Our Pastor
Rev. Katherine Todd
Minister
Delighting in the beauty, color, and diversity of this created world, Katherine enjoys time in creation and quality time with friends and family. Music is in her bones, and the creative arts are strength to her spirit. She believes our differences make us invaluable to one another and that agreeing to disagree, while remaining in loving relationship with one another, is a holy act that makes us more whole.
Katherine writes, “As members of the body of Christ in this world, our lives are not our own. We are to be little ambassadors of Christ – listening and following God’s lead in our day to day lives. When we do, we join in God’s work of ushering love and justice, healing and reconciliation into our world.”
Katherine has worn a number of different hats, from marketing to art to fundraising to fair trade. Her love is for ministry, and she’s been doing the work of ministry for several decades, first as a lay leader and then as an ordained minister. She’s worked in a number of churches throughout the southeast and served 5 years as Camp Hanover’s Assistant Director. She is delighted to be a part of what God is doing in and through Forest Hill Presbyterian.
“My wife and son and I have been lovingly embraced by this small congregation with a big heart. We welcome the opportunity to meet you and have the honor of walking alongside you in your journey of life and faith.”
Highlights of Katherine’s Life & Ministry
- 1998 – Earned Bachelor of Arts from Presbyterian College; major in Religion/Philosophy and minor in Music
- 2002 – Earned Masters of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education
- 2002-2006 – Lay ministry in Florida and Louisiana with youth and young adults
- 2007-2012 – Assistant Director, Camp Hanover, a ministry of the Presbytery of the James
- 2013-2014 – Covenant Pastor in Presbytery of the Peaks and later in the Presbytery of the James
- 2017 – Covenant Pastor at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church
Staff
Charlotte Graham
Administrative Assistant
Charlotte joined our church staff in March of 1978 as church secretary. She has served several pastors, interim pastors and supply pastors. She now works part-time Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm.
Dr. Patrick Carlin
Director of Music
Dr. Patrick Carlin serves on the music faculty of Virginia Commonwealth University where he teaches music history and literature to undergraduate and graduate music majors and is the Director of Music at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church. In addition, Pat is the recipient of several grants to perform free concerts in venues throughout the city of Richmond. Pat maintains a large private studio of voice and piano students. In recent months, Pat has been a guest voice teacher at The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music in New York. Pat’s voice and piano students have been admitted to major music schools, including The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Yale, and Indiana.
Pat is a graduate of The Juilliard School (piano and voice), University of Dubuque (piano and voice), New York University (M.A. in college teaching/conducting; Ph.D. in college teaching/keyboard performance), University of Notre Dame (M.A. in theology/liturgical studies), and Virginia Commonwealth University (M.P.A. in public administration). In addition, he has studied music at Columbia University and theology at the Aquinas Institute of Theology. Pat’s vocal teachers have included Eleanor Steber, Bernard Taylor, and William Toole; his piano and organ teachers have included Roger Boardman, Robert Harris, Rosina Lhevinne, Virginia Rice, Ruth Mahmoud, Ethel Lehrer, Robert Pace, John Ferguson, and Else Burtness; and his conducting teachers have included Rebecca Scott, John Gilbert, and Jon de Revere. For over 30 years, Pat served cathedrals in Minnesota and Richmond, Virginia. Prior to moving to Richmond, Pat served churches in New York and Minnesota and taught music on the college and elementary school levels. His articles and reviews appear in several liturgical music journals. As a pianist, conductor, and organist, Pat has performed in over 500 concerts in Richmond. As a conductor, Pat has conducted The Richmond Symphony in major works, including Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, Bruckner’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, among many others.
Pat is the proud father and father-in-law of Stephanie & Andrew and Sean & Carrie, and the proud Grandpa of JP, John Patrick!
