Our Staff
Rev. Erin Counihan
Beginning in January 2026, the Rev. Erin Counihan serves as Pastor of Western Presbyterian Church and Church of the Pilgrims, two congregations dreaming up how they might be called to do ministry and be church together. Erin could not be more excited to explore this opportunity with the folks who gather as Western and Pilgrims. She is passionate about community, justice, hope, and free snacks. She has served several roles in presbytery and community leadership and is a frequent conference workshop leader and preacher.
Erin has a BA in Politics and Government from Ohio Wesleyan University, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and is currently working on her Doctor of Ministry at Eden Theological Seminary (she keeps saying that she’s trying to graduate in 2026, so you should probably ask her how the writing is going…).
Erin learned to sew at the DC Public Library and won’t stop talking about it. She loves to hike and travel and especially enjoys traveling to hike. She believes strongly that the person who cooked dinner shouldn’t have to wash the dishes, that listening to audiobooks should absolutely count as reading, that all dogs should be called puppies no matter how old they are, and that God’s love is big enough, wide enough, deep enough, and bold enough to handle all our messiness and questions and worries and wanderings and fears.
Rev. Irene Vinyard Bennett
Director, Children’s and Family Ministry
The Reverend Irene Vinyard Bennett is a graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville KY and has served Baptist churches and agencies in eight states and Hong Kong. As an educational minister, writer, and editor, she has created curriculum, been a national leaders, and preached and taught in many countries around the world. Rev. Bennett and her husband, Phil, have visited Western ever since their daughter, Malissa Bennett, and her husband, David Berezansky, joined nearly twenty years ago. Now, in retirement, they live in Alexandria, VA and participate regularly in our church life.
Nancy Kiefer
Business Manager
Nancy has been a member of Western Presbyterian Church since 1983. She served as Western’s Bookkeeper from 1996 through 1999, and returned to the position of Assistant Treasurer/Bookkeeper in 2002. Nancy served as the Facilities Director and IT Manager at WRI from 1983 until 2016.
Ariel Nathanson Bolinja
Interim Director of Music
Ariel Nathanson Bolinja received her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano pedagogy in May 2024 from the Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art at The Catholic University of America under the tutelage of Dr. James Litzelman. Throughout her studies at CUA, Nathanson worked as a graduate assistant accompanying the conducting studio. She graduated from the University of Hartford’s The Hartt School in 2018 with a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance with a Pedagogy Emphasis. Nathanson graduated summa cum laude from The George Washington University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music. In her time at GWU, Nathanson was both a Presidential Scholar in the Arts for piano and a recipient of the Steiner Scholarship in Music.
Nathanson has been teaching piano for 11 years, and currently teaches at Levine Music in DC. In addition to her teaching, Nathanson has had the opportunity to perform throughout the east coast of the United States as well as internationally, in Italy, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Nathanson performed with the CUA orchestra at the Kennedy Center in 2023 and Strathmore in 2022. In 2016, she was awarded Honorable Mention in the Cremona International Competition for Piano. She frequently works as an accompanist for various ensembles and soloists.
Nathanson is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. In her free time she enjoys learning languages, travelling, and spending time with her friends and family.
Alec Resurreccion
Technology Assistant
alec.resurreccion@gmail.com
Alec Resurreccion is the Tech Assistant for Western. His responsibilities include preparing and managing the audio-visual technology for each worship service in the Sanctuary and for meetings that take place in the Conference Room. He has been attending Western since Fall 2018 and has participated in the choir, the Worship Committee, the Intercultural Team, and the Deacons. Outside of church, he is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School and currently works at the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as an Assistant Chief Counsel.
Elena Sperry-Fernandez
Communications Coordinator
elena@westernpresbyterian.org
Elena Sperry-Fernandez is the Communications Coordinator for Western. Her responsibilities include preparing the weekly newsletter, church bulletin, and all things communications-related. Originally from New Jersey, Elena is a second-year student at the George Washington University double-majoring in Communication and Spanish. In her free time, Elena enjoys long walks around DC, museums, and traveling. She joined Western in the spring of 2024 and is excited to continue working and collaborating with such an amazing community!
Sterling Thomas
Building and Facilities Manager
sterling@westernpresbyterian.org
Sterling comes to us most recently from George Mason University where he worked as a Senior Facilities Manager for the Office of Housing and Residence Life. Prior to that, he worked for 10 years for the Architect of the Capitol as Assistant Superintendent of the House Office Buildings. Sterling has experience with building systems and area contractors. He has supervised housekeeping and skilled crafts workers, and worked with demanding constituencies, including students and members of Congress. He was drawn to Western’s mission and the prospect of working with church members as well as the many users of and visitors to the building. Sterling is responsible for some hands-on work as well as coordinating and supervising other contracted work.
Staff Emeritus
Rev. Dr. John Wimberly
Pastor Emeritus
After serving Western as pastor for 30 years, John Wimberly is now a congregational consultant with The Congregational Consulting Group. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Gaston Paige
Sexton Emeritus
As a young man, Gaston came to D.C. from Madison County, Virginia. His first job was working for Colonial Parking, where one of his fellow employees happened to be a member of Western Presbyterian Church! The fellow employee was also a part-time carpenter, who recognized Gaston’s talent for fixing things. In November 1960, when Western needed a new sexton (at its old location near H & 19th), Gaston was introduced to then-Rev. Stewart McKenzie. A handshake with Rev. McKenzie sealed a faithful commitment which lasted 58 years before Gaston's retirement in 2018.