Brandi Casto-Waters

Dr. Brandi Casto-Waters brings more than two decades of pastoral ministry experience to her work with churches and leaders. Her ministry has included service as a hospice chaplain and pastoral leadership roles at First Presbyterian Church in Greer, South Carolina; Faith Presbyterian Church in Cape Coral, Florida; and Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia, where she currently serves.

A graduate of Presbyterian College and Columbia Theological Seminary, Brandi earned both Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees, with a doctoral focus on stewardship. Throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she has built a reputation as a pastor who finds joy in preaching, pastoral care, administration, and helping congregations cultivate healthy and generous ministry practices.

Brandi’s ministry has centered on deepening mission engagement, developing strong and collaborative staff and lay leadership teams, and nurturing faithful stewardship. Her consulting interests include strategic planning and Future Ready Church, coaching, staff and team development, stewardship, and capital campaigns.

She has served the wider church as a member of the Boards of Trustees of Columbia Theological Seminary and Presbyterian College and through service on several community nonprofit boards. Brandi has been a Montreat Summer Worship preacher, a preacher and keynote speaker at the Stewardship Kaleidoscope Conference, and a participant in the Montreat Stewardship Renewal Initiative. She also earned an Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising from the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving.

Brandi is married to the Rev. Andy Casto-Waters, who is also an ordained Presbyterian minister. Together, they are the proud parents of Ella and Lucy. When they are not traveling as a family, they enjoy spending time with their sweet cavapoo, Penny.

Q&A with Brandi
What do you most enjoy about working with churches?

At our best, the church is called to “equip the saints for the work of ministry.” I love working with church leaders who inspire others to serve with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love. It is a privilege to help leaders and congregations recognize their gifts, strengthen their shared ministry, and faithfully pursue the work God has placed before them.

What kinds of consulting work energize you most?

I find great joy in preaching and worship, and I have learned valuable lessons about staff leadership and personnel throughout my ministry. I am especially energized by conversations about stewardship. While it is not always the most popular topic among pastors, stewardship touches everything from the practical foundations of church finances to deeper cultural questions about scarcity and abundance.

I find conversations about annual stewardship practices, capital campaigns, and the cultivation of faithful, generous, and joyful stewardship both energizing and life-giving.

What is something personal or fun we should know about you?

My husband, Andy, is a 1995 graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and I am a proud 1997 graduate of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. It was a wonderful surprise when our daughters put both PC and Wofford on their own college lists—and an absolute joy when Ella became a 2025 graduate of Presbyterian College and Lucy a 2026 graduate of Wofford.

We never imagined it, but we are now a very happy house divided. That said—Go Blue Hose!

What gives you hope about the church today?

After 25 years of pastoral ministry, I remain grateful to be called to proclaim the good news that there is not one thing—not a terminal diagnosis, a sudden and tragic death, mental illness, a pandemic, a natural disaster, or even a level-five congregational conflict—that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Both personally and pastorally, I have witnessed again and again the truth expressed by the psalmist: “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” That enduring promise continues to give me hope for the church and its ministry in the world.

Areas of Consulting Focus:
Strategic Planning and Future Ready Church
Coaching
Staff and Team Development
Stewardship
Capital Campaigns