Meet Our Staff

Senior Pastor

Rev. Brad Bellah

The Rev. Brad Bellah is the Senior Pastor at Shepherd of the Sea. He was born and raised in John’s Island, SC, and has been serving SOS since 2011. As Senior Pastor, Pastor Brad provides spiritual leadership by preaching, teaching, and guiding the congregation’s faith journey. Additionally, he oversees church operations, supports pastoral staff, and serves as a mentor and counselor to help the church fulfill its mission in the community. Pastor Brad graduated from the College of Charleston and earned a Master's of Divinity at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia South Carolina in 2003. Before SOS, Pastor Brad served two other ELCA congregations in the South Carolina Synod. Pastor Brad enjoys spending time with his wife Mandy and their two children Gracie and Drew. He finds inspiration from travel and pop culture - particularly Walt Disney, Mr Rogers, music, movies, and corny jokes. He finds joy in equipping the saints for the work of ministry by plugging in and serving within their God-given giftedness.

Discipleship Pastor

Rev. David P. Nelson

The Rev. David Nelson is the Discipleship Pastor at Shepherd of the Sea. He retired from full-time pastoral ministry in 2019. Pastor Dave served mission congregations in Detroit and Jersey City before becoming lead organizer for East Brooklyn Congregations. He was called to special service as the Chief Ministries Officer for Catholic Charities in New York and later served congregations in Harrisonburg VA and Southport, NC. Pastor Dave preaches and leads worship at SOS, coaches various staff, and performs leadership training. He and his wife, Beth, love the Lord and the Shepherd of the Sea faith community.

Lay Evangelist

Angela Howell

Angela Howell is the Lay Evangelist at Shepherd of the Sea Lutheran Church. Angela was born in the beautiful mountains of Boone County, WV. Since joining SOS in 2021, she has become an invaluable partner in our congregation. With her loving and compassionate nature, Angela excels in connecting with people on a personal level and building strong and meaningful relationships within the church and community. She actively looks for opportunities to help Shepherd of the Sea engage with the wider world, fostering a spirit of outreach. Angela is a proud graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, WV, where she dedicated 21 years of her career as a Campus Law Enforcement Officer. During her service at the university, she developed and taught a Women’s Self Defense course which she continues to teach at Coastal Carolina University where she is now on patrol. She also currently serves as the Safety Manager for Horry County where she works diligently to keep workers safe and secure in their environment. 

When she is not working, Angela loves talking with others about her amazing church, her relationship with Jesus, and building new relationships with others.  She finds joy in taking hikes through the woods and playing with her animals on a daily basis.

Director of Music

Sean O'Malley

Sean O’Malley is the Director of Music at Shepherd of the Sea. He is originally from Lagrangeville, NY, and has been a partner at SOS since 2020. As Director of Music, he directs music for both traditional and contemporary worship. In addition to serving as Director of Music, he also is a music teacher at Carolina Forest High School, is a freelance music director, and teaches music privately. Sean loves getting to witness people grow their faith in God through music.

Worship Arts Director

Holly Lail

Holly Lail is the Worship Arts Director at Shepherd of the Sea. She is originally from Swannanoa, NC, and has been a partner at SOS since 2017. As Worship Arts Director, she oversees the Audio/Visual and Digital Ministry Teams. Holly prepares the worship slides for both in-person and online services. She also oversees the church's Facebook page and Digital Acre. In addition to serving as Worship Arts Director, she works at Kroger in Garden City in Customer Service. Holly graduated from Gardner-Webb University in NC with a BA in Religious Education and Mission Studies. Holly enjoys spending time with her husband Eric and their son Joseph. Her hobbies include genealogy and walking on the beach. Holly has a passion for missions and digital ministry. She wants people to know that being in the church isn't limited to being inside the walls of the church. Since the pandemic, Shepherd of the Sea has had several partners join just as ONLINE partners who live outside the Grand Strand area. These online partners can still participate in services at SOS and activities with the Digital Ministry.

Associate Organist

Diane Munch

Diane Munch is the associate organist at the 8 a.m. service. She was born in Bethpage, NY, and has been an SOS member since 1999. As the organist at 8 a.m., Diane is responsible for leading the congregational singing of hymns and liturgy and providing organ and piano music during the service which reflects on the Bible readings or theme for the day. After more than 50 years of playing the organ, Diane took and passed the Service Playing Exam administered by the American Guild of Organists. Diane has played at Shepherd of the Sea for over 10 years, starting with the (now discontinued) Saturday night service. She also concurrently played at St. Philip Lutheran Church in Myrtle Beach and various other churches and denominations. Diane loves being a church organist and leading worship in song. In her downtime, she enjoys reading and spending time with friends.