Leadership

Christy has a long history with PYWA and youth ministry within the PC(USA). She is a graduate of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, and Columbia Theological Seminary. Christy has spent her career serving as a Director of Christian Education and as an Adjunct Staff person for the Montreat Youth Conferences. She currently serves as the Director of Dogwood Acres Camp and Retreat Center for the Presbytery of Florida.

Rebekah Witt is the Director for Youth & Young Adults at Opequon Presbyterian Church in Winchester, VA. She served as a Young Adult Volunteer in Denver, Colorado and as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate at the 221st General Assembly. Rebekah has a passion for intergenerational ministry, where all ages and stages can teach and learn alongside one another. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education & Master of Arts in Teaching from James Madison University. PYWA inspired her to create a Youth Leader Network in her presbytery where youth workers support and encourage one another and have the opportunity to come together for events! In her free time Rebekah enjoys hiking, coaching soccer, watching sports, and spending time with family and pets.

Tully Fletcher is the Associate Pastor for Youth & Congregational Transformation at Decatur Presbyterian Church, in Decatur GA.  Tully has the unique ability of making boring things fun like financial statements!  But for some weird reason his youth group doesn’t like it when he talks about Parliamentary Procedure or Presbyterian Polity?!?  His spiritual gift is spread‑sheeting which he uses to organize youth events and summer trips.  He is passionate about leadership development and empowering church and nonprofit leaders to better fulfill their mission.  He loves walking alongside young people as they grow in their faith, leading them on mission trips, Bible Study, and in theological discussion.  Tully serves as the treasurer for PYWA, advising the board on financial & governance matters. He has been part of the PYWA leadership since 2016, and has been in professional ministry for 20 years.

Kate currently serves on the PYWA Executive Team as the board’s secretary. In addition, Kate works at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she is the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries. She recently moved to Arizona after serving communities in McMinnville, Oregon, and McLean, Virginia. A San Diego native, Kate earned a Bachelor of Arts in U.S. History from Purdue University and completed a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Christian Formation at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is passionate about helping children, youth, and all members of the church feel loved and valued. Outside of ministry, Kate enjoys reading, solving puzzles, exploring new places, and soaking in the beauty of the world around her. Fun fact: if she could be an animal, she would be an octopus!

Rev. Elizabeth Cahoon is the Associate Pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in McKinney, Texas, where she supports cradle-to-grave Christian Formation and Pastoral Care. While serving in Youth Ministry across Virginia, Maryland, and Arkansas, she is passionate about creating spaces where young people can be honest, curious, and fully themselves.

Elizabeth is honored to serve on the PYWA board and loves connecting with fellow youth workers who are doing holy, meaningful, and occasionally chaotic work. She enjoys color-coded planners that are only filled out through January, a meeting with a comfy chair and provided snacks, and -above all else- a reliable Diet Coke. True to herself, her brain has a “many tabs open” kind of energy, and she’s usually juggling three ideas at once—one practical, one hopeful, and one involving glitter.

Chloe Gabbard lives in Stilesville, Indiana, with her husband, Andrew, and their two dachshunds, Milo and Bigby. She serves at a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation in Indianapolis, where she ministers to children and youth from infancy through high school. Chloe is passionate about creating spaces where young people feel known, valued, and invited to grow in their faith.

In her ministry, Chloe is especially drawn to relational discipleship and walking alongside students as they explore their identities and discover how God is at work in their lives. She seeks to cultivate a sense of wonder and imagination in the way young people engage with God and Scripture, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and deep questions as essential parts of faith formation. She values intergenerational connection and works to support both young people and their families in meaningful and authentic ways.

Kim Ness has had a love for PCUSA youth ministry since her first visit to Montreat in the summer of 1990. Since then, she has served as a Young Adult Volunteer in Belfast, NIRL; was the YAV site coordinator in Nashville, and has had the joy of being a small group leader at MYC over twenty times. For the last ten years, she has been the Director of Youth Ministries at First Presbyterian Church of Athens, GA. She has a passion for social justice, and seeks to create a more connected and relevant church. Bringing the Matthew 25 initiative to FPC has been one of her most rewarding experiences. Her time with youth is not limited to church, as she is also the mom of three awesome teens, and active in the local public schools and UGA Presbyterian Student Center. In her free time, she likes to snuggle with her two dogs, watch mindless Netflix shows and plan an epic RV trip with her husband for retirement years!

Robert Newman is the Program Director at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. In that role he works with Southminster’s children and youth, and is a co-director of Birmingham Youth Group, a collaborative youth group of 5 PCUSA congregations. Robert has also served churches in Tuscaloosa, AL and Columbia, MO. A Birmingham native, Robert is passionate about all things Alabama sports (Roll Tide!), cooking, and exploring Birmingham’s vastly underrated culinary scene.

Miriam lives in McKinney, Texas, where she serves as a pediatric chaplain and contributes to the Grace Presbytery Generational Leadership Development Committee and the youth leadership team, PULSE. She is a 2026 graduate of Union Presbyterian Seminary, holding both an MDiv and a MACE degrees, which mostly means she has strong opinions about theology, education, and snacks at youth events.

Miriam is passionate about forming the next generation of church leaders and creating spaces where faith can be explored with honesty, creativity, and a little bit of organized chaos. Much of her current volunteer work happens in conference settings, where all three tend to show up.

Outside of ministry, she enjoys life with her husband, Andrew, and their three children, Kaylie, Emalyn, and Sawyer, who ensure there is never a dull or quiet moment. In her spare time, she can usually be found with a strong cup of coffee in hand, planning her next Disney trip with surprising intensity, dreaming up new curriculum ideas that may or may not involve glitter, and finding ways to go to Montreat. 

Kara Smith-Laubenstein has been serving in youth ministry in one way or another for nearly 20 years—and isn’t quite sure how that happened. She went to seminary imagining a future in pastoral counseling but stumbled into youth ministry and discovered a calling that captured her heart. Over the years, she’s served in roles from volunteer leader to full-time youth pastor, and has (almost) seen it all. Her favorite part of ministry is taking students beyond their everyday routines—on trips to retreats, camps, conferences, and service projects—because those experiences create space for real transformation and connection. Kara is currently the Associate Pastor for Youth and Congregational Care at First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette, IL. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Indiana University and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Kara also spent two years teaching in Baltimore City. She lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with her husband, Matthew (a Lutheran pastor), and their two daughters, Amelia and Charlotte. Kara’s happy place is on a trail with a backpack, but she equally loves traveling, camping, listening to audiobooks, and imagining that one day she will actually refurbish an adventure van.

Caitlin Supcoff is the Youth and Young Adult Advocate and the Communications Director for Mission Presbytery in South Central Texas. Prior to working at the Presbytery, Caitlin served two churches in Mission Presbytery working with children and youth. Originally from San Antonio, TX, Caitlin was formed by the youth ministries of her own home church, Mission Presbytery youth leadership opportunities, and John Knox Ranch (Mission Presbytery’s summer camp and retreat center). Those experiences led her to study religion and theology after high school. Caitlin holds a BA in Religion from Centre College in Danville, KY, and an MDiv from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Caitlin lives in San Antonio with her husband, Seth, and their two children, Eamon and Liora. In whatever free time she has, Caitlin enjoys reading (usually audiobooks), listening to podcasts, gardening, and baking.

Josh Sweeney serves as the Pastor/Head of Staff at Knox Church in Overland Park, KS. Since 2006, he has served in nearly every youth ministry role across UMC, ELCA, and PC(USA) congregations in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, and Kansas.

Josh is passionate about intergenerational ministry that bridges faith, mission, technology, and recreation, helping people of all ages encounter God’s story together. In his free time, you’ll likely find him playing disc golf, at a park with his son, or perfecting a new home-brew recipe.

Sara Tillema (she/her) is the Sr. Director of Next Gen Resources at Ministry Leadership Center. Sara has served in a variety of ministry contexts with young people, most recently at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center as the Director of Programs. She received her M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary, and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of California, Davis (expected 2026). Sara loves walking alongside individuals of all ages as they explore life’s big questions, and empowering all to see how their faith and passions can intersect to create meaningful change in our world. Sara lives in San José, CA. In her spare time, Sara’s favorite activities include spending time in the great outdoors with her family, drinking coffee, and curling up on the couch with a good book.