Meet Us

Presbyterian Hunger Program Staff

Rebecca Barnes (she/her)
Coordinator

In January 2017, Rev. Rebecca Barnes became the Coordinator of the Presbyterian Hunger Program after serving for 5 years as the Associate for Environmental Ministries (within PHP). Rebecca is a graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary where she earned a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Art in Religion in 2011, with a thesis titled: “A Fuller Experience of God’s Grace: How the Sacraments Invite Us to Relationship with, and Care for, the Earth.” While in seminary, she authored “50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Help Make a Difference,” which was reprinted for distribution to the Commissioners of the 2016 General Assembly of the PC(USA).

 800-728-7228, x5624

Andrew Kang Bartlett (he/they)
Associate for National Hunger Concerns

Prior to coming to the Hunger Program in 2001, Andrew Kang Bartlett worked with non-profit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area on human rights, environmental health, people-centered development and social justice issues. Kang Bartlett also lived in Japan and East Asia for five years, three of those as a Presbyterian missionary doing community organizing and civil rights work with Koreans in Japan.

800-728-7228 x5388

Jennifer Evans (she/her)
Mission Specialist for National Grants and Communications

Since joining the PHP staff in 2012, Jennifer connects with grant partners and helps manage the national grant process. She also manages communications for PHP like the PHP Post, other print and online resources, social media and website. Jennifer has a B.A. in Communication and she’s a yoga instructor. Her passion for social justice, meditation and yoga help deepen her understanding of what we can do to care for ourselves and the world around us.

800-728-7228 x5819

Jessica Maudlin (she/her)
Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care

Jessica Maudlin Phelps serves as the Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care Concerns with the Presbyterian Hunger Program. She resources Presbyterians as they address issues of faith, lifestyle choices and sustainability. She manages the Earth Care Congregation and Hunger Action Advocate networks. Her background includes an emphasis on Liberation Theology and International Studies with time spent in Zambia, Mozambique, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Haiti.

800-728-7228 x5626

Valéry Nodem (he/him)
Associate for International Hunger Concerns

Formerly the coordinator of the Joining Hands RELUFA Network and a Cameroonian human rights lawyer, Valéry Nodem joined the PHP staff in 2011. He coordinates both the international development work of PHP and the global advocacy work of the Joining Hands Initiative. 

800-728-7228 x5834

Jenny Oldham (she/her)
Administrative Assistant

Formerly a teacher, Jenny has worked with the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Worldwide Ministries, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and now the Hunger Program. She sees the call to feed Christ’s sheep as a call to meet practical needs and to teach the message of God’s love. Jenny offers administrative support and enjoys sharing stories from our grant partners with those who support the work of PHP. A few of her favorite things are her daughter, her yard, and game nights with friends.

800-728-7228 x5832

Eileen Schuhmann(she/her)
Mission Specialist for International Hunger Concerns

Eileen Schuhmann joined PHP staff in 2006. She manages the international grant process and the Together for Justice blog that highlights and amplifies the voices of our international partners. Eileen also creates educational resources on international hunger issues and mobilizes Presbyterians to take action on those issues. She has her BA in International Economics and French from the University of Kentucky and her MA in Sociology from the University of Louisville. Eileen was trained as an organizer at the Midwest Academy. And before joining PHP, she served 3 years in the U.S. Peace Corps in Senegal as a small enterprise development agent.

800-728-7228 x5828

PHP Advisory Committee

Advisory Committee members help guide the church’s response to hunger and its underlying causes by serving as advisors to staff. Members review funding applications and make decisions on grants; recommend PHP operating guidelines; promote OGHS and other initiatives to support the work of PHP; encourage others who are engaged in PHP’s work at the mid-governing body level; and suggest the development of programs and strategies for implementing the Common Affirmation on Global Hunger and other General Assembly policies related to hunger and poverty.

Currently serving on the PHP Advisory Committee:

• Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo, co-chair
• Ryan Atkinson, co-chair
• Eileen Best
• Frank Dew
• Eric Dillenbeck
• Rev. Dr. Sunny Kang
• abby mohaupt
• Vincent Patton
• Alex Peterson

Hunger Action Advocates

Hunger Action Advocates (HAAs) serve presbyteries as educators, motivators, and facilitators of hunger action. They assist congregations and other groups to become engaged with issues of direct hunger relief, hunger-related development assistance, public policy advocacy, education and interpretation about hunger and lifestyle issues, including environmental justice.

HAAs receive a matching grant from PHP. They are accountable to the governing body which calls them. The governing body is expected to provide supervision and to conduct an annual evaluation, which is shared with the PHP Advisory Committee.