Meet our staff . . .
Rev. Rodney E. Bitely
Pastor Bitely was Called to St. Paul as its 4th Pastor in July 1999. A second career Pastor, he worked for several years in Baltimore, MD, as a Project Manager in Banking before enrolling at the Seminary. Under his Pastoral care, God has blessed St. Paul to relocate from Sandston and establish their ministry here in Mechanicsville. Pastor Bitely especially enjoys oppportunities for preaching and teaching God's Word, and you will find those elements to be key aspects of the ministry at St. Paul. Pastor is a graduate of Concordia College, Ann Arbor, MI--where he met his wife Carol--and of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. Pastor and Carol have 2 grown children.
Debbie Harris - Secretary
Debbie has been the church secretary since 2018, but is a lifelong member of St. Paul. Prior to serving at St. Paul, she worked for 31 years at Wells Fargo prior to retiring. She is married to her husband Bill and has been blessed with two daughters and nine grandchildren.
Bill Moats - Choir Director
Bill was born in Parkersburg, WV. The family moved to Cuyahoga Falls, OH in 1956 where he became the first Eagle scout in the troop sponsored by Redeemer Lutheran Church. Bill also became involved in the band program during Jr. and Sr. High School. Bill has two degrees in Music and served in two Army bands, one in Chicago and one in Kaiserslautern, Germany, playing trombone and euphonium. As a band and orchestra director in Ohio, he taught in Dayton Public Schools and later in the Trotwood-Madison City Schools. In 1990 Bill entered the computer business in Technical Support.Bill served as Music Assistant at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Kettering, OH for 15 years. In addition to vocal choir, he directed a brass ensemble, church band, folk ensemble, and handbell choir. In Birmingham, AL, he directed vocal and handbell choirs at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, and currently directs the vocal choir here at St. Paul. He has 60 published music compositions and arrangements for handbells, band, string orchestra and brass instruments.
Roger Sethmann - Organist
In 2021, we were happy to welcome Roger as an organist. Roger has a wealth of musical talents and experience. He is a world traveler, and has played organs in many of the countries he has visited.
Eric Burcham - Organist
Eric began playing music at just five years old, starting with piano and adding pipe organ by age 14. Eric has served as organist for multiple churches throughout the Richmond area, including Fairmount Christian and Holy Cross Lutheran. Eric's grandparents were long-time members of St. Paul, and all three of his children were baptized at St. Paul. Eric began serving as part-time organist and choir accompanist for St. Paul in 2023.
Marion Tredway - Organist
Marion attended Concordia Teacher's College (now Concordia College), Seward, NE. Returning to Richmond, she was employed as Administrative Assistant and Organist at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Richmond where she retired this past May having served 44 years as Administrator and 35 years as Organist. She spent her childhood growing up in Germany where her mother was from and where her father served in the US Air Force. She is happy to be serving at St. Paul's and worshiping with the St. Paul's family. She enjoys music, reading and spending time with family and friends.