Staff
synod Executive
The Rev. Dr. Deborah Boucher-Payne (synodexec@synodma.org), B.S., M.Div., M.S., D. Min. has been an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) for 33 years. Originally from Rochester, New York, she lived in Austin, Texas, as a teen and young adult, attending the University of Texas and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She also has advanced degrees from Creighton University and United Theological Seminary. Deborah has pastored churches in New York, Nebraska and Iowa, as well as serving as the Director of Pastoral Care at a regional trauma and transplant center in Omaha and is in her eighth year serving as the Executive Presbyter of Missouri Union Presbytery. Deborah has been an active leader in the denomination, most recently serving as the President of the Association of Mid Council Leaders and as a member of the General Assembly Task Force on the Theology and Practice of Ordination. She is also serving her third term on the Board of Directors of the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation.
Deborah is an artist, enjoys travel and outdoor recreation. She and her husband, Ron, have been married for 26 years, have two young adult children, and live in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Stated Clerk
The Rev. Brian Ellison (brian@synodma.org) has served the SoMA part-time as Stated Clerk since October 2019 and previously as Associate Stated Clerk since February 2015. In his day-to-day life, Brian is also the Executive Director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians and a host/contributor at NPR affiliate KCUR 89.3 in Kansas City. He and his partner Troy live in Kansas City with their two dog daughters, the recalcitrant Willoughby and the dopey Sage.
In his role as Stated Clerk, Brian is the synod’s senior ecclesiastical officer. He supports the mission and ministry of the Synod by assisting the assembly and its committees in matters of process and procedure, preparing dockets, minutes, rolls, and records. He also serves as a resource to presbytery leaders and stated clerks and oversees judicial process in the synod, including staffing the Permanent Judicial Commission.
Brian is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1999 as pastor of Parkville (Mo.) Presbyterian Church, where he served for 13 years. He is currently moderator of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission and has previously served the General Assembly as a director of the Board of Pensions, a member of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, and as moderator of both the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment and the Stated Clerk Review/Nomination Committee. He has also served as moderator of the Committee on Ministry, Committee on Preparation for Ministry, and the Permanent Judicial Commission in Heartland Presbytery.
Contact Brian if you have questions regarding Synod Assembly meeting preparation, minutes and records, or inquiries concerning the Synod Permanent Judicial Commission.
Administrative Assistant
Ms. Orlandra Brown (office@synodma.org) is a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to joining the Synod in May, 2023, Orlandra was the Office Administrator at Covenant for seven years, where she oversaw both the church and its food pantry’s operations. She is the single mother of two sons, two grandsons and a cute little pekingese mix.