Staff
Clergy
Rev. Myungha Baek, Lead Pastor
pastorbaek@stpaulumc-lusby.org
Rev. Myungha Baek was born and raised in South Korea. He and his wife (Rev. EunJoung Joo) came to the States to study. Pastor Baek is the proud father of his daughter, Abigail (Abby). The Baek family has a great companion in their dog, Lily.
Pastor Baek was not a Christian when he was young. His father was an atheist, and his mother was a non-practicing Catholic; however, they became Christians later. One of his friends invited him to his church’s youth service when he was in middle school. Since then, he has lived as a Christian. Pastor Baek tried to be a school teacher when he was in university, however God called him into ministry. He studied at the Korean Methodist Seminary in Seoul, Korea, where he earned a B.A. and Th.M in Spirituality and Psychology. He then studied at Wesley Theological Seminary in D.C. where he earned a Masters in Divinity. Pastor Baek has served as a Children and Korean youth pastor at National Korean UMC in Rockville, MD, a local pastor at Galesville UMC in Galesville, MD, South Damascus Charge in Damascus, MD, and Monrovia charge.
“God became a human being; the Word became flesh.” – John 1:14
The Word became flesh so that human beings could experience God’s care tangibly. Pastor Baek focuses on helping people to experience God’s love and truth in their lives so they also can be God’s vessel of love and truth to their neighbors. God’s followers can embody ‘the Word becoming flesh’ to people in their family, community, and beyond.
Lay Staff
Sherry Mervine, Children & Youth Leader, Music Minister
In addition to serving as St. Paul’s Children and Youth Leader, Sherry currently serves as the music minister, pianist, and choir director.
Sherry has been attending St. Paul for over 20 years, during which she has been the VBS director for five years.
She celebrated her 30th year as a vocal teacher in the 2024-2025 school year. During that time she has also served as a PTA officer for both Appeal Elementary (before it became PAC) and Southern Middle School in the roles of President, Vice President, and Treasurer. She also served as President and Treasurer of the Calvert Countywide PTA for a total of 5 years. Sherry has also been an active scouting leader in Calvert County for over 14 years.
Sherry has dedicated her life to serving the needs of children and young adults in her classroom and in her community. She strives to help them grow in moral character, build self-esteem and confidence, increase local/global society awareness, and demonstrate courage as they explore their interests and talents to start on their path for life goals.
Nerissa Curtin, Office Manager
Nerissa joined the staff as Office Manager in April of 2024.
She has been married to her husband, Chris, since 2003 and is the mother of two kids and two cats. She was a military spouse until recently, allowing her to live in seven states and two countries before moving to Calvert County in 2015. Over the last two decades, she served as a volunteer with various military, community, and religious organizations. By taking this position on our support staff, Nerissa has chosen to use her gifts of administration, compassion and helping to bless all who visit our offices.
In her free time, she enjoys playing games with her family, crafting, and kayaking in the summer. Her favorite way to spend any day is with good food, friends and family.
Cindy Shippert, Finance Manager
financemanager@stpaulumc-lusby.org
Cindy Shippert joined the staff as Finance Manager in April of 2024.
As of August, 2024 she has been married to her husband, Paul, for 40 years. They have lived in Calvert County for 36 years. Paul and Cindy have 3 adult
daughters and 2 grandsons. Cindy has been a member of St. Paul UMC for many years.
For fun Cindy enjoys bowling, reading a variety of books, watching forensic and mystery programs like CSI Chicago and NCIS. Cindy loves having time to enjoy her grandsons.
Missy Garber, Custodian
Missy Garber, shown here on the right, has served St. Paul UMC as our custodian for a long time.
She is married to Phil, shown here on the left.