HFPC – Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church
Meet Our Staff
PASTOR
Claire Berry
Claire Berry pastor@hfpc.org Office: 615.794.9094
Claire Berry is the Pastor of Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church. Born and raised in Nashville, Claire is a graduate of the Harpeth Hall School, Yale College (B.A.), and Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and has been a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) since 2017.
Before seminary, Claire worked in public education, first as a special education teacher in rural indigenous New Mexico and then as an education policy consultant in New York City. She began discerning a call to ministry in 2013 and matriculated at Princeton a year later. Upon graduation, she was ordained and installed as an Associate Pastor at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX. In 2021, Claire moved home to take on the role of Executive Director and Campus Minister for UKirk Nashville, the Presbyterian campus ministry for Belmont and Vanderbilt University students. She began serving Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church in 2024.
Claire is married to Mauro Barreto, an artist. They share a son, Teodoro. When not doing ministry or spending time with her family, Claire enjoys singing, playing the ukulele, listening to podcasts, and reading widely. She is also a certified spiritual director and helps teach courses with Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality.
Claire believes in people coming together across differences and living a transformed life, and in the way that spills over into the broader community in acts of compassion and service. She loves working together in ministry for God’s glory alongside members of Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church and the broader community.
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Judy Pence
Judy Pence OfficeAdministrator@hfpc.org Office: 615.794.9094
Judy Pence is the Office Administrator at HFPC. She has three children, 11 grandchildren ranging from ages 1-26 and 4 grand dogs. She lives in Columbia, but lived most of her adult life in Ohio. Her father was a Nazarene Pastor and her brother is as well. Judy is a graduate of Trevecca Nazarene University and met her husband of 42 years while there. Most of her career has been serving in some capacity of ministerial administration. She says, “HFPC was a godsend in a time when life had been turned upside down for me. The people here are kind and warm and open! There is no place I’d rather be!”
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Dr. John Schultz
Dr John Schultz musicdirector@hfpc.org Office: 615.794.9094
John is a native of Pennsylvania and has spent his career serving as Head of School in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Connecticut, North Carolina and Puerto Rico. A new school – Galileo Preparatory Academy – brought him to Franklin in 2022. John has served in music ministry at many churches, most recently at Timonium United Methodist Church in Baltimore, MD, Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Willimantic, CT and Faith Lutheran Church in Spring Hill, TN. He is “delighted to be joining the family of faith at Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church” and adds, “I look forward to getting to know everyone!”