Staff

The Covenant Network of Presbyterians is led by a team of staff that are working for a church that is simultaneously faithful, just, and whole.

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Staff

Brian Ellison

Brian Ellison

Executive Director

Brian Ellison has served as Executive Director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians since 2012, preaching, teaching and providing overall strategic leadership in implementing the organization’s mission. Brian is available for working with congregations, councils and groups of interested Presbyterians about inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people, fostering and navigating difficult conversations, organizing and advocating for transformation, and on the Covenant Network and its mission. Contact the office for more information.

 

Brian also serves as Stated Clerk of the Synod of Mid-America. He has served previously as pastor of Parkville Presbyterian Church (near Kansas City, Missouri) and as stated clerk of Heartland Presbytery. He currently is moderator of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission; previously, he was a director of the Board of Pensions, a member of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, and moderator of both the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment and the Stated Clerk Review/Nomination Committee.  His writing on matters of faith and theology have appeared in numerous church and independent publications. A graduate of Harvard University and Princeton Theological Seminary, Brian also is host/contributor at NPR affiliate KCUR-FM. He and his partner, Troy Lillebo, live in Kansas City with their two dog daughters, the recalcitrant Willoughby and the dopey Sage.
Carla Rowlett

Carla Rowlett

Office Coordinator

Carla Rowlett joined the Covenant Network of Presbyterians as Office Coordinator in June 2014. She is a graduate of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) in Richmond, Virginia, and a longtime youth director and Christian educator in Presbyterian churches. She handles office operations, event management, donations and bookkeeping and many other needs, and will often be the voice on the line when you call. She and her husband, Delvin, live in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

carla@covnetpres.org

Amy Cerniglia

Amy Cerniglia

Communications Coordinator

Amy Cerniglia is the Communications Coordinator for the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, where she publicizes events, leads workshops, and develops liturgical and educational resources to support churches in welcoming LGBTQIA+ people. She received her Master of Divinity from The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and is a Candidate for Ministry of Word and Sacrament under the care of Peace River Presbytery. Amy served for six years as Director of Music and Outreach at Peace Presbyterian Church in Florida, and she has contributed to publications such as The American Organist, the PC(USA)’s Call to Worship journal, and The Hymn Society’s Songs for the Holy Other.

Currently, Amy also serves at First Presbyterian Church of Iowa City and co-director of the 2025 Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ Worship and Music Conference. She holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Organ Performance from Mississippi College and enjoys practicing yoga, writing poetry, and exploring Eastern Iowa in her free time.

amy@covnetpres.org

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