Meet the Staff
Pastor/Head of Staff: Rev. Dave Carpenter
The Reverend Dave Carpenter attended Tufts University in Boston and graduated from Eastern College in Philadelphia. Dave obtained his M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary. During seminary, Dave was involved in Young Life and spent a year-long internship in South Africa when apartheid laws were dismantled. Dave was privileged to work with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African Council of Churches, and a host of reconciliation ministries.
From 1991 to 1997 Dave served as the Associate for Youth, Children and Families at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westlake Village, CA. From 1997 to 2002 he served as Pastor of Singles and Church Life Ministries at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston. After marrying, Dave took a 16-month honeymoon to 45 countries, meeting with churches and mission organizations before assuming his position in 2004 as Pastor/Head of Staff at Presbyterian Church in Morristown, NJ. With a collaborative style of leadership, Dave helped the congregation develop contemporary worship, strengthen youth and small group ministries, and attract younger and more diverse members.
Mission and service are Dave’s first loves. Dave believes the church should be a place where believers are connected in community, fed and equipped for ministry, and then sent out -- daring to give expression to their faith in ways that touch the lives of others. Through Dave’s work in such places as Africa, Northern Ireland, Croatia, Mexico and American inner cities, he has learned the value of “hands on” ministry and has seen faith ignited as people venture out to touch a world in need.
In their free time, Dave and his wife, Yvette, can be found traveling, kayaking, hiking, reading, kickboxing, or wandering with their golden retriever, Zanzibar. Changing from a career in elementary education, Yvette has completed her credentials for a career in nursing.
Since the birth of their daughter, Ryan, in 2007, Dave’s top priority outside work has been to rush home as fast as humanly possible, change into comfortable clothes, flop onto the floor with Ryan, and, in Dave’s words, “get lost in new worlds I never could never imagined.”
Associate Pastor: Rev. Dr. Roché Vermaak, Ph.D.
While growing up in South Africa, Roché came to faith when he was just six years old. His journey of faith continued, and as a junior God called him to ministry. He enrolled in the University of Pretoria's Theology program and met Kobie. Roché graduated with a B.A. in Theology, followed by a post Bachelor's degree in Greek, a M.Div degree (valedictorian), a M.Th with a specialization in New Testament Studies, and a Ph.D in church polity (all cum laude) from the University of Pretoria. His dissertation was on the gay and lesbian ordination and same-gender marriage debates in the PC(USA). Roché's continuous training and studies have fueled his passion for teaching and preaching.
He started ministry as the youth pastor of a 1,200 member suburban church, then pastor/head of staff of a 750 member inner-city church, and lastly serving for five years as one of five co-pastors at a 2,800 member church in suburban Pretoria, South Africa. In all three congregations his focus and love was Children, Youth and Christian Education ministries. However, God had other plans and Roché and his wife took a leap of faith and immigrated to the USA in 2001 where he served as solo pastor in Brawley, CA. They moved to BPC in June 2005.
Roché's wife, Kobie (pronounced "Kwibie"), and he have been married for 23 years and have two children, Cara and Leo. They love adventure and experiencing new environments and cultures, and inherited the travel bug from their parents. Kobie, also a native South African, is the Pastor at Wilshire Presbyterian Church.
Roché says "I'm passionate about Jesus Christ and about life - my family, work, teaching, preaching, my friends. I love seeing people grow into their faith and their ministries. BPC has stretched my faith and theology. I have found a faith community that reflects my values of inclusiveness and welcoming. And, I love specializing in Christian Education."
Roché's hobbies include golf, snowboarding, reading, traveling and camping.
Director of Business Administration: Bill Prescott
Bill joined BPC in 2011, providing administrative oversight over the business affairs of the church in the areas of bookkeeping and financial administration, facilities upkeep and maintenance, personnel administration, and technology systems. Prior to joining BPC, he worked at Chatsworth Hills Academy, a private school in the San Fernando Valley, as their Business Manager. Before going to Chatsworth, Bill served as the Business Administrator for First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica for five years. Prior to that, he was an assistant to the Corporate CFO of Harman International Industries in Northridge, focusing in International Risk Management, property management, and divisional accounting projects. Bill has been married for 42 years and has three grown children – Kati, Danny & Theresa. His wife Joyce is a third grade teacher in the independent school system. He have been an active member of Prince of Peace Church in Woodland Hills for 18 years serving in numerous ministries. In his spare time, he is the artistic director and founder of The Prince’s Players, a local community theater.
Mission Director: Nancy Munn Smith
Elder Nancy Munn Smith joined the BPC staff in 1996. She was graduated from Monmouth College in Illinois with a B.A. in English and minors in History and Secondary Education. She has served at several schools, primarily in communications and program development including several years in administration at Viewpoint School in Calabasas. She is an elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In 1990, Nancy was appointed through the PC(USA) General Assembly as an interpreter and story teller for international mission in the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii, and held that position for ten years; connecting local and global ministries through the arts in interactive conferences and workshops. Since 1995 she has co-facilitated annual young adult and mission co-worker re-entry retreats for PC(USA).
Parish Associate: Rev. Amanda Adams Riley
Amanda is Parish Associate at Brentwood Presbyterian Church. A native of Washington, DC, Amanda and her husband Bill moved to Southern California in August of 2010. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and ordained to a resident in Parish Ministry position in 2005, Amanda served the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor Michigan for two years as part of their Lily-funded Pastoral Residency Program. Following her time in Ann Arbor she served as Associate Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Fenton, MI. While in Fenton she served on the Committee on Representation as chair and the Committee on Ministry for the Presbytery of Lake Huron, most recently as Vice Moderator. She also served as Clerk Pro-Tem for the Presbytery in the midst of transition. Amanda is enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry Program at McCormick Theological Seminary, and is co-author of the book The Girlfriends’ Clergy Companion. As Parish Associate, Amanda enjoys worship leadership, preaching and her work with the mission committee and congregational care. Amanda lives with her husband and son in South Bay.
Director of Congregational Care: Mary Garbesi
Mary is Director of Congregational Care and has been with BPC since 2009. She both coordinates and is a member of the Pastoral Care Team, offering a caring pastoral presence to those who are ill, dying, or grieving, or who are experiencing various stage-of -life situations. Mary also works along side the Congregational Care Deacon Board and the Care Team in extending a caring and compassionate presence to BPC members. She frequently helps church members and others to connect with appropriate community resources. Prior to joining BPC, Mary served as Director of Caring Ministries and Spiritual Formation at First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. She holds a license in Marriage and Family Therapy, is a Certified Spiritual Director, Labyrinth Facilitator and Grief Specialist. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Ohio State University and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Loyola Marymount.
Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministries:
Amy Klinkovsky
A lifelong Presbyterian, Amy left a 12-year career in higher education marketing and communications at Texas A&M University to move to Los Angeles and attend San Francisco Theological Seminary/Southern California where she just completed her first year of study. In Texas, Amy was an active youth advisor and a deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Bryan, the church whose care she is under during the seminary process. She also served as the adult co-moderator for two-and-a-half years for the Presbyterian Youth Connection Council in the Presbytery of New Covenant and participated in the Presbyterian Youth Triennium in 2001, 2004 and 2007 as a sponsor, Presbytery coordinator and small group leader, respectively.
Director of Children's Ministry: Rebekah Lowe
Rebekah Lowe’s love for Children’s Ministry began in Kansas City eventually bringing her to Southern California to earn her B.A. in Biblical Studies with minors in Leadership Studies and Hebrew at Azusa Pacific University. Since 2007, Rebekah has been creating meaningful worship experiences and developing curriculum as Director of Children’s Ministry at Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, CA.
Office Manager: Suzie Crisp
Suzie Crisp has been the Office Manager at BPC since 1990. She keeps the office running, works with all areas of ministry on calendaring events and facility needs, supports the pastors working on special projects, and serves as the Recorder for the Session Board. She and her husband, Kevin, have been members of BPC since 1985 and they have one adult daughter, Laura. Suzie's hobbies are reading (her favorites are mysteries and old children's books) and gardening; she also hikes, sails, and goes wine tasting in the central California coastal region whenever possible.
Information Systems Manager: John Flynn
John became a member of BPC in 1992. In 1998, at an age when retirement is a common option, John joined the staff to provide IT support for the newly installed computer network. Before (and after) that date, the highlights of John's journey include a wonderful wife and traveling companion, JoAnn, five amazing children, 14 grandchildren; and an abundance of God's grace.
Communications Coordinator/Office Assistant: Jesse Brown
In addition to answering phones and helping guests and members in the church office, Jesse works with staff, Session, members and a host of volunteers to develop and implement a strategic communications plan for BPC. This includes updating the website, and general church outreach from newsletters to Facebook to advertisement. Jesse hails from the Flori-bbean island of Key West. She received her BA in Sociology and Spanish from Smith College, and studied in Madrid before going on to graduate with her MSc in Global Politics from the London School of Economics. After a few years of working for The Brookings Institution and the U.S. Government in Washington D.C., Baghdad and South Sudan, she relocated to Los Angeles and joined BPC in 2011. To reach Jesse with any communications or general questions please email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).