Jim Rittenhouse

Director of Worship & Music Ministry

Jim Rittenhouse joined the staff at Second Presbyterian in August 2017, and serves as Director of Worship and Music. He has served churches in Virginia, Indiana, and most recently at St. Paul United Methodist Church as Associate Director of Music. He holds the Performer's Certificate and Master of Church Music degrees from Southern Seminary. Jim has been a frequent soloist with regional choral and chamber/orchestral ensembles since 1989, including the Louisville Orchestra, and the Blanche Moyse Chorale in Vermont. Until 2020, Jim was owner of R2 Impact/McKinney Speakers, a speakers and talent bureau. Jim has been married to Janet for more than 30 years, and they have two daughters, Katie Rittenhouse and Anna Gesell (Randy).

Mengfei Xu

Organist and Assistant Director of Worship & Music Ministry

Born in Dalian, China, keyboardist Mengfei Xu earned performance degrees from Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Ithaca College, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Her primary organ teachers include James O’Donnell, Carole Terry, Craig Cramer, André Lash, and Jean Radice. Her scholarly thesis, “Organ Influences on Selected French Piano Works from the 1880s to the 1920s” (2021), is available on ProQuest. Xu is a scholar-performer with a particular interest in compositions by female and lesser-known composers. As an organist, she has appeared in recitals in the United States, France, and Sweden. As a pianist, she has performed concertos with the Shenzhen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, and the UNCG Symphony Orchestra. Xu has received numerous scholarships from various organizations, including the 2016 Richard VanSciver Church Music Scholarship from Metropolitan Music Ministries, the 2017 Montréal Organ Festival Young Organist Scholarship from the Royal Canadian College of Organists, the 2018 AGO National Convention Young Organist Scholarship, the 2022 Charles Ives Prize for Outstanding Organ Student from the Yale School of Music, and the 2024 Yale Institute of Sacred Music Director’s Prize for the best Colloquium presentation.

Lorie Williamson

Director of Children and Family Ministry

Lorie Williamson, a native of Louisville, originally came to Second Presbyterian 6 years ago as Director of Children’s Ministries and is delighted to be able to return once again in that capacity.Lorie has undergraduate and graduate degrees in music and has taught privately and in the classroom in both the Louisville and Los Angeles Catholic School Systems. Lorie shares her home with her daughters: Loren, a freshman at duPont Manual High School majoring in Journalism and Communication; Sierra, a trumpet Performance Major at the University of KY; and Elise, a Junior at Yale University majoring in Political Science and Women & Gender studies. Also sharing her home are beloved animals Brandi(dog), Ella (cat), and Beta fish Vance. Some favorite pastimes are Scrabble and wine nights, badminton, swimming, hiking, going to concerts, and taking the dog for a walk while eating popsicles. She is extremely excited to be back and is looking forward to exploring God’s love with each family in new and exciting ways.