Frederick E. “Tripp” Brogdon, III, joined St. Andrew on January 13, 2020 as Solo Pastor. Tripp is a 2007 graduate of the University of South Carolina and received a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2018.

Tripp was born in Sumter, South Carolina in 1981.   He is the son of Fred and Laura Brogdon, a dentist and 4th grade teacher respectively. His sister Meg Hill, a speech pathologist, is married to Cooper Hill, and they have two boys, Cooper, Jr. (12) and Brogdon (9). Tripp’s grandmother, Betty Brogdon, is his hero of faith. She is 95 and is still teaching the Children’s Catechism for the youth at his home church after 60 years. The Brogdons have a strong Presbyterian heritage at First Presbyterian in Sumter. Five generations have now worshipped and served there. The church was essential to Tripp’s development and growth. It was a place that loved and nurtured him and encouraged him to live into God’s calling for his life.

St. Andrew is Tripp’s first call to the ministry. After college he worked for several years as a funeral home director before heeding God’s call and entering seminary.   His time as funeral director was highly influential in his faith journey as he walked with families who had lost loved ones. He saw families go through a range of emotions which gave him a much better understanding of what it means to live in a world of suffering and hurt and how to minister to those in the midst of that pain.

Tripp is single and loves college football, golf, basketball, music, and playing the guitar. He is an avid South Carolina Gamecock fan.

Tripp looks forward to serving St. Andrew and the Decatur area. He believes God has called him to a local church ministry, where the greatest commandments of loving God and neighbor are lived out in community.

Bonita has served as a secretary for over 32 years and has been at St. Andrew since December 2013.  She loves the Lord and considers her work at St. Andrew to be just one way she can serve the Lord daily.  She has five children and fifteen grandchildren.

Leslie has lovingly taken care of multiple generations of St. Andrew’s children for over 25 years.  She participates in all the children’s activities including the music program, Easter egg hunt, and Christmas play. 

Leslie has two children and one grandchild of her own.  Leslie constantly reaches out to children in the local community and invites them to share in the light of Jesus.   She is an integral part of our children’s ministry and a valued and beloved member of our staff.

Mavis grew up in Montevallo, Alabama.  She received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Univ. of Montevallo and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Alabama. She also did post-graduate work at Ball State University.  She taught music in Jefferson County Schools for four years and in Decatur City Schools twenty- seven years.  She played violin in the Huntsville Symphony, the Decatur Chamber Orchestra, the Shoals Symphony, and played in the pit orchestra for musicals at the Princess Theatre.  She has sung in the Decatur City Chorus for 35 years and church choirs all of her adult life.

For the last seventeen years, Mavis has studied art and her works have been displayed in shows and galleries in Montgomery, Birmingham, and North Alabama.  She was married to Bob Stephens (deceased), another musician and teacher, and has two sons and four grandchildren.

Jeff joined St. Andrew in July of 2017 as pianist. He graduated from Mt. Hope High School in Lawrence County, Alabama. He received a degree in applied voice from the University of North Alabama and started teaching voice professionally.

Answering a call to music ministry he moved to Memphis, TN, where he received a Masters in Religion and Education. After serving as minister of music for several churches, Jeff taught and studied at Auburn University for 10 years completing his Masters and Ph.D. in Music Education.

Jeff now teaches elementary music full-time in Decatur City Schools. He is an accomplished musician playing multiple instruments including organ and piano. He is currently learning to play and teach violin for the Decatur Youth Symphony. Jeff’s students call him “Dr. G.” He lives in Decatur with his two college age children, Kelsey and Jordon.