Pastor Mary Beth McCandless
Pastor Mary Beth McCandless joins First Pres as our installed pastor effective October 1, 2024. After an extensive search by the pastor nominating committee and approval from the congregation and the Presbytery of the Ohio Valley, we are thrilled to welcome Pastor McCandless to our church!
Pastor Mary Beth has a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Western Kentucky University, and earned her Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Previously, she served two churches in northwest Ohio.
Mary Beth, also known as “MB,” is married to Murray McCandless, and they are the parents of two grown children, Hannah and Jesse (who currently reside in California with their partner and spouse, respectively). They also enjoy the company of their grand-dog, Rocky, the wonder chihuahua. Murray owns his own business, Murray’s Cool Cars, with a showroom in Vincennes, Indiana, and also moonlights as a professional Santa.
Read more about Pastor Mary Beth and the pastor nominating committee process.
Director of Music Robert Nicholls
Robert Nicholls was born in Cambridge, England, to a British farmer and an American mother from Carmi, Illinois, and grew up in rural Cambridgeshire. At the age of eight, he joined the choristers at Westminster Abbey in London under the direction of Simon Preston. He graduated from Oundle School and Cambridge University. Robert was a member of the choirs of Gonville and Caius and St. John’s Colleges in Cambridge where he sang tenor. He maintained an abiding interest in the organ to the chagrin of his singing teacher and joined the staff of First Pres in 1996.
Robert is married to Emma Nicholls Ph.D., a pediatric Clinical Psychologist whom he met next door in Evansville. They are proud parents of Elena and William.
Robert enjoys walking to work in all seasons along historic First Street, running along the greenway, and growing what food he can in a small backyard. His other passions are organ and choral music, silence for reading, and teaching youngsters to read music. However, his secret desire is to be a good jazz pianist.
Office Administrator Lora Blaylock
Lora Blaylock was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. She came to Indiana to attend the University of Evansville, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Music Management. Lora plays the flute and handbells, and she has sung soprano with the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus and Evansville Chamber Singers over the years. She joined the Choir of First Presbyterian Church in 1994, and the staff in 1999.
Lora met her husband Paul, an Electrical Engineer, at UE, despite growing up within an hour’s drive of each other in Ohio. They still have family there and enjoy visiting whenever schedules allow.
When not in the church office or choir loft, Lora enjoys cooking, gardening, sewing, and old television shows. She and Paul love living in downtown Evansville and are still happily married even after building their home-away-from-home (aka the garage!).
Technology/Marketing Coordinator Finch Parker (they/them)
Finch Parker was born in 2003, grew up in Evansville Indiana, and attended Evansville Christian School. They have a passion in electronics and how they work.
They began working at First Presbyterian Church in April of 2022 and has been a member since. working first on livestreaming the services for everyone online to handling media and marketing.
They enjoy tinkering with computers, creating art in many different ways, creating gardens, hiking especially in the great smoky mountains, and caring for their dogs, cats, and reptiles.
