About Us
Who We Are | Pastor and Staff | Leadership | Where We Are
Faith Church envisions a world in which God’s promises are made real here and now and all people:
- Live in peace
- Care for creation
- Are healed of brokenness
- Are treated equitably and fairly &
- Are invited in to become part of the Beloved Community
Who We Are
We are an open and fully diverse community: that means we are all ages and stages, from different cultures and neighborhoods, with various abilities, identities, and gifts. We are gay and straight, cis and trans, we are Black, white, and Latino, we are neurotypical and neurodivergent. We speak English and Spanish, we are from the city and the surrounding counties, we walk, bike, drive and ride the bus. We are Faith Church – beloved community seeking, standing, and serving together!
Pastor and Staff
Rev. Cat Dodson Goodrich
Pastor
catfaithchurchbalt@gmail.com
Cat and her family came to Faith Church in August of 2020, after serving churches in downtown Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA. A graduate of Austin College in Sherman, Texas and Boston University School of Theology, Cat’s passion for service and justice grew out of experiences serving the church on the US-Mexico border during college and as a PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer in Guatemala. After seminary, she spent three years as a community organizer for an affordable housing agency outside of Boston. Cat is a runner, a baker, an activist, partner to Dary, and mom to two girls, Maddie and Gillian. Cat’s family lives in Cedarcroft with four bikes, a dog (Cocoa) and three chickens (Lola, Crystal, and Hazel).
Dr. Samuel Springer
Minister of Music & Organist
widor1@yahoo.com
Dr. Springer leads the music ministry at Faith. He serves as organist, directs the Chancel Choir, and coordinates special musicians. A frequent recitalist and accompanist, Dr. Springer has been a faculty member at Morgan State University since 2001 where he maintains both an organ and piano studio and teaches courses in theory, choral literature, sacred music, and world music. He holds degrees from Trinity College in London, a Master of Music Degree from Yale University’s School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University. A native of Barbados, Dr. Springer has formed an organization to provide musical and educational aid to a school in Cuba.
Diane Borgatti
Parish Administrator
faithchurchbalt@gmail.com
Diane has served as Faith’s Administrator for eight years, overseeing our plant and property, as well as managing our church office. If you need something, she’s the one to ask; if you’ve lost something, she probably knows where it is; if something is broken, she’s the one to tell!
Rev. Christa Fuller Burns
Pastor Emerita
shalomcfb@gmail.com
Rev. Christa Fuller Burns earned her Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and served churches in Long Island, Brooklyn and Baltimore before coming to Faith in 2001. She retired as pastor of Faith in 2018.
Rev. Kate Foster
Parish Associate
katefoster324@gmail.com
Kate holds a BA from Wesleyan University and a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. A native of North Carolina, Kate has served churches in Memphis, TN, and Baltimore. After serving for 11 years on the staff of the Presbytery of Baltimore as the Executive Director of The Center: Mission Outside the Box, Rev. Foster is now the Senior Director of Trail Development and Equity for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. She has two daughters, Anna, who is a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and Aidan, a student at Tufts University.
Leadership
Our church life as Presbyterians is ordered and led by leaders elected by and representative of the wider congregation. We believe God works in and through the collective discernment of our leaders to guide the church’s ministry and mission.
The Session sets the mission and vision of our congregation. A person elected to serve on session is ordained as a “ruling elder.” Elders on the Session act on behalf of the congregation to approve policies and programs, to steward church resources and finances, and to provide oversight for worship and support for staff.
Current members of session include:
| Class of 2028 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Gail Poorbaugh | Andy Fuller | John Colmers |
| Zach Nemser | Kristin Herber | Scott McGill |
| Lauren Hill | Chris Pope | Robin Nemser |
| David Rawle | Bennett Seavers-Reale |
Faith’s ministries of care and compassion are led by our Deacons, who share God’s love by working for the welfare of “the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lost, the friendless, the oppressed, those burdened by unjust policies or structures, or anyone in distress,” as the PCUSA’s Book of Order describes it. Deacons guide our mission commitments both locally and abroad in addition to ministering to our homebound members and those in need.
Faith’s Diaconate currently includes:
| Class of 2028 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Jackie Billings | Phyllis Compton* | Natalie Wallace |
| Nell Fultz | Nancy Gulsoy | Liz Pope |
| Bill Curtis* | Krista Wallace | |
| Laurie Newton |
