Rev. Jim Karcher

I was born in Canton, China of missionary parents of the United Presbyterian Church, USA.  My first language was Cantonese and learned English during my parents’ first furlough home to the U.S. between the ages of 3 and 4.  When my family returned to live in the U.S. we settled in the Mt. Lebanon surburb of Pittsburgh where I graduated from high school, University of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary then known as Western Theological Seminary.
  
My first call out of seminary was as assistant minister in Canton, Ohio in 1953.  Two years later I went to Scotland to study in Edinburgh where I met my wife Eileen who is a native of Scotland.  Together we returned to the U.S. where I served three years as assistant minister at the Presbyterian Church in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.  Then followed ten years as solo pastor at Hebron Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, ten years as solo pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Duquesne also in Pittsburgh, six years as associate pastor in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania at the Bethel Presbyterian Church and finally retired as associate pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Valparaiso, Indiana after six years of service. 

My wife and I moved to Hemet to be near family, brother Joe Karcher and his wife the Reverend Sylvia Karcher, former associate pastor at First Presbyterian, Hemet. My responsibilities at First Pres is to visit the sick and shut-in, sing in the choir, lead the pastoral prayer at the 10:30 Sanctuary Service, lead an adult discussion group on Sunday mornings and assist the deacons in their care ministries.  For hobbies, I enjoy playing tennis and golf as well as spending time with our son and daughter who live elsewhere in California.  

Mary Ellen Ostenbridge - Music Director

I was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia until my parents moved to California in 1963 when I was in junior high school.  I became a Christian on the first day of spring in 1977 and first became involved in a church music ministry when my daughter became involved in the Kids of the Kingdom choir at Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church in Riverside, California when she was in the third grade.  I volunteered with the kids’ choir and in 1991 began directing a fourth grade choir. 

In my years of service to the Lord to date, I have directed children’s, youth and adult choirs.  I became the Interim Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in November of 2007 and was hired for the permanent part time position in March of 2008.  I also direct the community chorale, the Happy Harmoneers. 

Joe Symada - Accompanist

I was raised in a small coal-mining town in western Pennsylvania.  My family regularly attended the only Protestant Church, the Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB) where I played the piano for Sunday school and was the only teen in the Adult Choir.  I began college at Penn State in 1953, sang in the local EUB church.  They were planning a new Sanctuary, so during the four years I organized benefit concerts by students I solicited from the campus.

Arriving in Los Angeles in 1957, I joined the Immanuel Presbyterian Church on Wilshire because it was next to my workplace.  I was active with the choir there and the Los Angeles Master Chorale for over 25 years before moving to Denver in 1984.In Denver I attend the Central Presbyterian Church and joined the Wellshire Presbyterian Church Choir taking two trips with them overseas.  I also sang with the Opera Colorado chorus and Denver Symphony Orchestra chorus. 

I retired to California in 1992 and immediately joined the First Presbyterian Church of Hemet choir but kept active with larger groups to bring back ideas to our choir.  Among these have been the Pacific Chorale in Orange County, Inland Master Chorale in Redlands, and presently Raincross Chorale in Riverside.  I have been involved with church choirs and choral music for over 60 years.