Staff

I arrived in Raleigh just in time to become a grandmother. Marika, my eldest daughter has lived and worked here for a decade. Maevis is now two. My youngest daughter, Janna, is in her second year of residency at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Both are redheads. (I too belong to the ginger tribe!)

For over 30 years, my ministry took place in the San Francisco Bay area. I was a pastor at an inner-city church in Oakland, a large suburban church and a neighborhood church in San Jose. Between these pastorates, I served as the Director of Communications for San Francisco Theological Seminary, as a staff consultant for a Human Resource firm and as the Director of the Interfaith Council on Economic Justice in Silicon Valley where I worked on behalf of low-wage workers and undocumented immigrants. 

In 2011, I left California to become a pastor in the French Reformed Church, first in the historically Protestant region of the Cevennes mountains, and then in Reims where my parish included “champagne Protestants” as well as African immigrants. I returned to the US and served a congregation in Elkhart, Indiana. 

I look forward to my time with Western Blvd. as your interim pastor. 

email: rebecca.kuiken@gmail.com

Bruce Grady is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina.  He is married to his best friend, Michele Moore, and they have two children, Isaiah and Alexa.

He received degrees from North Carolina State University in 1991 (BS), Duke University, The Divinity School in 1994 (MDiv), Princeton Theological Seminary in 1996 (ThM), and Columbia University, Teachers College in 2002 (EdD). Ordained on September 30, 1997, Bruce has served congregations in New York and North Carolina.  He has proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ in South Africa, Liberia, Mexico, the Czech Republic and Haiti. He continues to participate in grass roots organizations which address a range of community issues from challenging the wrongs of inequality in education to building alliances across racial, economic, and denominational lines.

He affirms the words from Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths”.  He currently serves as the Associate Pastor of Evangelism and Community Outreach at Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Raleigh.

email: bgrady9039@gmail.com

Elizabeth Davis is excited to join WBPC as the Director of Music and Organist and is looking forward to working with the choirs and music groups to share in faith and worship together. 

She has earned degrees from the University of South Carolina (Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Pedagogy), UNC-Greensboro (Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy), and Hobe Sound Bible College (B.A. in Music Education/Piano with a concentration in Church Music and organ). Elizabeth was raised in a pastor’s home and has a deep love and appreciation for church music and hymnody, and especially enjoys improvising hymn-tunes on the piano/organ. She has served several Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal and United Methodist Churches in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina in various capacities over the past 12 years as permanent Director of Music/Organist as well as interim positions.

In addition to working with adult, youth and children’s church music groups, Elizabeth loves the opportunity to share the joy of music with piano students of all ages and abilities. She is a respected piano pedagogue and instructor with an emphasis in teaching piano to adult learners and students with Autism and other special needs. Elizabeth also enjoys many opportunities to serve as an adjudicator for piano festivals and competitions in NC/SC, serve on faculty at summer music camps, and give presentations at local, state and national conferences for music teachers.

When she’s not practicing, writing or teaching, Elizabeth enjoys traveling (often with her sister, Kimberly), cooking and baking new recipes, trying new coffee shops and restaurants, reading, research, and attempting to learn new languages.

email: edavis.piano@gmail.com

Van-Anthoney Hall, tenor, holds a Master of Music in voice/opera performance from Southern Methodist University as a Bruce Foote scholar and a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal performance from North Carolina A&T State University. He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has had the pleasure of working with Dallas Opera, Utah Festival Opera and Houston Ebony Opera companies and Virgina Tech Theatre. His vocal credits include opera/theatre performances in the Marriage of Figaro, Tosca, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Porgy and Bess, Black Nativity, The Consul and the Merry Widow. His concert credits include faculty and regional recitals of Spirituals and Art Songs. Currently, Van is an applied voice professor at North Carolina A&T State University   email:vananthoney.h@gmail.com

Bobbi Cross was born into the Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church family and is a graduate of Western Boulevard Kindergarten (as it was known then).  She attended Elon College and NCSU.  She has worked at the preschool for 24+ years.  Bobbi has experience in behavioral issues, the strong willed child and training in Second Step Violence and Anger Management program.  She has been the Director of the WBPP summer camp for the past 5 years.  She is married to Jerry and they have 2 daughters, Kaycee Rice and Krystee Cross.  email: wbppdirector@gmail.com

Anna Richardson Raab is a native of Greensboro, NC and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She is married to Jonathan, her high school sweetheart.  Throughout college Anna worked as a church intern, specializing in youth ministry, and realized her passion for working with young people in the church.  In addition to her role as the Youth Fellowship Coordinator at WBPC, Anna also serves as the moderator of the Presbytery of New Hope Youth Council and works as the Director of Administration and Communications at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church.  email: annarich430@gmail.com