Contacts
Rev Dr Stewart Weaver
Minister
I grew up in Williamsville, New York (near Niagara Falls) and attended Williamsville South High School. After I gained a BA in History from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts I held a variety of posts under the auspices of the national church: I worked with the homeless in Portland, Oregon for a year; I taught in China for two years; and I then worked with refugees in Buffalo. I moved to the UK in 1991 to be with my British fiancée whom I met in China. After working at Hewlett Packard in Bristol for a year, we travelled to Edinburgh. After gaining a First in a Hebrew/Old Testament BD I did a PhD on Second Isaiah. I was ordained and inducted into St. Philip’s in 2003 and we became Portobello and Joppa Parish Church after a three way union in 2014.
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Michelle Brown
Family Worker
I oversee family ministry for children from birth through to the Breakfast Club, our youth group. I lead Messy Church, Sunday Stars, and our Portobello Holiday Club.
I also run a family coffee morning called Coffee Break and lead the Scripture Union Group at Towerbank called TIC club.
I grew up in New Jersey, United States and previously worked for the Presbyterian Church USA and at Presbyterian summer camps.
I moved to Scotland in 2005 to study at New College, University of Edinburgh where I completed an MTh in Theological Ethics: Media. My husband Paul and I are members at Portobello and Joppa Parish Church, along with our two young children. I love reading, photography, movies, coffee, working with children and young people, and feel blessed to be part of the PJPC family!
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Anne Russell
Office Assistant
I have been the Church Administrator for over 10 years and have met many interesting people made a lot of great friends. I was born and brought up in Joppa – baptised and married in PJPC! I have been married to Gary for 30 years and we have two wonderful grown up sons, Chris & Matt. I am a keen member of the PJPC Hill Walking Group with whom I have climbed around 60 Munros. This also gives me a chance to practice my photography; another of my hobbies. There is nothing more spectacular than the views from the top of a Munro…when it’s not shrouded in rain and mist!
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Email: office@portyjoppachurch.org
Derek Drummond
Church Caretaker
I was originally born and bred in Edinburgh. I stayed New York for two and half years when I was young, but came back to the UK and have made my home here ever since. I ran my own business for 17 years doing floor sanding. I worked for Joe Finley the butcher in Portobello High Street for six years. I was trained as a butcher in my dad’s business and was also trained as a chef. I came to work at Portobello and Joppa Parish church in 2014. I enjoy what I do and love the environment I get to work in.
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Email: office@portyjoppachurch.org
Fiona Carlile
Music Minister
I was brought up in Glasgow and attended Jordanhill Church, where I sang in the choir and also received organ lessons from the church organist Alan Tavener. I still go to Glasgow to have lessons with him, 35 years later! After graduating from Surrey University with a BMus, I worked in a classical record company in London and later trained as a nurse at King’s College Hospital. During that time I sang in the choir at Crown Court Church of Scotland.
In 2013 I gained a diploma in Sacred Music Studies from the Royal School of Church Music and Bangor University.
I have been working in the Intensive Care Unit at the Western General Hospital since 1991, was the music co-ordinator at PJPC (formerly St. Philip’s Church) from 1999, and also play the piano for Eurythmy classes at the Edinburgh Steiner School.
My husband and I have lived in Edinburgh for 25 years. Our daughters are former members of the PJPC Breakfast Club, one a graduate of Edinburgh University and the other still studying there.
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Email: office@portyjoppachurch.org