Staff
Skip came to First Presbyterian as Associate Pastor in 2002. His special interest in the ministry is mission outreach.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Skip is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. His journey has not been limited to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Following high school he served in the Air Force for four years, training as an Albanian linguist with tours of duty in California, Arizona, Greece, and Turkey.
Skip has a strong Young Life background as a volunteer leader and area director. He has served as associate pastor in Quincy, Illinois and Greenville, Pennsylvania. He and Karal have one son, Nathan, who lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Amy Sutherlun, Associate Pastor
Amy was called to serve as an Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian in 2005. The focus of her ministry is college age and young adults.
Amy grew up in Texas and New Mexico, and earned her B.A. in English and M.A. in Teaching from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. She taught elementary school in inner-city Dallas for 2 years before attending seminary at Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, where she earned her M.Div. in May 2005. Much of Amy’s prior ministry experience is in Christian Education, Youth Ministry, and New Church Development, serving churches in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Jersey. She also spent a summer doing mission work in Malawi, Africa in 1998.
Amy and her husband, Joshua met doing youth ministry in college and attended seminary together. They are the parents of a daughter, Serena Mae, a son, Asher, and a fluffy, perpetually entertaining puppy named Bishop. Some of Amy’s favorite things to do are writing, dancing, and traveling.
Dale Capehart, Director of Music
Dale has been associated with First Presbyterian longer than any other staff member. While a student at Marshall University, he assisted the church with the Bell Choir and Children's Choirs. After receiving a degree in Music Education from Marshall in 1968 Dale directed the choir and later the band at Ceredo-Kenova High School where he had graduated only a few years before.
He returned to First Presbyterian in 1986 as Choir Director, and became full-time Director of Music in 2002. Over the years Dale has sung as chorister and/or soloist with many groups in and around the Huntington Tri-State Area. His major interest in the church is developing special musical worship skills and also special instrumental groups to assist in worship.
Jill Adkins, Financial Assistant John Freeman, Maintenance Superintendent Dexter Shoemaker, Maintenance Dixie Means, Housekeeper
Joshua Sutherlun, Youth Director
Joshua Sutherlun was born and raised just outside of San Antonio, Texas. He has 3 siblings, an older sister and two younger brothers whose names all begin with the letter J. His parents are the youth directors at Schertz United Methodist Church, the church he grew up in. He is a graduate of Austin College and Princeton Seminary and has worked as the youth director at two other churches before this one. He has lived in Huntington for nearly four years now and has worked with the youth here just about as long. And not to be left out, he is the father of two beautiful children and husband of one of the associate pastors here at First Pres. (though he refuses to say which one). 
An organist and/or choral director since he was in the eighth grade, Ed attended West Virginia University, received a B.A. degree in Music Education and Piano from Morris Harvey College in Charleston, WV and holds a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from Marshall University where he studied with Dr. Paul Balshaw. He has continued his studies in master classes in organ, composition, voice, conducting, psalmody, and choral music. He has taught music in Cabell County for 25 years and is currently at Cabell Midland High School where he directs the madrigal choir, Collegium Musicum. Ed is the state R & S Chair for WV ACDA Junior High / middle School Choirs and is a region chair for the WV MEA Vocal Music Association. He and his wife, Cinda, (an ordained PC (USA) minister and Pastor of the Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church in Huntington, WV) have three daughters: Katy, Sarah Beth, and Caroline. In addition, Ed has been to Peru four times with mission groups from FPC. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and maintains the website for the Amazon Mission Fellowship.
Employed by First Presbyterian Church as Financial Secretary since 1999, Jill holds a degree in Finance and Business Law from Marshall University. Originally from Huntington, Jill is married with two sons.