top of page
Open bible flipping through pages

Leadership

Our Pastor

Good News Presbyterian Church Pastor Peter Kemeny

Our pastor, Peter Kemeny, grew up in Sparta, New Jersey. He graduated from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

 

Before coming to Good News Presbyterian in 2001, he served for ten years at the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Burlington, North Carolina, where he focused on preaching and youth ministry. Our pastor aims to explain the Bible clearly, apply it concretely, and show how all of Scripture points to Jesus Christ.

​

Peter has interned with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church in America and served in Belgium with the missions agency, Operation Mobilization.
​
His wife, Becky, is a native of Clinton, Illinois. They are the parents of five children.

Elders

Because a church will not rise above the quality of its leaders we seek men who are godly, who are committed to ministry, and who meet the scriptural qualifications for church office as set forth in such passages as I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Our elders are the shepherds and spiritual leaders of the church (I Peter 5:1-3; Acts 20:17,28-38). They oversee, care for, teach the Bible to, pray for, guide, correct, and guard the flock of God.​

David Lawrence

​David, who is originally from New Mexico, has been married to his wife, Amy, for over two decades. They have six children -- three boys and three girls.  Before coming to Good News, David served as a ruling elder in two churches in our sister denomination, the PCA.  He counts it a great honor to serve as an elder at Good News.

Greg Rothermel

Greg was raised in a Christian home but came to a saving knowledge of Christ in his thirties, having been introduced to gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Greg and his wife, Tiffany, are the parents of two children. He is a construction manager.

Deacons

We also have a board of deacons. Deacons are servants (Acts 6:1-7). They carry on a ministry of mercy to those in distress or material need, oversee the church’s property and financial affairs, and encourage stewardship among the members.

Jason Jaax

Jason is the son of two army officers and as such spent much of his early life moving around. His parents’ last assignment was at Fort Detrick in Frederick. During that time Jason, who was not a believer, met his soon-to-be wife Rachel. They married in 2004. In 2008, encouraged by his wife, Jason began to regularly attend worship services at Good News.  By God’s grace, Jason came to a saving knowledge of Christ in 2018.  Since that time, he has endeavored to lead his family and raise his children in a godly manner, and to serve in the church.

Dean Sloan

Dean grew up in Texas and Alabama, receiving the gospel in early adulthood. He graduated in chemical engineering from the University of Alabama.  He and his family joined the church in 2014 after moving to the area from Houston. His wife, Alissa, grew up in Bryan, TX, and graduated from Texas A&M. They have five spirited children and live in Middletown.

Sims Plyler

Sims is originally from Myrtle Beach, SC, currently living in Libertytown with his wife, Tara, and their daughter. Sims has been in the biopharma industry since leaving his family’s business in 1998. He responded to the gospel at an early age, but a health crisis caused him to realize his mortality and overwhelmed him with a sense of his sinfulness, becoming a true follower of Christ since.

Garo Ohanian

Garo, who grew up in Wheaton, Maryland, came to know the Lord as a youth.  Before moving to Frederick in 2021, Garo served in various ministries at our sister church, the Church of the Atonement (A.R.P.) in Silver Spring, including the offices of deacon and elder. Garo and his wife Sherry have a teenage son. He is on the content and communications team at USA Lacrosse.

Other Ordained Pastors

Fowler White

Rev. Dr. Fowler White has been active in ministry for over three decades as a teaching elder, professor, and author. He served two Presbyterian Church in America congregations and at Ligonier Ministries and Knox Theological Seminary before he retired in 2019. He has contributed to several books as an author and editor and has written articles for Ligonier’s Tabletalk journal, academic journals, and the “Green Baggins” Reformed Theology blog. He holds earned degrees from Vanderbilt University (BA, MA), Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM), and Westminster Theological Seminary (PhD), Dr. White and his wife, Joann, have two grown children and two grandchildren.

James Brown

Major James Brown is an ordained minister in our denomination, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. He currently serves as a chaplain at Fort Detrick in Frederick. James received his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry (emphasis in evangelism) degrees from Gateway Seminary. He has ministered in the inner-city, prisons, suburbs, and several combat zones worldwide. James and his wife, Neely, are the parents of three beautiful daughters.

Good News Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 1051, Frederick, MD 21702

pastor@goodnewspres.org
301-473-7070

​

© 2024 Good News Presbyterian Church.

  • facebook
  • instagram
bottom of page