Rev. Diane Faires BEadle (She/HEr)
Senior Minister
Diane feels thankful to have served at St. Paul’s for 14 years, first as Associate Minister, and since July 2017 as Senior Minister. She earned her Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, and a BA in International Studies from Rhodes College. Before feeling a call to ministry, she was the Volunteer Coordinator at Habitat for Humanity in Washington, DC, and a missionary in Sri Lanka through Global Ministries. She is passionate about building multi-cultural and interfaith relationships, and welcoming immigrants and refugees. Diane was born in Texas and raised in Nuremberg, Germany and Clarksville, Tennessee. In their free time, Diane and her husband Michael Beadle enjoy running, hiking, cooking, and volunteering with Habitat. In March 2020, a book Diane co-edited will be released by Chalice Press, titled Acting on Faith: Stories of Courage, Activism and Hope Across Religions.
Rev. Amanda Kerr (she/her)
associate minister
Amanda has served as the Associate Minister at St. Paul’s for 5 years. She is a North Carolina native, raised in Charlotte and currently living in Raleigh with her wife, Megan. Amanda earned her Master of Divinity degree at Wake Forest University School of Divinity and her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from N.C. State University - Go Pack! As a gay Christian raised in the Evangelical church, Amanda is very passionate about the work for LGBTQ inclusion and enjoys being a part of important conversations that bridge social, religious, and political divides. Amanda loves spending time with Megan and their dog, Ernie, playing board games with friends, and visiting local breweries.
Allison HOOD (she/her)
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
jonathan saegEr (he/him)
Music director
Jonathan Saeger is an assistant professor of music at the University of Mount Olive where he serves as director of Vocal Studies. Jonathan directs three choirs including the UMO Men’s Choir, UMO Women’s Choir and Concert Choir in addition to teaching a variety of music education courses and voice lessons.
Jonathan is currently completing his PhD in Music Education at Kent State University. He also holds an MM in Choral Conducting from Illinois State University and a BM in Music Education from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. He has been teaching at the collegiate level for 7 years following 12 years of teaching middle school and high school.
Jonathan has served as music director at churches in Illinois, New Mexico, Ohio, and North Carolina. Jonathan is married to Lauren Saeger who is also an active music teacher at Meredith College and Lenoir Community College. Lauren and Jonathan live in Dudley, NC with their dog Bryzzo and cat Grandma Waffles. They are blessed to be part of the St. Paul Christian Church family.
Mary Jo Marvin-Aharanwa (She/her)
social services navigator
Mary Jo earned her AAS Paralegal Studies from Erie Community College in 1991 and Bachelor of Social Work from Buffalo State College in 2008. Her passion for working with new-comers began when living in a diverse community in Buffalo, NY she became a member of B.I.R.E.C (Buffalo Immigrant Refugee Empowerment Coalition). She co-chaired Buffalo’s World Refugee Day 2011-2013 and organized a two-day celebration that included 10 nation soccer tournament and award ceremony featuring entertainment and cuisine from all over the world.
Mary Jo dedicated most of her career to advocating for individual’s with special needs as a Medicaid Service Coordinator. She lobbied for systemic change in funding and resources and fought for pathways to inclusion.
Mary Jo and her dog, Nellab, relocated to Durham, NC in February 2020 and is enjoying exploring the local parks, museums and restaurants. Mary Jo is passionate about building inclusive communities and is thrilled to be working with St. Paul’s.
