Pastors and Staff

Greg Hills

Lead Pastor Greg Hills brings a wide variety of experience to First Presbyterian Church. After graduating from North Carolina State University, he worked as an engineer in corporate America for seven years. Hearing the call to pastoral ministry, he then completed his Masters degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and traveled to Istanbul, Turkey in 1996 for five years of Christian work on foreign field. In 2001, he returned to the states and joined the pastoral staff of First Presbyterian Church where he has faithfully served to this day.

Greg’s many activities at the church reflect his diverse background: preaching, teaching, leadership training, men’s ministry, and spiritual gifts assessment to name a few. But his deepest passions are for global missions and developing vision and direction for the church. Combining these with a practical, results-oriented style, he will sooner or later recruit you to be involved in some area of ministry.

As you get to know Greg, don’t be surprised to encounter his “inner engineer.” One look at his well-organized desk or dinner plate will betray his need for order.  Greg jokes, “I don’t like my food to touch. I absolutely despise the phrase ‘It all goes to the same place anyway.’” He can often be found tinkering with cars and doing all sorts mechanical stuff.

In his free time, Greg enjoys skiing, watching movies, and outdoor activities with his wife and partner in ministry, Heather. “Heather is passionate about evangelism and women’s spiritual growth” he says. Heather also enjoys tennis and walking along beaches and wooded trails.

Greg’s children are: Andrew, Collin, Jonathan, Benjamin, Mackenzie, and Paige. About his kids he says, “I love that each one is very different in personality, interests and abilities.”

David O’Leary

Regardless of whether the text is taken from the Old or New Testament, Pastor David O’Leary’s sermons always come around to the gospel message.  David says that his “passion is to help people see Christ and the gospel in the Bible, especially when they are smart people who know little at the start.”  In addition to preaching, you will often find David on any given Sunday leading worship, teaching Sunday School, or leading a class for new members.

David and his wife Debbie love to visit and to be visited.  They rarely miss an opportunity for fellowship with congregation members and visitors, even if it means carrying boxes during a move or getting up before dawn to pray with our youth as they head out on a summer missions trip.  At their home, you will always find welcoming smiles, listening ears, and genuine concern.

During his many years as a pastor in our denomination (the Orthodox Presbyterian Church), David has been an avid participant in its regional and global activities.  He currently serves as a member of the denomination’s regional (Presbytery) and global (General Assembly) governing bodies as well as the National Foreign Missions Committee.  Outside the church, he sits on the Board of Directors of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) and serves the Regional Department of Developmental Services (State of Massachusetts) as an outside member of its Medical Ethics Review Committee.

For fun, David loves to read about history, theology, life in Africa, or a good novel.  He also likes to take walks with Debbie on Crane Beach.

David and Debbie have four children (Liz, Kathryn, David, and Bridget – all married) and 6 grandchildren.  About his children David says, “I love nothing better than having adult conversations with my children and their spouses from a Christian perspective.”  The O’Learys live about a mile away from the church in Ipswich.

Derek Baker

Derek is the Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church. In addition to shared preaching duties, he focuses on shepherding the congregation as well as growth and evangelism. He has been with First Presbyterian since 2008 when he graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Derek first served the church as a Pastoral Associate. In 2010 he was ordained and as part of the church’s vision to have “More People, More Like Christ” he was brought on in his current Pastoral role.

Derek is married to Brooke, who is a teacher at North Shore Christian, Beacon Campus. Derek and Brooke have a daughter, Haley, and two sons, Haddon and Hudson. Derek and Brooke have lived in a variety of places on the North Shore during their years here, but most recently they have moved to Ipswich. Prior to their time here, they lived in Austin, Texas where Derek worked for a college ministry organization called ECHO. It was during his later years with this group that he began training and preaching and felt called to attend seminary for further education.

Derek also serves on the board of the Ipswich Dinner Bell, a community dinner program, and he works part time at the New England Running Company.

Derek enjoys running, music, playing his guitar, movies, hiking and camping. On any given day you might find Derek reading and thinking through apologetics as it relates to contemporary culture, or you might find him playing Lego Star Wars with his son.

Jon Evans

Youth Director Jon Evans is one energetic guy.  Under his leadership for the past 16 years, our middle and high school youth program has become one of the “signature” ministries at First Presbyterian.  Jon leads a team of about 20 volunteers on a whirlwind schedule of regular activities including youth group meetings, Sunday school, Bible studies, outreach events, mission trips, summer camps,  concerts, amusement parks – the list goes on.

“A theme verse for our youth ministry is Mark 12:29-31 as it encourages us to wholly love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves” says Jon.  “It guides us in our growth in our relationship with God and it guides us in how to love others as well.  I love to see students grow from wherever they are in their faith, to the next step in their faith. We see this happen in a variety of ways as we have the privilege to be involved in their lives.”

Jon is especially convicted about involving teens in worship.  Five Sundays a month, you can hear Jon, his lively guitar, and a few of his past and present protégés leading the congregation in worship during both our 9:30 and 11:00 services.

In his limited free time, Jon loves to be outdoors, especially in the woods and mountains where he enjoys hiking, skiing, and mountain biking.  Otherwise, you may see him and Jo, his wife of 22 years, cruising around the North Shore in their classic 1968 Mustang.

Jon and Jo have two children, Wes and Shelby, and two dogs, Tucker the Toy Poodle and Penny the mini Golden Doodle.

Jeff Spencer

Jeff Spencer is the Children’s Director at First Presbyterian Church. Jeff grew up in Ipswich and then graduated from Gordon College where he met his wife Lisa. After a few years in Connecticut for Lisa to obtain her PhD in Biomedical Sciences, they moved back to the area for Jeff to attend Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. After seminary they moved to Ipswich, and Jeff began working part-time as a therapist at the Center for Family Development in Beverly. In January 2009, in addition to his counseling job, Jeff took his current role with the church.   Jeff has always enjoyed working with children, and believes God has given him the ability to connect with children (probably because he is just a big kid himself).

Jeff and Lisa have a daughter, Emily, and a son, Will, born on the same day in two different years. Lisa is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and heads a research laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Lisa often plays her flute in the 11:00 service and has taught in our GEMS girls’ club for the past two years. Jeff’s parents, Bill and Myrna Spencer, and his sister, Rebecca Mulry, and her family also attend our church and Jeff is so thankful to be one of the families in the church who have three generations worshipping together each Sunday.

In his spare time, Jeff and his family like to go to Crane Beach, kayak, bike ride, and hike in Acadia. Jeff also loves Lego video games such as Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones.

Jen Whiteacre

Image and bio coming.

Maureen Oh

Maureen has been the Music Director for First Presbyterian since 1989. Maureen and her husband Dan (one of the church Elders) live in Beverly with their two daughters. Maureen began taking piano lessons in third grade in Korea. Ever since then she has been involved in some form of musical activity from choirs, to accompanying, to playing in chamber music. Maureen studied music at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada and she graduated with her Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

As part of her role with First Presbyterian, Maureen plays the organ for the traditional and blended services. She also directs the choirs, arranges the offertory music and is a member of the worship committee.

In addition, Maureen teaches music at the North Shore Christian School, Beacon Campus and gives piano lessons at home. She enjoys being one of the mentors for the church’s Mom to Mom ministry and in her spare time Maureen loves watching Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox games.