Marcia McBurney

     The Reverend A. Coile Estes is a native of Decatur, Georgia and grew up in Decatur Presbyterian Church. She holds a B.A. degree in political science from the University of Georgia, a Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law, and a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. She recently completed a call as Interim Senior Pastor and Head of Staff of Madison Presbyterian Church in Madison, Georgia.  She was recently selected to be a 2010 Thompson Scholar at Columbia Seminary, a program to study evangelism.
     Upon graduation from Columbia Seminary, Rev. Estes accepted a call as Associate Pastor of First (Scots) Presbyterian Church in Charleston, South Carolina.  While there, she was one of the founding members of the Shepherd's Center of Charleston, an interfaith educational opportunity for senior adults, and she also served as President of the Charleston Interfaith Crisis Ministry, a ministry for the homeless that includes a night shelter, a soup kitchen, and family, medical and vocational services.  When the Senior Pastor of First (Scots) accepted another call, Rev. Estes served as Interim Head of Staff for twoyears while the Church searched for a new Pastor.

     After six years in Charleston, Rev. Estes accepted a call to be Senior Pastor of Morningside Presbyterian Church in Atlanta and served there for nine years. During that time, the church sent mission teams to Honduras, built several Habitat houses, started a church preschool, and began a major renovation of the church physical facilities.  She then spent two years as a Chaplain with RTI Donor Services, a tissue donation and recovery organization, followed by two and one-half years as Interim Co-Pastor at Church of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Johns Creek, a suburb in North Atlanta.  Rev. Estes has also served
as an adjunct professor at Columbia Theological Seminary.

     As a member of Greater Atlanta Presbytery, she has served on the Committee on Ministry as well as the Council of Presbytery.  She served on the Board of Trustees of Thornwell Home for Children in Clinton, South Carolina, chairing the committee on Board Relations and in 2000 served on the search committee for a new president of Thornwell.  While in Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery, Rev. Estes chaired both the Evangelism Committee and the Committee on Preparation for Ministry.  She was a Commissioner to the PCUSA General Assembly from Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery.  In addition to her service to the denomination, she is active in the Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club where she has chaired the Membership Committee and the Program Committee.  She was the 2005-2006 President of the Club.  She is also a member of the Women in Leadership Team of the Commerce Club. A long-time supporter of historic preservation, Rev. Estes has published in that field and spoken at several conferences on preserving historic religious buildings.

     Rev. Estes is married to Michael Mears, a criminal defense attorney who created and was  Director of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council.  A graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, he has authored several books in the fields of indigent defense and criminal law.  He is a former mayor of Decatur, Georgia.  He is now Professor of Law and Associate Dean at John Marshall Law School in Atlanta.

Administrative Asst., Paula Windus

Director of Music,
Noel Sell

Noel Sell is the Director of Music/Organist at Pluckemin Presbyterian Church. Mr. Sell is a cum laude graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University where he performed under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Robert Shaw, Seji Ozawa, Pierre Boulez, Antol Dorati, William Steinberg, and Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt. In addition, Mr. Sell also sang with the famous Westminster Choir as soloist in the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds in Charleston , South Carolina and Spoleto, Italy. He has studied organ with Robert Carwithen and Eugene Roan and voice with Suzanne Pratt and Frauke Haasemann.

Presently, he is the choral director at Franklink Middle School of the Franklin Township Public Schools in Somerset, New Jersey. There he conducts the F.M.S. Chorus and the Gifted and Talented Choir. Under his direction, the choirs continually receive outstanding ratings for their performances and garner a reputation as being among the finest middle school choirs in the eastern United States. Mr. Sell has been chosen to have his biography profile published in the 2005 Marquis Who's Who in America.

Noel and Valerie have been co-directors of music at Pluckemin for over 25 years.

Director of Youth & Children's Choirs,
Valerie Sell

Director of Youth Ministries
Bob Stewart

Valerie Sell is the Associate Director of Music at Pluckemin Presbyterian Church. Valerie is a cum laude graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University receiving a BA degree in Music Education. Valerie performed as a member of the famous Westminster Choir for two years traveling to the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds in Charleston, South Carolina and Spoleto, Italy. She is also a graduate of the College of New Jersey with a MA in Voice Performance. She has studied voice with Suzanne Pratt and Marshall Heinbaugh.

Mrs. Sell has extensive teaching experience in levels kindergarten through grade eight in the public schools of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She presently teaches vocal music Kindergarten through fourth grade at the Hillsborough Elementary School in Hillsborough, New Jersey.

Hi.  My name is Bob, and here’s my story. 
I was born in Brooklyn, New York, moved to New Jerseyin 7^th grade, and spent the next six years wondering where the subways were – talk about a disoriented teenager! After high school, I attendedCornellUniversity in upstateNew York.  Ithaca, NY is beautiful June-thru-August.  I was there September through May.  Nobody told me about that.  So I quickly picked up some un-Brooklyn sports such as skiing and ice hockey.  After graduating with a degree in Math and Computer Science, I worked 30+ years in a large corporation, pretty much the exact opposite of what kids should do now.  Diane and I married in 1980, bought a starter house inBridgewater, and came toPluckeminChurch in 1982. 
During the last ten years I gradually became more involved in youth group activities, first as a chaperone on summer work trips, then organizing special outings, then working with an absolutely wonderful group of volunteer advisors and youth.  Two years ago I became the Director of Youth Ministry.  It is so much fun organizing activities and programs for our youth.  But the real joy is in helping and watching them build their own connections with each other and with PluckeminChurch.  That’s not a given, nor is it guaranteed to happen for everyone.  When they start youth group, this is still their parents’ church.  But at some point they decide this is their youth group, this is their church, and they’re gonna leave their fingerprints all over it.  That is fun to watch.
Diane has been in the Pluckemin Church choir for almost thirty years.  I can’t sing a lick, nor do I know what “lick” has to do with it.  Our daughter Allison graduated fromUniversityofConnecticutin 2005 (Go, Huskies!) and lives in Redondo Beach,California.  Son Don graduated from Virginia Tech in 2009 (Go, Hokies!), and lives in Red Bank, NJ.  Oh, yeah -- Diane and I are still living in the same starter house inBridgewater, so I guess that’s working out.