Pastor Susie Beil
email: susie@summitave.net
Rev Dr Susie Beil has been our lead pastor at Summit Avenue since August of 2012. She is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Seminary. In an earlier life, she also earned a Masters in Environmental Health from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science from Gonzaga University. Pastor Susie has served on the Kitsap County Council for Human Rights and currently serves as a Commissioner for the Bremerton Housing Authority. She also participates with the Kitsap ERACE Breaking Bread for Racial Justice faith leaders team.
In addition to leading the congregation in worship and discipleship, Pastor Susie is also available by appointment to meet with individuals and couples for pastoral care, prayer, and counseling. A certified facilitator for the SYMBIS pre-marriage assessment and counseling program, she loves to meet with couples preparing for marriage.
Susie and her husband have lived in Bremerton since 2008 with their three boys. Susie loves reading, cooking, gardening, and spending time with family and friends. As a family, they love the outdoors and enjoy camping and hiking in the glorious Pacific Northwest.
Office & Communications Coordinator & Organist Woody Bernas
email: office@summitave.net
Woody has served as Summit’s principal organist since 2009, practicing weekly with the adult choir and leading the congregation in joyful worship. Woody added to his list of duties at Summit Ave by becoming the Office Coordinator in January, 2020.
When not glued to his office chair or an organ bench, his favorite seat is the saddle of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle!
Alexis Sterbentz
Summit Kids Lead
email: alexis@summitave.net
Alexis started coming to Summit in May 2023 after realizing she needed to find a more inclusive, loving space in the Christian community for her children to grow up in. This is what led her to pursue the position as Kids Ministry Lead, so her kids and others would continue to experience and learn about God’s love in the Godly Play and Nursery programs.
Alexis has been married to Erik for almost 13 years and has two children, Mathilde (8) and Leif (4) — and one on the way. Her background is in supporting women through the motherhood transition. She has a degree in nutrition, is a certified postpartum doula, a CrossFit + Birthfit coach, a sourdough educator and mindset coach. Her mission is to provide education and a safe space for mothers to feel seen, heard and embraced by a community, and deeply desires them to know they are not alone.
When Alexis isn’t working or caring for her family, you can usually find her out taking a walk in the woods, cooking or baking something fun, or reading.