The Rev. Rich Holmes accepted a call to Northminster Presbyterian Church in June and began serving as Designated Pastor on July 7, 2014. He will be formally installed to this position on September 14. All are welcome to attend the service at 3:00 pm. 

Rich received his undergraduate degree in Philosophy from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC in 1994. He received his Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2000. Before accepting a call to Northminster, Rich served as Pastor of both Long Creek Presbyterian Church, Kings Mountain, NC from 2000-2003 and Middle Island Presbyterian Church, Middle Island, NY from 2003-2006.

Rich has a deep love for both Philosophy and Systematic Theology and is especially fond of Elizabeth Anscombe and Jurgen Moltmann. In addition, he is currently writing a dissertation for a PhD in Philosophy about how experimental psychology informs virtue ethics, which he assures everyone he will complete "sometime before the kingdom comes."  Rich's other interests include evangelism, conflict resolution and Hispanic ministry.

Rich's wife Kelly is a teacher and they were married in 2001. Together they have two children. Sophia was born in 2002 and Dominic was born in 2005.

Rich has a hard time remembering any time in his life in which he did not sense that God was calling him to the ministry. He does not believe that a life devoted to serving God is always easy, but he is convinced that it is a deeply fulfilling and rewarding life and he wouldn't trade it for any other kind of life.