Pastors

Providence Presbyterian Church has two Pastors, Dave Watermulder and Chris Foster, who minister together as co-pastors.

David (Dave) Watermulder, Co-Pastor, is a lifelong Presbyterian and recent Princeton Seminary graduate. Dave grew up in California and has had a long and interesting road leading him to ministry at Providence Presbyterian Church. He earned a BA in History from George Washington University and then left immediately for two years to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the West African nation of Cape Verde. During this time of working as an English teacher and youth worker, Dave began to feel the call to ministry.

Dave Watermulder with wife Lisa Barger

"I loved what I was doing in Cape Verde, being part of the community, getting into people's lives, and I got the feeling that this was what I wanted my church to be like back in the United States." This sense of call led Dave to study at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Dave focused on missional theology and biblical studies, worked in two New Jersey churches while in seminary, and worked for a summer in Kumasi, Ghana, as a youth pastor. David is excited to be at a church where his gifts for relating to people with different backgrounds and skill in learning new languages can be put to good use.

Rev. Christine (Chris) Johnson Foster, Co-Pastor.

Chris with husband Andrew and children Sherli and Janak while visting India

Born in Washington, DC and raised in Washington State, Chris attended Princeton University as an undergraduate majoring in Politics before returning to Washington State for a couple of years of work prior to starting seminary. She is a 1988 graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary and was ordained and served as Associate Pastor of Pastoral Care and Mission Outreach at First Presbyterian Church, West Chester , Pennsylvania (1989-97) before moving to Rhode Island . Since moving to Rhode Island she has been in ministry as Associate Minister, First Congregational Church, Fall River (1998-2001) and temporary supply to Barrington Presbyterian Church. She is married to Brown University Economics Chair, Andrew Foster , with two young children, adopted as toddlers from India .

Kathy Cooper--Our Intern

Intern Kathy Cooper

Kathy's internship at PPC will involve helping foster and deepen multi-ethnic community in the church, primarily through the establishment of multi-cultural house groups, scripture study, and facilitating the sharing of our stories with each other. She will also be getting experience in the variety of activities involved in parish ministry, worship leadership, pastoral care and church meetings--all in 10 hours a week.

Welcome to Kathy--We look forward to experiencing in new ways her gifts of ministry.