Our Staff

Rev. Matt Potter
Pastor

​Pastor Matt Potter grew up in Virginia Beach and somehow convinced Duke Divinity School to grant him a Master of Divinity (‘17) after earning a degree in Hispanic Studies with a Music minor from William & Mary (‘13). He’s as eager to talk theology, history, and comic books as he is to kick a soccer ball around and spend time with his kids—Grayson (9), Harper (turning 7), and Baker (3)—and his wife, Kellie.
When he’s not pastoring, Matt spends time reading meditatively, playing music, walking Winnie the Goldendoodle, and dreaming about how churches can truly become places of belonging—especially for neighbors who’ve felt pushed to the margins. He encourages spiritual disciplines such as Lectio Divina and spiritual formation through small groups and the means of grace, believing every congregation can create spaces that reflect God’s kingdom… and yes, he collects puns and dad jokes, too.

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Katherine Jackson & Joyce Bailey
Co-Directors of Music Ministries

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Rylee Rucker 
Administrative and Communications Assistant

Rylee is a graduate of Radford University, with a Bachelor's Degree in English, with a concentration in Professional and Business Writing, and she is very excited to be putting her skills to work with the Crooks Memorial community. She was born in Alaska and spent her early childhood moving around, and she has lived in seven different states throughout her life. Currently she lives in Newport News with her grandmother, Shirley, and is happy to be so close with her. In her free time, Rylee is a creative writer, and is currently living up to the classic English major stereotype of writing a novel. ​

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Kristie Brookshire
Finance Administrator
Kristie received her Associates Degree from Commonwealth College and has over thirty years of administrative and client service experience, including over ten years of finance administration within the United Methodist Church. She lives in Hayes with her son, Trey and husband, Clay. Kristie enjoys spending time with family and looks forward to visits with her son, Jamie's family from Annapolis, including her two grandsons.   She enjoys reading, going to the movies, and is a novice knitter.

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​Nursery Coordinator

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Nancy Root
​Youth Director

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