besides music, David's hobbies include backpacking and other outdoor
activities such as camping, hiking, canoeing, hunting and fishing. He also enjoys
cooking. He and his wife, Gayle, have two daughters, Amanda (1995) and
Emily (1998).
David pursues a growing understanding of what it is to worship the
living God by searching the Scriptures, reading books and articles on
worship, dialoguing with other worship leaders and attending various
conferences on the topic. It is his desire to bring SDPC ever closer to
biblical worship in spirit and in truth.
Email David at david.pratt@southdaytonpcachurch.org.
Kitty Drake, Secretary/Receptionist
 Kitty
joined the SDPC staff in December, 2008. She comes to us with 7
years of experience as an Administrative Assistant to the Worship
Pastor at another area church. She holds a Bachelor of Music
Degree in Vocal Performance from Wittenberg University, and has
used her gifts to serve as adult and children's choir director at
churches in Ohio and Arizona.
Kitty currently serves as a Development Department Volunteer at the
Miami Valley Women's Center in Kettering. Kitty and her husband of
31 years, TL, have been stationed in 4 states and in Japan while TL
served in the U.S. Air Force. They have two grown children.
Kitty's life verse is Exodus 15:2 "The Lord is my strength and my
song; he has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise
him; my father's God and I will exalt him."
Email Kitty at
kitty.drake@southdaytonpcachurch.org
Ronni Hall, Administrative Assistant
 Ronni joined the SDPC staff in April, 2010. She has a diverse administrative background that includes co-chairing a large area wide fundraising event for the American Cancer Society, supporting various ministries in her church and around the community. She was formerly the president of the Sinclair Chorale at Sinclair Community College, was on Dean’s list at Ohio Institute of Photography, studied Biblical Theology at Vineyard Bible Institute, and is currently a student of Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
She also has her own business called Foresight Foto and Design that focuses on non profit ministries and Christian bands, which seeks to give photography and design services to ministries that otherwise couldn’t afford it.
Ronni’s favorite activities are singing, playing guitar, riding her motorcycle, reading, painting, and writing. She has been married to her husband Martin, since 1996.
Her favorite verses of the Bible are Isaiah 40:3-5
Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
The glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Email Ronni at ronni.hall@southdaytonpcachurch.org
Elders (active)
Deacons (active)
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