Pastor & Staff

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses stands at a wooden pulpit adorned with a lit candle and a metal cross. She is dressed in black academic robes with a green stole draped over her shoulders, and a stone wall background is partially visible behind her.

Rev. Dr. Christine Dempsey

Pastor

Our pastor, Christine Dempsey is a second career pastor, having come to the ministry after a career as a professor of history at the  University of Nebraska.  As a historian, her work centered around the Protestant Reformation and history of the church, and this eventually helped her discern her call into ordained ministry.

Christine’s passions in the church include education, congregational care, and reading and the living the Word.  Having a background in teaching, Christine is passionate about how the Christian faith tradition has shaped our values and our identity as people called by God to action.  This way of looking at the world has caused her to look for the ways that we as the church can continue to impact the world as followers of Christ.  It is a lens that values our Christian heritage as well as looks out toward being a body that promotes good and peace and hope in our current age.

Christine has been married to Mike for 29 years and the couple has walked through the ministry in the church together.  They have two sons, Liam who recently graduated from Colorado School of Mines with a degree in Computer Science, and Cael, who is a sophomore at Alma College, in Alma, Michigan.  Cael is studying art and philosophy and participates on the Scot’s Wrestling Team.

Brenda Dixon

Office Administrator

A smiling woman with gray hair and glasses, dressed in a blue patterned blouse, stands in front of a textured stone wall.

Carolyn Hull

Financial Secretary

Carolyn joined the staff at Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies in 1998 and now manages the financial affairs of the church. She and her husband Tim enjoy spending time with family as much as possible. Carolyn also enjoys golfing, baking, crafts, antique shopping, P.E.O., and being “Grandma”!

An older man in a grey suit, red shirt, and striped tie is conducting with expressive hand gestures in a church or auditorium. The background shows wooden pews and another person, out of focus and holding sheet music, on the left side of the image.

Rich Dixon

Choir Director

Rich has been involved in church music all his life. He has a lot of experience and success in directing choirs at the junior high, senior high and university levels before moving to Estes Park. While here in Estes, he has directed the Mountain Men and the Chorale and is co-founder and Artistic Director of the Estes Valley Chamber Singers.

A woman with shoulder-length grey hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a black blouse adorned with a pattern of pink and purple flowers. The background is a plain, light-colored wall.

Patti Dolezal

Bell Choir Director

Patti began learning to ring handbells at PCCR upon moving to Estes Park from Oklahoma in 1995. She also rang with the Bells of the Rockies, an auditioned community handbell group for three years. She began directing here at PCCR in 1998.

An older man with white hair, wearing a blue polo shirt and glasses, sits beside a large wooden organ with numerous buttons and keyboards. He smiles at the camera, his right arm resting on his lap and his left arm casually on the organ console.

Larry Gillum

Organist

Larry has been on staff since September 2000. A Kansas native, Larry began piano lessons at age 6 and went on to earn his B.Mus.Ed in Music Education and Performance from Ottawa University with a double performance major in Piano and Organ. He then received his M.Mus. in Organ from Pittsburg State University. Larry taught for 37 years in public schools as music and choral director, and was Pianist and Conductor of the “Country Dinner Playhouse” theatre.  He has been contributing his talents during worship services for 72 years, including as organist and music director for several churches in Kansas and Colorado.  He has been a member of the American Guild of Organists for six decades, and his original membership was sponsored by the late Dr. Frank Asper, Senior Organist of the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City.