Our Team

DIRECTOR

John is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA). His first call was at McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN, as chaplain (‘98-’08). John also served as the campus pastor at Presbyterian Campus Ministry at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, NC (‘08-’20). John was born in Raleigh, NC, and spent a good chunk of his childhood in central Florida. He graduated from Greensboro College in ’94 where John split his time between the golf team, student Christian fellowship, and studying religion and philosophy. John completed his masters of divinity in ’98 from Duke Divinity School.

In 2020 John stepped down from his campus pastor role to create something new. Peterson House is that response. John wanted to create a place for people to gather and be shaped by our sacred biblical text. This space for ministry entrepreneurship began with many conversations and research. It started with a question of whether if it mattered how often people are reading the Bible? In short- it does. What then can we offer as a response? John’s hope is that whatever Peterson House is offering is helping to give people good space in the text and that it is a way to help people follow Christ more faithfully.

John only met Eugene Peterson once and never has been to Flathead Lake (the actual Peterson family home), but he is trusting the Lord will guide him and the ministry to create a special place that will cater to those who also hunger to dig deep in God’s word and relish, amidst the movement and volume of life, a thinness where Christ always speaks.

John is married to Trina. They have 3 children- Liza (18), Cate (9), and James (7). They live in Carrboro, NC.

You can reach John at john@petersonhousenc.org.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Janise is a wife, a mom to four kids, a PCUSA Minister and a Certified Spiritual Director.  She makes her home in Durham NC, where she spends her days caring for her four children, offering Spiritual Direction and enjoying every opportunity to preach, teach, and engage in spiritual formation.  She also keeps a blog at JaniseMatyasSmith.com where she offers thoughts on life, faith, and paying attention to God in the everyday.  She is a lover of God's Word, and one of her greatest joys is leading and guiding others in exploring Scripture and helping them listen to God's voice who is always speaking through His Word.  She is particularly excited to be a part of the Peterson House and it's work to create space to read, reflect and listen to God's Word, and lean in to the ways God is seeking to transform us as we gather and listen to His sacred text together.

You can reach Janise at janise@petersonhousenc.org.

BOARD MEMBER

Reid is excited about the mission of Peterson House and the opportunity to work with John and the board. He has been friends with John since John came to Chapel Hill in 2008. Reid is an attorney with the Department of State Treasurer and lives with his wife, Juli Kim, and their children in Chapel Hill.

BOARD MEMBER

Rob is the pastor of Durham Memorial Baptist in Durham, North Carolina. He and his wife, Meg, along with their three children, recently relocated from Northeast Florida where he spent nearly twenty years serving students on college campuses. Rob was an early member of our ministry leader group, and has been blessed by the ministry of Peterson House. He is excited to serve on the board and to be an advocate for church and ministry partnerships.

BOARD MEMBER

Jean is a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill. She is a catechist and scripture teacher. She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill in Economics and worked there in University Advancement managing the accounting, gift processing and information systems. The Bible has endless fascination in the unfolding understanding and new insights that never stop. It also has some good accounting and economics lessons.

BOARD MEMBER

Trina is an entrepreneur, wife, and mom.  She co-founded Off Campus Partners, a leading provider of private label off-campus housing websites to universities in the U.S. and Canada, and led the company through its acquisition in 2019 by CoStar Group (NASDAQ: CSGP).  Prior to co-founding Off Campus Partners, Trina was a consultant with Accenture in Washington, DC. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in Political and Social Thought and Foreign Affairs, and an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business.  In addition to Peterson House, she serves on the board of the Center for Christian Study at the University of Virginia.