Rev. Dr. Scott Herr, senior pastor
Scott was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and from the age of 10 grew up in Portland, Oregon, graduating from Lewis and Clark College during which time he studied in Guilin, China for a semester. He then worked in Kanazawa, Japan, and from there went to Princeton, New Jersey where he received his M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. During his years at PTS he served at an inner city Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware and traveled through Central America which put him in contact with the Union Evangelical Church in Mexico City, where after his ordination in the PCUSA he served from 1987 – 1993. It was in Mexico City where he met and was married to his wife Kimberly. As Scott was called to serve the International Protestant Church of Zürich, they moved to Switzerland where they lived for 6 years and where their first three children were born. They then moved to Fort Collins, Colorado where he served the First Presbyterian Church for nine years and where their youngest son was born. Scott has eclectic interests, and enjoys various genres of music, art, reading, movies, cycling, skiing, and good food! My favorite “I am a weak man in the hands of a strong God!”
Rev. Laurie Wheeler, associate pastor
A native of Seattle, (Washington), Laurie has arrived at the American Church in Paris via Banchory, Scotland. Her first stint in the Northeast of Scotland lasted for three years in the early 1990’s. At that time she worked with two local Church of Scotland parishes, helping them to establish a joint Youth Ministry. Returning to Seattle from Scotland, Laurie trained for ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary, and was ordained into the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1999. After serving two congregations in the Seattle area, Laurie returned to Scotland in 2006 to begin a research Ph.D. in New Testament Studies, to renew long friendships, and to help with the children’s work at the Banchory East Ternan Church of Scotland. She was honored to begin her work here at the American Church in March of 2009. Laurie’s focus as an Associate is on creative and faithful ways to encourage Christian growth and authentic community among all ages, across multiple cultures and diverse spiritual experiences.
Laurie has a large family of siblings, nieces and nephews still in the States – plus her parents still living in the family home in Woodinville! When she isn’t visiting them, she’ll be found traveling back to Scotland for time with friends and days out hillwalking, or off exploring a previously undiscovered corner of the world. At home in Paris she loves any type of visual or performing arts, dinners with friends, long walks, laughing and just about any sort of playful pursuit!
Rev. Ken Stenman, pastoral assistant
Rev. Ginger Strickland, director of youth and young adult ministries
"I believe that the Gospel is good news--particularly for youth and young adults and for our world that is so broken."
Houston native Ginger Strickland earned her Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and and a B.A. in sociology and philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently working towards her MSW at the University of Connecticut. She has studied in Vietnam and worked in Israel and Palestine prior to joining the ACP in mid-2006. The oldest of three children, Ginger enjoys a close relationship with her brother and sister and makes trips back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, during breaks from her fulfilling work leading the youth and young adults of the ACP.
Fred Gramann, music director
"I highly value providing leadership for the music ministry at ACP which strives to reinforce the spoken word by providing a complementary spiritual avenue in our quest to experience God."
Fred Gramann is a native of Washington State where he began organ studies with Dr. Edward Hansen of Seattle. He earned organ performance degrees from Syracuse University and the University of Michigan, moving to Paris in 1972 for organ study with Marie-Claire Alain and Maurice Duruflé. Since 1976, he has been Director of Music at the American Church in Paris where he is organist and conducts the Adult Choir, the ACP Bronze Ringers, and the Celebration Ringers. Fred also organizes the weekly Sunday evening classical concert series. He has numerous choral and handbell works published in the United States and is the Honorary Associate Director of the Raleigh Ringers of North Carolina as well as co-conductor for the yearly European Handbell Festival.
Bonnie Woolley, MA, DEA, children's, youth, and young adult music director
"The guiding principle in all the work I do with my singers and musicians is to teach them to say: 'This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!'"
Bonnie Woolley began directing choirs at age 15, and has been a professional choir director since age 19. She has been at the ACP since 1982 and has directed the ACP Youth Music program for more than ten years. Children’s and youth choirs from the ACP have participated in events such as the Festival d’Ile de France, concerts at the Louvre and for two French prime ministers, recording sessions (one of which was for Bob Sinclar) and concerts given in the Paris area for various organizations. Bonnie also created and directs Voices Choeur International, a semi-professional choir, Allucere, an intermediate-level choir, and the Maîtres Sonneurs, a community handbell ensemble. Through her association AMME she works with the French national education system and the French administration to promote choral singing and the use of handchimes in schools and conservatories. Bonnie has a B.A. in music and French, an M.A. and a French D.E.A. in language-teaching methodology, and is currently doing research for a doctoral degree on the relationship between language and music.