Ministerial Staff

Rev. Richard D. Buller, Pastor
richard.buller@valleychurch.net

Richard became the pastor at Valley Community Presbyterian Church in 2003. With a Bachelor’s degree from Augsburg College (1981), Richard went on to earn his Master of Divinity (1985) from Princeton Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Valley, he served for 10 years at Oak Lane Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA and 3 years in Waterloo, Iowa.

Richard and his wife, Jean Ann, who is a home care mental health nurse at North Memorial Hospital, live in New Hope with their son, Martin (17). Their oldest son, Peter (20), is a student in the Fargo/Moorhead area. Richard can be contacted by calling the church office or by emailing him at richard.buller@valleychurch.net.

Wendy Fields, Christian Education Director
wendy.fields@valleychurch.net
Wendy is a lifelong Presbyterian, long time Sunday school teacher, and lover of education. As Christian Education Director, Wendy brings enthusiasm, joy and a desire to share the biblical stories and love of Christ Jesus with others and to learn and grow with the children and adults of Valley. Wendy has a BA from the University of Minnesota and is currently working on a Masters in Educational Leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. She lives in Golden Valley with her husband, Greg, son, Nikolas, who is an 8th grader, cat Stuart and dog Medley. Wendy enjoys reading, biking, cross country skiing, hiking and spending time with her family and friends. Wendy can be contacted at wendy.fields@valleychurch.net.

Dr. Andrew Fleser, Organist/Music Director
andrew.fleser@valleychurch.net
Andrew is a Doctor of Musical Arts graduate in Collaborative Piano from the University of Minnesota School of Music and is employed by the University as Graduate Instructor in the Theory Department; a Graduate Assistant in Collaborative Piano responsible for chamber music performance and vocal coaching; and Pianist/Coach for the Opera Theatre. He received his Master of Music degree with honors in Piano Accompanying and Coaching from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ which included Graduate Assistantship in vocal accompaniment.

Andrew received his Bachelor of Music, cum laude, with a major in Piano Performance, from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI where he was also choral accompanist and Campus Ministry accompanist. During his studies for his Masters Degree, Andrew served as the pianist for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, New Jersey. Andrew’s professional experience of over ten years has included positions of Pianist/Interim Music Director at Prince of Peace Parish, full time Director of Liturgical Music at the Parish of St. Pius X, and more recently as Music Director at the Open Circle Church of the Brethren in Burnsville. Andrew can be contacted at andrew.fleser@valleychurch.net.

Scott Newman, Contemporary Music Director
scott.newman@valleychurch.net
Scott grew up in a musical family, spreading God’s word in song at churches and public events in the Superior/Duluth area. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Superior as a music major. He has spent 15 years performing rock-n-roll and Top 40. Scott and his brothers have recently regrouped to form “The Newman Brothers”, a gospel group which performs at churches and concerts in the Minnesota/Wisconsin area. 

Scott is a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines and lives with his wife, Mel and three children. Scott says, “Valley Church has been an amazing blessing to me and my family. We have never found a congregation that is so warm and loving. God’s love and mission are very much alive in this congregation and we as a family are very proud to call it our church home.” Scott can be contacted at scott.newman@valleychurch.net.

Sarah Bigwood, Youth and Young Adult Director
sarah.bigwood@valleychurch.net
Sarah's goal as a youth director is to provide young people with the experiences that she wishes she had as a teenager: a strong faith background, a caring group in which to discover gifts, and opportunities to learn and serve. Her gifts are particularly suited to group building and team work.

Sarah recently added Young Adult Director to her title. A critical segment of the church is our young adults ages 18-40. Their lifestyles, life stages, and the increasingly pluralistic culture in which we live means the church needs to be more intentional about how we support these two generations. Sarah's goals will be to provide the nurture and support they need to actively live out their faith. She is very excited about her new role.

Sarah spent a year in seminary working on a MA in systematic theology before taking a break to start a family. Sarah lives within walking distance of the church with her husband, Tom, and two children Robert and Kate. Sarah can be contacted at sarah.bigwood@valleychurch.net.

Janet Carlson, Hand Bell Choir Director
janet.carlson@valleychurch.net
Janet has been ringing bells for most of her life and is an accomplished bell ringer. She directs several adult bell choirs and has worked with many young adult bell choirs. Janet lives in Mounds View with her husband and two children. She can be contacted at janet.carlson@valleychurch.net.