Pastor Naylor is a native Hoosier having grown up in Plymouth, IN. Ron's undergraduate education was at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri where he majored in Political Science and Religion. He graduated in 1970 from Princeton Theological Seminary and did doctorial studies at The Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit in the area of Spiritual Development. Ron received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from his alma mater, Westminister College in 2004. Ron has served churches in Rushville, IN, Greenville, OH and Port Huron, Michigan before coming to Muncie First as Pastor and Head of Staff in 1985.
Dr. Naylor and his wife Susan are the parents of two sons, Joel and Ryan and two granddaughters, Olivia and Lauren. Joel and Brenda (his wife) live in Yorktown and Ryan is teaching English in South Korea for a year after graduating from The University of Denver, Colorado in 2008.
Ron's call to ministry in Muncie has been focused in the area of spiritual leadership and mission outreach. Ron believes in building up people who find joy in serving and giving themselves away for the sake of Christ. He feels worship and preaching are central for the church to find it's vision and respond with compassion and love to the broader community. Ron feels that our culture is crying out for Christians to be salt and light, demonstrations for the transforming love of Christ. He feels that that is happening in a powerful way at Muncie First.
The Rev. Dr. Myung Ku Lee, Pastor, Korean Congregation, was born in Korea. He was a minister for 15 years in his country prior to July 1, 2000, when he was called to be the minister for the Korean Congregation at First Presbyterian Church of Muncie.
He received a B.A. in Christian Education from the Seoul Theological Seminary in 1984, a Th.M. in Social Religion from the Methodist Theological Seminary in 1987, and a diploma in Social Work from SoongShil University. He received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana.
Reverend Lee's wife, Hyejung Lee Cho is a Registered Nurse at Ball Memorial Hospital . Together they have two children, Sunwoo and Jiwu, who both attend the Indiana Academy.
Carrie Jo Miller, Commissioned Lay Pastor, lived in Illinois, Oklahoma and finally, Cambridge City, Indiana, where she graduated from high school, married and had five children. In 1967 she and her husband became farmers in Rush County. She is a graduate of IUPUI (Indiana University) where she received a BA in English, BS in Education, and MS in English Education. She taught high school English and has served as adjunct faculty at Ivy Tech and IUPUI as well as a consultant with the Indiana Department of Education.To satisfy a deep yearning to grow in her spiritual journey and to know and understand more about the Christian faith, she began studies at Christian Theological Seminary and graduated with a Master in Theology. She also completed the two-year Presbyterian Lay Pastor Program.
In 1998 Carrie Jo fulfilled a childhood dream of becoming a missionary going with First Presbyterian’s mission team to Xocenpich, Mexico, and later that year with the Whitewater Valley Presbytery’s team to the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has since made numerous mission trips to Mexico and Honduras with First Pres teams.Carrie Jo also enjoys time with her five children and their families which include eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is pleased to be part of this loving, welcoming, Spirit-filled congregation that shares her passion for mission—sharing the Good News and caring for God’s children both here in the church, in the community and out to all the world.
Rev. Dr. Robert Wauzzinski was born in Hickory, Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degree from Clarion University, his M. Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (cum laude), and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh where he focused on Religion, Philosophy, and Economics. Bob grew up in the Presbyterian Church, worked in campus ministry at Allegheny College, served as a youth pastor at Pleasant Hills Community United Presbyterian Church, ministered as interim pastor at Winchester Presbyterian Church. He has preached and taught in churches, colleges, universities, and seminaries around the world. He currently is professor of philosophy and religion at Ball State University. His primary duties include teaching university level courses in the prisons of Indiana. He has authored three books, with the fourth in the making. These books attempt to relate faith to academic disciplines and to life. He is also President of Interfacing Inc., an educational ministry.
He is married to Christy Buxton Wauzzinski, a church elder. He has two children: Aric Robert, the first youth elder in our church's history, and Sharon Rose, now a Senior at Butler University. Sharon was a recipient of the Gishler Scholarship as was Aric.
Bob has done mission work in Africa, Hong Kong, and in Romania, primarily as a teacher. Bob believes that Christ's Lordship in all areas of life, its reality and transformative power, should be the rallying cry for a vibrant faith. Teaching is his primary work at First Presbyterian Church, though pastoral duties are needed occasionally. His courses include Jesus and the Gospels, Ruth, A Biblical Survey, Christianity and Politics, Discipleship Bible Study, and Objections to the Christian Faith.
Organist and Director of the Chancel Choir, is also coordinator of graduate programs at Ball State University and professor of organ, church music, and harpsichord. Prior to joining the Ball State faculty in 1971, he was an instructor of music at Kent State University.He holds the master of divinity degree from Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, and the doctor of musical arts degree from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York. His teachers include Russell Saunders, Fernando Valenti, M. Alfred Bichsel, Robert Bergt, and Paul Manz. Dr. Koriath has given numerous organ recitals nationally and has appeared as soloist with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra. Other activities include building and restoring early keyboard instruments, providing consultations to churches on organ installations, and research in the areas of computer applicationsin the arts, keyboard studies, and issues in higher education.
Cathy Alexander, a long-time member of First Presbyterian Church, serves as our Youth Director and has responsibility for infants through high school students.A graduate of DePauw University, Cathy and her husband, Dan have led the senior high Sunday school for many years and are beloved by the young people of our church whose lives have been spiritually enriched by their Christian leadership.
Cathy encourages all the children of the church to call her “Thea” which is the Greek for aunt.Cathy’s best friend lives in Greece and her children dubbed Cathy “Thea” many years ago and now her nieces and nephew use the nickname, too.
Cathy loves teaching and relating to the younger members of our church.She also cherishes the time she spends with the junior and senior high school students at YCTC (Youth Committed to Christ).
“Thea” and Dan have two children, both graduates of our Pre-K school.Their daughter, Cassie, is a sophomore at Burris, and son, Jack Mitchell, is a eighth grader at Burris.Their household consists of 6 horses, two dogs, four cats, and a tank of fish.
“Thea” invites all the church children and their parents to stop by her purple office to visit and check on the fish in her office tank!
Don Ester serves as the Praise and Worship Leader at First Presbyterian. He is a member of the Ball State University School of Music faculty, serving as Professor and Area Coordinator of Music Education. He and his wife, Carol, grew up together in Kirkland, Illinois. A 1980 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, he holds a Master of Music degree from Southern Methodist University and a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Don has taught in the public schools and has served as a full-time church musician in Bloomington, Illinois.
He brings creativity, leadership and a spiritual quest to The Celebration Worship Team at First Presbyterian.
Kirk Johnson Campus Minister
Kirk Johnston serves as Campus Pastor providing pastoral
care and programing for students at our neighbor Ball State University and
members of our congregation who attend college farther away. Kirk has a
B.F.A. in studio art concentrating in photography from Longwood University in
Farmville, VA. Following his undergraduate work he served in the Young
Adult Volunteer(YAV) Program of the Presbyterian Church USA. Kirk spent a
year in Belfast, Northern Ireland serving as a youth director at Fortwilliam
Macrory Presbyterian Church and in community programs focused on reconciliation
work among youth. His second year of volunteer service was with the
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship(PPF) based in Tucson, AZ. With the PPF he
focused on outreach to young adults to help them get involved in the
peacemaking work of the PPF. Kirk also spent a month as a short term
volunteer in mission through the Colombia Accompaniment Program of the PCUSA
and PPF. Kirk graduated in May 2011 from McCormick Theological Seminary
in Chicago with his Masters of Divinity.
Kirk is engaged to be married to Kate Ester. Kate is a Chaplain Resident
at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.
