Pastors

Senior Pastor

Alex Barrientos

Born and bred in Washington, D.C., Alex Barrientos serves as Sligo’s Senior Pastor. He believes in creating spaces for communities to grow in grace and developing opportunities of service for the Kingdom of God. Besides his passions for preaching and teaching, Alex is an avid reader, a DC sports fan and loves vintage fountain pens. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Anisha, and they love spending time with their daughter, Shanthi.  

A graduate of Washington Adventist University and Andrews University Theological Seminary, Alex is pursuing his Ph.D. in Theological Ethics at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.  He is an adjunct instructor in the Department of Religion at Washington Adventist University.

Alex has served over fifteen years in church leadership roles, community organizations, the Potomac Conference (Capital Spanish, Beltsville, Capital Memorial, Meadowbridge, Gloucester churches), Florida Conference (Spring Meadows church), and NAD committees.

Pastor For Administration and Adult Ministries

Don McFarlane

Originally from Jamaica, Don McFarlane worked as a pastor and church administrator in the British Union for thirty three years. He and his wife Mary have three children and ten grandchildren. Pastor McFarlane is excited about the return of Jesus to earth but at the same time is passionate about the kingdom of God here and now. He holds to the view that love for one another is the purest expression of God’s kingdom in the life of the believer and has as the point of reference for his ministry the compassion that Jesus demonstrated in His own ministry.

Pastor for Discipleship & Congregational Care

Pranitha Fielder

Originally from India, Pastor Fielder has been a part of the Sligo Church community since 2001. In keeping with Ephesians 4:12-14, she believes every Christian has a God-given calling to build up Christ’s Kingdom.

Pastor Fielder is passionate about equipping God’s people to live out their calling in Christ and reflect His love in their communities. She is is married to Kelan Fielder, and they have the absolute joy of being parents to Azzan.

Pastor For Worship

Cheryl Wilson-Bridges

Cheryl Wilson-Bridges serves as Sligo’s pastor for worship and has been devoted to ministry for the past twenty years. Pastor Bridges is a seasoned pastor, author, international speaker and worship curator. As the founder of Sligo’s Consumed Worship Conference, she promotes and embodies a lifestyle of worship that reaches beyond the church walls.

Dr. Bridges has authored two seminal books, Levite Praise: God’s Biblical Design for Praise and Worship and Deeper Praise: Music, Majesty or Mayhem (Creation House Publishers) both of which are used as university textbooks for worship didactics. She lives by Matthew 6:33 and John 12:32, as she continuously seeks God’s kingdom and lifts Jesus up to draw all people through authentic worship. Her husband Conrad and son Darius are vital components to her life and ministry.

Pastor For Youth & Young Adult Ministries

Jonathan Gantt

As Youth and Young Adult Pastor, Jonathan brings to Sligo several years of experience in working with young people.  He served for seven years as a Bible teacher, the first three at Pine Tree Academy in Freeport, Maine, and subsequently at Takoma Academy. While in Maine he also served as Chaplain and at Takoma Academy as assistant Chaplain. Jonathan served as Sligo’s Young Adult Sabbath School Study Leader.

Pastor Gantt enjoys preaching and teaching the gospel to all age groups, and is passionate about bringing people into the church and helping them become a part of the kingdom of God, which he sees as the only cure for a broken and hurting world

Pastor for Children & Family Ministries

Hazel Ramirez Marroquin

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Hazel has served in various ministerial and leadership capacities throughout the years.  Before transitioning to Pastoral Ministry, she worked as the Public Relations Director for Jesus 101 Biblical Institute.  Hazel holds a degree in Business Administration & Accounting and worked many years in the corporate world before answering a call from God to deepen her ministry.  She then completed a degree in Theology from Southwestern Adventist University.   

Hazel’s passion is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, motivating and empowering others to live up to their full potential in Christ and simply reminding everyone of the unconditional love of Jesus. Hazel enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors, and spending quality time with her family and friends. She and her husband, Gilberto, have two adult sons.