PASTORAL, PROGRAM & ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

The Rev. Dr. Sam Weddington joined the community of F.P.C. on August 1, 2018. Sam has served churches in New Jersey, Seoul, South Korea and Virginia. Sam is joined in ministry with his wife Grace, who is also an ordained Presbyterian minister, and two children, Sammy and Joan. His theological passion is Pauline theology, and his doctoral work explored the intersection of new creation, ecology, and modern Protestant evangelicalism. Beyond his doctorate from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, he holds a Master of Theology (Th.M.) from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Union Presbyterian Seminary. Sam has deep family connections to the Bristol and Abingdon areas.

Bob Greene holds degrees from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and Colgate Rochester Divinity School. He has served as music director and organist for congregations in Florida, New York, Tennessee, and Virginia. His musical compositions include art songs, congregational hymns, choral anthems for adults and children, handbell compositions, church musicals, solo organ pieces, chamber music, electronic music, contemporary Christian music, and a major cantata, The Seven Last Words, based on the passion of Christ. He has received awards and commissions for his instrumental and choral compositions, and he is published by MorningStar Music and Saint James Music Press. Bob joined our staff June 1, 2017. He lives in Bristol, Virginia.

Pat Flannagan retired from King University in 2020, having served for 38 years on the faculty at King where he taught music history, conducting, musicology, choir, and voice. Flannagan earned a B.A. in Psychology from King College, B.M. in Church Music and a M.M. in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College, and a Ph.D. in Musicology from The Catholic University of America.  While a student at Westminster, his mentors were Robert D. Simpson, Erik Routley, Dennis Shrock and Joseph Flummerfelt, and he had opportunities to sing and study with some of the outstanding conductors of the 20th century including Robert Shaw, Leonard Bernstein, Seji Ozawa, Pierre Boulez, Rafael Kubelik, Antal Dorati, et al.  Dr. Flannagan is the founding conductor of the Voices of the Mountains, a regional choir associated with The Symphony of the Mountains.  

Dr. Flannagan hosted Morten Lauridsen for a residency week at King University in 2008 in preparation for a concert of Mr. Lauridsen’s music.  He has trained choirs for 6 different performances at Carnegie Hall, working with conductors such as Timothy Sharp and John Rutter. In April of 2019, Flannagan hosted Tim Sharp for a performance of Tim’s Bluegrass Mass: Come Away to the Skies with the King University Symphonic Choir and the Sanctuary Choir from First Presbyterian Church of Bristol, TN.