NRS Genesis 9:9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.”
PEC Executive Committee
and Regional Representatives
The volunteer Steering Committee consists of a Moderator, Vice Moderator, Treasurer, Regional Representatives and at-large members. They are nominated and elected by membership. All PEC members are eligible to serve on the Steering Committee. Terms are two-years in length, with the possibility of being re-elected twice. The PEC Coordinator is a part-time paid staff person who helps to coordinate the work of the Steering Committee. PEC Steering Committee gathers annually for planning at one of the camp and conference centers of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Moderator: Dennis Testerman
Dennis’ ministry of environmental stewardship has spanned three decades of chaplaincy, global and student missions and public service. He was a consultant to the PCUSA Eco-justice Task Force that produced the report, “Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice.” Currently, Dennis serves as the Stewardship of Creation Enabler with the Presbytery of Charlotte, is a novice with the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans, a fellow with both GreenFaith and the Natural Resources Leadership Institute at North Carolina State University, and is certified as an environmental educator by the State of North Carolina.
Vice Moderator: Sue Smith
Sue Smith works for God’s creation in both religious and secular organizations: from working to certify her church, First Presbyterian in Rumson, NJ, as an Earth Care Congregation, to volunteering with GreenFaith, representing it on the Coalition for Healthy Ports, to board membership with Clean Water Action’s NJ chapter. Sue is the former Treasurer of Presbyterians for Earth Care, an M.Div. graduate of New Brunswick Theological Seminary and a candidate in the PCUSA call process. She currently serves as Moderator of Monmouth Presbytery.
Treasurer: Sue Regier
Sue Regier has been a member of PEC since 2004 and has many years of experience managing finances. She has been on the finance committee at the Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill NC since 2010. She is experienced in tracking funds, writing grants and managing grants through her professional work managing land acquisition planning and implementation for the NC State Parks System. Her passion for faith-based justice is rooted in her family where her parents worked for social justice causes from a faith perspective. Sue lives in Durham NC.
Northeast Regional Representative: Dana Eglinton
Dana Eglinton has been fascinated with the natural world as long as he can remember, but only learned to care for it when he became a Christian. It was the church of Jesus Christ that taught Dana to love not only God, but also God’s earth and its people. He is pastor of Jacksonville Presbyterian Church, in Bordentown, NJ and a participant in its Earth Care Ministry. He has also worked as a homebuilder, specializing in environmentally responsible construction and Habitat houses. Dana is an enthusiastic bird watcher, hiker, canoeist, backpacker, gardener, consumer of local and organic foods, participant in environmental campaigns, husband, and father.
Southeast Regional Representative: Tama Eller
Tama has enjoyed leading educational experiences in earth care since 1990 and serves in the Creation Stewardship Ministry in New Hope Presbytery in North Carolina and the surrounding region. She loves discovering in the wild and her action interests include litter, safe crossings for wildlife, water, and wildlife habitat. Tama finds strength for this calling through her relationship with Christ, family and friends, and earth care companions.
Central East Regional Representative: Nancy Fayer
Love for the Earth was deeply instilled in Nancy as a child on a grain and beef farm in central Indiana and in 2005 she began actively working to increase community awareness of the impacts of climate change. She started a monthly environmental speaker series, The Earth Forum of Howard County, sponsored and hosted by First Presbyterian of Howard County (FPHC). At FPHC, one of the original PC-USA Earth Care Congregations, Nancy coordinates the Earth Care Team, which developed a Living Laboratory for storm water management best practices on the church grounds. In the Baltimore Presbytery, Nancy worked with the Creation Care Group to build on the work of Heartland Presbytery, to successfully overture the 220th General Assembly to affirm the authority and funding of the EPA.
Midwest Regional Representative: Paul Henschen
Paul Henschen is a Presbyterian minister of twenty-seven years, having served churches in Virginia, Louisiana, and Kentucky. Paul is now pastor at The Presbyterian-United Methodist Church in Ellendale, North Dakota. He grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina where he hiked the Appalachian Trail and developed a deep love for nature. He has held Earth Sunday services each year in his ministry and is now chair of the Presbyterians for Earth Care Team in Northern Plains Presbytery. This team sees its main role as educating the people in the presbytery and has been using one presbytery meeting per year to do so. Paul is married to Susan Simle and has one son and two step-children. He enjoys hiking and camping, fishing and team sports, and working on the computer and reading.
Southwest Regional Representative: Jill Slade
Jill is a multi-generational Presbyterian and Texan and is active in her church, Trinity Presbyterian in Denton, Texas, where she serves on the Mission Committee and is Clerk of Session. Jill is an educator and has been involved in environmental issues since college. For Jill, earth care is part of becoming closer to our creator and that protecting our earth and helping it nurture all God’s creatures is an act of worship.
Pacific NW/Mountain Regional Representative: Paul Heins
Paul’s love for God’s creation has grown on the beaches, woods, mountains, and waters of California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington where he now pastors a congregation in the town of Port Townsend. His concern for God’s creation has grown as he has witnessed our growing ecological crisis. He loves working with his congregation, his colleagues, and his neighbors on bringing healing to the environment and on nurturing a healthy relationship with all life. In his study of environmental ministry, he has discovered the rich resources the Christian faith offers in this work.