Christy Henson has been the Organist and Pianist at First Presbyterian Church since 2005. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Montevallo in Piano Performance and Pedagogy and a Master of Music degree from University of Akron (Akron, Ohio) in Organ Performance. From the American Guild of Organists she received the Service Playing Certificate and is an active member of the Montgomery Chapter. With the support of William Harper, Christy began the Young Church Musicians ministry in 2007. As a former piano teacher, she loves the opportunity to encourage and cultivate musical talent to be used in the church. Christy is the Supervisor of Research at the Home Office for Alfa Insurance in Montgomery. She feels fortunate and blessed to be able to use her gifts in the church.
Musician
Mrs.Christy Henson
William Harper serves as our Director of Music & Worship Arts. Prior to joining the staff here in 1999, he worked as Training Coordinator for the Kirklin Clinic in Birmingham and served in several bi-vocational positions in Music and Children’s ministry. He received his education at the University of North Alabama and Huntingdon College. William has been involved in a range of musical activities and seeks to incorporate a variety of musical traditions with our own reformed heritage.William has been active with church, collegiate and community musical organizations. He has also been active in community and regional theatrical productions; he currently serves as Vice President of Prattville’s Way off Broadway Theatre. William is a member of Delta Omicron Music Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa, and Kappa Kappa Psi.
Director of Music
Worship & Arts
Mr. William Harper
Youth Director
Mr. Tyler Smith
Director of
Children's Ministries
Mrs. Betsy Elam
Pastoral Secretary
Mrs. Kay Pirtle
Our Staff
Assistant Pastor
Bill Bell
Pastor Bill Bell graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1963 with a degree in Biology. He later attended Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, for a year of Bible and Christian Education courses. Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi was founded in 1966. During this year of inception, Bill enrolled and graduated three years later. Pastor Bell was ordained to the Gospel ministry in July 1970, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS). Subsequently, he left the PCUS and became a minister in the newly-formed Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). He has served churches for 37 years in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Missouri. Pastor Bell spent his last seventeen years in full time ministry at Heritage PCA in St. Louis, Missouri as Senior Pastor. In July 2006, he was honorably retired from the full time Gospel ministry by the Missouri Presbytery. Pastor Bell and his wife, Susan, now reside in Deatsville, Alabama. They have been blessed with five children and ten grandchildren. Since moving to Deatsville, he has enjoyed teaching biology, life science, Old Testament and Christian doctrine at Emerald Mountain Christian School in Wetumpka, Alabama, and Eastwood Presbyterian School in Montgomery, Alabama. The members and staff of First Presbyterian Church are truly blessed to have Pastor Bill Bell as our Interim Pastor.
Tyler Smith graduated from Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque, IA in 2006 with a degree in Biblical Exposition and Theology. While in Dubuque, he served as a Shepherd at Riverside Bible Church, overseeing its preaching and teaching ministries. Tyler also conducted numerous evangelistic Bible studies in the community. He contributed a column and comic strip in local papers, was heavily involved in Dubuque’s music community and hosted an internationally distributed radio program. Tyler has served as the Director of Student Ministries at First Presbyterian since July 2007. In March of 2009, Tyler married his bride Jennifer. Together, Tyler and Jennifer immerse themselves in the youth culture of Prattville for the expansion of God’s Kingdom.
Kay is originally from Iowa and after graduating high school decided to begin her career in office work with a job in Washington, D.C. It was there 37 years ago that she met and married John Pirtle, a native Alabamian. She is the mother of 3 children: Beth, a recent graduate of University of South Alabama in Mobile; Jake, a 2nd Lieutenant in the Alabama National Guard; and Lucas, a freshman at Auburn University. Kay has devoted most of her career to office administration for law firms. Kay joined the staff as Pastoral Secretary in 2004. She is active in her church where she has taught Sunday School for 21 years and volunteers her services to Autauga Interfaith Care Center. Her hobbies include reading, cooking and gardening.
Betsy has been with FPC since February 2008. Before joining us she has been a stay at home mom for the last 15 years. Betsy has spent her entire adult life volunteering at the churches she attended in children’s ministries. Betsy believes that leading our children in their spiritual growth is the single most important thing a parent can do. Betsy has been married to Freeman Elam for 18 years and together they are blessed with 6 children and 7 grandchildren.
Pastor Bryant Hansen graduated in 1992 from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in 1996. Bryant also studied in L’Abri, England, from January 1998 – April 1998. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) in 2004. Prior to accepting the position as Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Bryant served as Assistant Pastor at Independent Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, as their Minister to Senior Adults, from 2003-2010. He has also served as an Intern with Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1993 - 1995; Assistant Pastor with Community Congregational Church, Franklin, Indiana, from 1996- 1997; and Resident Chaplain at Methodist Hospitals, Memphis, Tennessee, from June 1999 – December 1999 and May 2000 – May 2001. Pastor Hansen, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, has been married to his wife, Karen for nearly 24 years. They have five children, Kiersten , Wesley , John Peter , Samuel and Hayleigh .
Senior Pastor
Bryant Hansen
Custodial Care
Mrs. Ann Goodson
Ann is a native of Prattville and has lived here her entire life. She has been on staff at First Presbyterian Church since 1980. Her parents, Clarence and Gladys Harris, provided the custodial care for the church from 1950-1980 when Ann took over. Napoleon, her husband of 50 years, actively assists Ann at the church. They have seven children, two of which are twins. Their names are Nathrisha, Terry, Cedric, Cheryl, Napoleon III, Carla and Tanya. In addition, Ann and Napoleon are proud grandparents to 17 grandchildren.
