Board and Advisory Council
Board of Directors
Board Member
Mr. Matthew Browning
Matthews, North Carolina
Matthew Browning has championed New Aberdeen College since its inception. He currently is the Global Commodities Manager at Forte Opening Solutions.
He is a deacon at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Charlotte. He and his wife, Cassie, live in Matthews with their two children. Their children attend Greyfriar’s Academy.
Board Secretary
Mr. Carter Ehnis
East Lansing, Michigan
Mr. Ehnis is a passionate educator and linguist. He has played a vital role in the pedagogical foundations of New Aberdeen. A Michigan native, he currently holds a one-year teaching position at New Saint Andrews College teaching Greek and Latin. He is a Latin & Ancient Greek Fellow at the Ancient Language Institute. He hopes to continue his studies with a Ph.D. in Linguistics. He is a member of Palouse Fellowship.
President of the Board
The Rev'd Dr. Peter Johnston
Lafayette, Louisiana
The Rev'd Dr. Peter Johnston is the founding Rector of Trinity Anglican Church in Lafayette, Louisiana. He also serves as Ministry President of Anglican Compass, a digital media ministry. A graduate of Yale College and Yale Divinity School, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Louisiana with a dissertation on John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost.
He lives in Broussard, Louisiana, with his wife Carla and their eight children.
Board Member
Dr. Ryan F. Smith
Charlotte, North Carolina
Dr. Smith served as a professor and administrator at both secular and Christian liberal arts colleges prior to leading the team that founded New Aberdeen College. He is a trained concert pianist, and he has performed across the U.S. in collaborative and solo engagements. His articles on education, music, and theology have been published in a variety of journals. He has served as a church musician in various capacities for thirty years.
He and his wife, Abigail, have four children. He is a member of Resurrection Presbyterian Church in Matthews, North Carolina.
Board Member
Mr. Chris van Heerden, J.D.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Mr. van Heerden is the Director of Research at the law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham, Taft LLP, where he has previously served as an attorney in the Finance Practice and overseen practice group operational management. Born in South Africa, he started his career as a technology sector research analyst at local bank in Taiwan, and subsequently spent fifteen years as a fixed income research analyst at a U.S. investment bank. He is a frequent author on financial markets and regulation.
The van Heerden family—which includes his wife and five children ranging second grade to a college senior—are actively involved in classical Christian education in Charlotte, N.C. He is a member of St. Jude's Anglican Church in Huntersville, N.C.
Board member
Dr. Marshall "Sonny" White
Greensboro, North Carolina
Sonny is a passionate supporter of Christian higher education. He has thirty years of global leadership experience in the chemicals industry. He has also taught at many universities and served on boards at four colleges and universities. He additionally has more than fifteen years experience in leadership of Community and Technical Colleges. Sonny is President Emeritus of Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina.
He is a native of York County, SC and has served as an elder in the Presbyterian Church for 44 years.He and his wife Jo Ellen have two children and two grandchildren and live in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he presently serves as an elder at Christ Covenant A.R.P. Church.
Board Member
Dr. Bruce Willson
Savannah, Georgia
Dr. Willson is an experienced leader possessing a unique combination of nonprofit management, educational leadership, and the pastoral experience to the Board of Trustees. He currently serves as the interim headmaster at Veritas Academy in Savannah. In addition to serving as pastor of John Knox Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Ruston, Louisiana, Dr. Willson was the President & C.E.O. of the United Way of Northwest Louisiana. He earned a D.Min. from Reformed Theological Seminary.
Dr. Willson brings expertise in the realms of classical education, the Reformed faith, and extensive experience in fundraising to New Aberdeen. He and his wife have three grown children and three grandchildren. He is a member of Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia.
The Presidential Advisory Council
PAC Member
Dr. James Anderson
Charlotte, North Carolina
Dr. James Anderson Carl W. McMurray Professor of Theology and Philosophy and the Academic Dean at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. Dr. Anderson came to Reformed Theological Seminary from Edinburgh, Scotland, and specializes in philosophical theology, religious epistemology, and Christian apologetics.
Dr. Anderson has a long-standing concern to bring the Reformed theological tradition into greater dialogue with contemporary analytic philosophy. Before studying philosophy, Dr. Anderson also earned a Ph.D. in Computer Simulation from the University of Edinburgh. He is a member of the Society of Christian Philosophers, the British Society for the Philosophy of Religion, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Prior to joining R.T.S. Charlotte, Dr. Anderson served as an assistant pastor at the historic Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh where he engaged in regular preaching, teaching, and pastoral ministry. He is an ordained minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Dr. Anderson and his wife, Catriona, have three children.
PAC Member
Mr. Christopher Blackwell
Columbia, South Carolina
Mr. Blackwell operates and teaches at the Omnibus Classroom in Cayce, South Carolina. Mr. Blackwell and his wife Jessica have six children, and Mr. Blackwell has taught classes for homeschoolers for nine years. Mr. Blackwell received his Bachelor of Arts from Taylor University where he majored in Biblical Studies and minored in Philosophy. He received his Masters of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The Blackwells are members at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina.
PAc member
The Rev'd. Dr. Robert Cathcart
Laurens, South Carolina
PAC Member
Mrs. Amy Harrill
Troutman, North Carolina
PAc member
Rev. Eugene Oldham
Harrisburg, North Carolina
Rev. Oldham is a strong advocate for New Aberdeen College. He is the Associate Pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church, the college's host church. Eugene leads music and oversees the Christian education ministries. He earned his M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary and has been on the staff of Grace Church since 2005.
He and his wife, Laura, are homeschool parents. Eugene and his wife, Laura, have eight children.
PAc member
Dr. Nick Lantinga
South Haven, Michigan
PAc member
Mr. Rick Vogel
Greensboro, North Carolina