Bridgehampton
Presbyterian Church
Meet The Team
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The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt, B.D.
Adrian was born and raised in a coastal town on the Wirral Peninsular called Moreton, situated on the opposite side of the River Mersey to Liverpool, England. While his earliest days saw only fleeting involvement with church life, in his later teens he became involved with a Presbyterian Church that was at the end of the road where his family resided.
Through that church's ministry he was led to a place of Christian commitment that led to sensing a call to full-time Christian work. In 1979 he attended Aberystwyth Theological College (an affiliated college with the University of Wales) emerging with a Bachelor of Divinity degree and a Certificate in Pastoral Studies. In 1984 he was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament within the Presbyterian Church of Wales.
In the United Kingdom he served in a number of different positions, including rural market towns, inner city ministry, hospital chaplaincy and multi-church pastorates. These included St Thomas's Denbigh & Ruthin English Presbyterian Churches, Clubmoor and Orrell Presbyterian Churches in the City of Liverpool, and Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Menai Bridge Presbyterian Churches in North Wales. While in Liverpool he served as a Part-Time Hospital Chaplain at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Following a pastoral exchange visit to Red Wing, Minnesota, he began to explore the possibility of accepting a call to the PC(USA).
That call eventually came through Fayetteville Presbyterian Church, West Virginia. He was received in 1996 as a minister within the Presbytery of West Virginia and enjoyed over twelve years ministering in churches at Fayetteville and in Beckley, West Virginia. In 2009 he accepted a call to First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, Long Island, New York, then in September 2014 to Mount Hebron Presbyterian Church, Maryland.
Throughout over 35 years of ordained ministry he has served as a worship leader and speaker at numerous events for both youth and adults, participated in mission trips worldwide and sought to be a faithful participant in the lives of the different communities, churches and Presbyteries he has been a part of. His gifts of preaching, teaching and music making have been a source of joy and inspiration to many.
Beginning September 1, 2020, he now serves as Half-Time Designated Interim Minister for Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church and Half-Time Presbytery of Long Island Minister for Vital Congregations in the East End.
Elizabeth Barton
Financial Secretary
Born in Wooster, Ohio, I lived in New Jersey and then Indiana until I moved to Washington D.C. following my graduation from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana. During that time, all or part of every summer was spent in Sagaponack until 1998 when I moved here full-time to the family home. I joined Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church in 1999, and have served as Deacon, Elder, and Clerk of Session before taking on my present task of Financial Recording Secretary/Assistant Treasurer. I’m also a member of the senior choir and bell choir as well as serving on the Worship & Mission Committees of the church. In addition to my church activities, I’m a member of the Choral Society of the Hamptons, the Bridgehampton Association and the Wainscott Sewing Society.
Michael Wootton
Treasurer
Michael and his two children, Carley (20) and Kesha (18) are second generation members of the BHPC community. Michael serves as our treasurer and is a member of our finance community. Following graduation from Georgia Tech and Columbia Business School, he settled in NYC and started a career in banking, trading foreign exchange derivatives. After 20 plus years of living in NYC, he and his family became fulltime residents of Wainscott in 2006. He’s an avid NY Ranger fan, and when he’s not biking or cheering on the Rangers - he teaches swimming at the East Hampton YMCA rec center.
Ruffino Lopez
Sexton
Our Sexton Rufino Lopez joined the staff in February 2019. Not a newcomer to the church, he has helped out on many tasks over the last 20 years as an employee of a local farm in Sagaponack. In addition to his responsibilities at the church, he is willing volunteer at the food pantry and helps with the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival in the summer.
Joan Gray
Church Secretary and Social Media Editor
February 2011 - Present. With 25+ years of corporate experience in NYC, my career has encompassed all levels of administrative support, office / business manager, as well as corporate secretary. Marrying a local boy, I fell in love with the town and serendipitously became the church secretary. With a working career of 50 years, it is quite the blessing to have my dream job and support a pastor as well as the congregation.
Thomas White
Director of Music & Organist
Tom, began singing in the church’s Junior Choir at age 7 and moved to the adult choir at age 13. He sang his first concert with the Choral Society of the Hampton's shortly thereafter.
Tom took an early interest in the organ at age 10 and after private study here with Jane Stevens and Charlotte Rogers Smith, continued studies in Columbus, Ohio during college. Upon returning to the east end, He took a leadership role as Dean of the Sunrise Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and held that position for 10 years.
He has sung under the baton of Hugh Ross, Robert Shaw, John Daley Goodwin, Walter Klauss, Margurite Brooks, and
Mark Mangini among others.
Tom joined the staff in the latter half of 1998.
Emily Otto
Director of Christian Education
Joined the staff in January 2019. She had been serving on the Christian Education Committee for 8 years prior to becoming the Christian Education Director. She has also served a term on Session as well as on Deacons. Emily grew up in Bridgehampton and therefore has grown up in the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, attending Sunday School and Church Camps then leading up to becoming a youth helper and returning after college to serve on the Christian Education Committee. She is married, and together they have a daughter. Emily has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from SUNY Geneseo and a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from NYIT. She currently also works for the Southampton School District in the Special Education department. Emily has a passion for working with children and helping them to further their religious understanding through real life applications of the teachings of Jesus.