Staff and Leadership

Rev. Christy Jo Harber

Lead Pastor

Pastor Christy Jo was born and raised in West Tennessee and received a Bachelors in Nonprofit Leadership from Murray State University. She graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, TN, in 2017 with a Master of Divinity.

She served as Associate Pastor at Eastwood Christian Church (2017-2020). She has served as our Pastor here at WCC since 2020.

For fun she enjoys learning about the enneagram, going hiking, and exploring waterfalls!

Emma Nelson

Office Manager

Emma was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. She is an esthetician and nail technician who owns and operates her own studio downtown.

In her free time, Emma likes to read, paint, watch movies and spend time with her partner of 7 years, Tommy. Together they have a cat and a dog who are extremely spoiled and get tons of attention. 

She is excited to be a part of the Woodland Christian Church administrative team! 

Chloe Specht

Associate Pastor

Chloe Specht (she/they) is the Associate Pastor of WCC, where she has been on staff since November 2022 after serving Woodland as an intern in the summer of 2021. 

Chloe was born and raised in the Appalachian south. They hold a Bachelor of Science in Christian Ministries and Theology (with a minor in literature) from Mid-America Christian University and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, as well as a certificate in Historical Contexts of the Bible from Jerusalem University College. 

Chloe has over 5 years of faith-based nonprofit experience in communications, program development, and spiritual caregiving and firmly believes that Christian theology and spirituality can be a tool for liberation. She is deeply grateful and honored to serve as WCC’s first openly queer pastor. 

In their spare time, Chloe writes, crochets, and dotes on their houseplants.

Dr. Brandon Stroup

Music Director

Brandon was born and raised in Peebles, a rural town in southern Ohio. A first-generation college graduate, Brandon received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from Capital University, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Messiah University, and recently earned a Doctorate in Music Education.

For the past 19 years he has taught choir and piano in the public school system in Ohio, Arizona, and Florida, as well as founded and directed several community choirs. Additionally, Brandon has been involved in music ministry since he was sixteen years old. He has served as the Music Director at Woodland since October 2022.

For fun Brandon enjoys riding horses with his partner, Matt (along with hanging out with their seven dogs, two cats, and four parrots!), spending time with family, traveling, and cooking. Oh, and he is also a diehard fan of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Ohio State Buckeyes!