Community Presbyterian Church has a knowledgable and dedicated leadership team made up of our staff and a hardworking volunteer base. We are blessed to have such a diverse group of believers working tirelessly each week to ensure that our Beaches community is thriving in faith. We encourage you to get more involved!

Melanie Marsh Baum
melanie@cpcab.org
Senior Pastor
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Meet Melanie. Melanie Marsh Baum is our Senior Pastor and Head of Staff. She is an artist, a dancer, a creative spirit, and also an Ordained Minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA. Melanie holds a BFA in Theatre and Dance from Florida State University, and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary.  Before going into Ministry, Melanie worked in the Performing Arts, Arts education, and community activism in Central Florida and Southern California. She has served churches in New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and now Community Presbyterian Church in Atlantic Beach. Melanie and Darrell have three children, Violet, Lena and James.

Robert McCrary
robert@cpcab.org

Minister of Family Life

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Meet Robert. Robert is an ordained minister and has been in youth ministry for almost 25 years! He is on the National Response Team for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and has led Community Presbyterian’s mission teams who respond to disasters all over the south east. As the leader on Community Presbyterian’s Living Water team, the church has served in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and The Dominican Republic. Robert’s passion, besides serving in his ministry his passions are his family and surfing (been surfing for 50 years). Robert is married to Trish, and they have two sons, Andrew and Brian, as well as six grandchildren. 

Melissa Daniel
melissa@cpcab.org
Director of Christian Education
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Meet Melissa. Melissa Daniel is the Director of Christian Educator at Community Presbyterian Church. Since taking this position, Melissa has maintained and grown popular programs such as 1st and 3rd Wednesday night dinner, VBS, Sunday School, Advent and Lent events, Women’s Retreat, and Church Retreat. She has also led (or participated in) adding new programs such as Christmas VBS, Spiritual Care Ministry, and monthly meetings with other area Christian educators to support one another and share ideas. Prior to working at Community Presbyterian, Melissa was a stay-at-home mom, as well as an engineer (she holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering). In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her three girls – Mia, Chloe and Alex – and husband Brian.  She also likes to run, read, and advocate for children through her involvement in PTA.

Ashley Black
ashley@cpcab.org
Director of Preschool
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Meet Ashley. Ashley Black is the director at CPPK and is extremely blessed to work with this devoted program and church. She was born and raised in Beatrice, Nebraska, and moved to Florida in 2009 with her loving husband Jonathan. They were married in 2010, and now have two children, Benjamin and Eliza. Ashely received her Bachelor of Science from University of Nebraska in education and human sciences. Out of college she worked with Head Start before moving to Jacksonville and teaching for nine years in VPK. In 2015 she completed her director’s credential with VPK endorsement and have been serving CPPK since 2018. Ashley loves hiking nature trails and enjoying the outdoors with her family. She and her husband have always loved Disney and feel like kids at heart; so, they now enjoy sharing those experiences with their children. Her indulgences are coffee and chocolate, but they will never make her as happy as watching children learn and grow. Ashely is passionate about guiding teachers to their full potential, following legislation, and impacting it in the right direction for CPPK children.
Thomas Lyons
thomas@cpcab.org

Music Minister 

Juanita Loftin Thomas
juanita@cpcab.org
Administrative Assistant
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Meet Juanita. Juanita Loftin-Thomas is the Office Administrator for Community Presbyterian Church. She has been in this role for the past years. Juanita served in the United States Navy for 10 years, also in charge of office administration (so she learned from the best). Juanita and her husband have five children together, and their names are Ashley, Seandria, Brianna, Shekinah and Kevin. In her spare time, she likes to ride bikes, cook (their favorite meals are Lemon Dill Salmon and Shrimp Quesadilla’s), and enjoy life.

Session Members

Moderator:

Reverend Melanie Marsh-Baum

Stated Clerk:

Lisa Herrold

 

Class of 2021

  • Jill Carlee
  • Bruce Andrews
  • Emma Cottrell
  • Jim Gann
  • Summer Sklenicka
  • Jeff Wight

Class of 2022

  • Mike Davis
  • Lisa Herrold
  • Craig Jeup
  • Traci Kilby
  • Jackson Schrock
  •  

Class of 2023

  • Tom Beeler
    Nancy Bodge
    Melinda Goins
    Paul Herman
    Mike Little

Deacons

Class of 2021

  • Ginny and Jim Byrd
  • Beth Cottrell
  • Beverly Floyd
  • Maria Luckey
  • Susan VanLierop
  • Larry Whitacre

Class of 2022

  • Carol Anderson-Brennan
  • Joan Craddock
  • Martha Gainer
  • Kim McCormick
  • Brooks Anne Meirdierks
  • Doug and Janie Papke

Class of 2023

  • Beth Collins-Himes
    Brandy Beeler
    Hank Isaacs
    Gail Backfish
    Luanne Baldwin
    Jerry Redfield

Trustees

Class of 2021

  • Ray Kreichelt
  • Beech Watson

Class of 2022

  • Jay Faulkner
  • David Harvey

Class of 2023

  • Tim Stalter
    Susan Stewart

Property

Manages campus including maintenance, repairs, and improvements.

Chair:

Frank Tappin

  • Bob Burch
  • Bruce Floyd
  • Tony Gindlesperger
  • David Lambert
  • Jeff Wight
  • David Hoppens

Finance

Manages all budgeting and church finances.

Chair:

Jim Gann
  • Rick Banks
  • Nicole Brose
  • Jay Faulkner
  • Ray Fischer
  • Maria Luckey
  • Tim Stalter
  • Beech Watson

Mission

Oversees and coordinates church mission work.

Chair:

Melinda Goins

  • Robert McCrary
  • Eric Wild
  • Jim Simmons
  • Summer Sklenicka
  • Jackson Schrock
  • Sherril Brown
  • Dianne McAuliffe
  • Glenn Yeakel
  •  

Congregational Life

Coordination with the Deacons for all church events, such as funerals, church dinners, and other activities (subcommittee of the Deacons).
  • Joan Craddock
  • Jim Gann
  • Marsha Kreuz
  • Penny Kamish

Worship and Music

Chair:

Jill Carlee
  • Cindy Anderson
  • Carol Brennan
  • Claire Brennan
  • Carrie Brown
  • Kelly Craddock
  • Phyllis Haeseler
  • Nelda Henderson
  • Chris Kopp
  • Kathy Millard

Christian Education

Co/Chair:

Traci Kilby

Co/Chair:

Emma Cottrell
  • Lisa Herrold
  • Melissa Gann
  • Carrie Gilbert
  • Lynn Robertson
  • Marsha Kreuz

Memorial Garden Committee

Chair:

Hank Isaacs
  • Toni Gindlesperger
  • Phyllis Haeseler
  • Nanci Faulkner