Harold Henderson, D.Min - Senior Minister  372-8523 Ext 11
hhenderson@fumcgnv.org       Click Here for high resolution picture

Dr Harold Henderson has been appointed our Senior Minister.  Dr Henderson came to us from the FUMC of Reddick, FL where he has been minister for 13 years. He is an Australian citizen, married to a US citizen, Dr. Ruth Henderson and resides permanently in the United States. He holds a degree in Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity, University of Melbourne, Australia. He also holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Barry University in Miami, Florida. He has lived and worked in Geneva, Switzerland, Cyprus and Barcelona, Spain as well as in Australia and the United States. Previous work with World Vision International and The Methodist Church have taken him to more than 70 countries in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, the Middle East, The Pacific and Europe. Dr. Henderson currently teaches short-term intensive courses for clergy students through the Emory University Extension program at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.

His wife, Dr. Ruth Henderson, recently retired as Director of the Archer Campus of Santa Fe Community College and works with interns in the College of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida. 

Carl E. Romey - Assistant Pastor  372-8523 Ext. 14
carl@fumcgnv.org    

Carl became a part of the ministry team at FUMC in September 1998. Completing a B.A. in religion, Carl attended seminary in Kansas City, Missouri and was ordained in 1975. He has served as a senior pastor in Indiana and Florida as well as being a missionary to Brazil, South America for twelve years. While in Brazil he and his wife worked in new church planting where he also served as the district superintendent for a pioneer area. Carl is a consultant for Brazilian ministries on the Florida Conference. He and his wife Shirley have been married for 33 years.  Shirley is a Histotechnologist at Shands AGH. They have two children and four grandsons.

William H. Yeager (Bill) - Assistant Pastor  372-8523 Ext 16
whyeager@fumcgnv.org

Rev. Yeager was born in northwestern Pennsylvania and has lived in southern California in addition to various places in Florida. Bill received his B.A. in Religion from Florida Southern College and Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has been a full member of the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church since his ordination as Elder in 1981. Bill and his wife, Jayne, were married in 1980 and have two sons; John (b. 1985) and Michael (b. 1989).

Bill took early retirement under the twenty-year rule in 2002 after serving churches in Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Gulfport, and Gainesville. He was the Pastor/Director of the University UMC and Student Center here in Gainesville from 1990 to 2002.. Jayne is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner.

Cristle Alfred - Financial Secretary  372-8523 Ext. 27
calfred@fumcgnv.org     

Waiting for biography

Cristle Alfred receives award for 20 years of service on January 17, 2007
        Click here for the details and a picture

Wendy Callahan - Church Hostess  372-8523 Ext. 24
wendy@fumcgnv.org

Wendy grew up in Miami and came to Gainesville in 1989 with Eastern Airlines. When Eastern went under in 1991, she and her Mom opened a restaurant in Hawthorne called PJ's. There they met Julia and Ray Massey, members of FUMC, and were asked to cook for the Methodist ladies. After the birth of her daughter Leah and son Chase, they closed the restaurant and devoted their cooking skills to FUMC together for 8 years before her Mom's untimely death. Wendy continues to cook, aided by John Bloodsworth.

Robert W. Jackson (BJ)  - Director of Music Ministries  372-8523 Ext. 20
music1@fumcgnv.org     
Robert Jackson, or as he is better known, BJ, was born and raised in Homestead, Florida. He is the third of four siblings and is a true Florida cracker.  He originally planned to be a Veterinarian, but didn't make the cut, so he transferred to the Pharmacy Dept (his father was a Pharmacist).  While in Pharmacy School, he joined the Men's Glee Club and soon became very involved in the musical events on campus, including six years with the Chamber Singers and the Madrigal Dinners, three successful seasons of A Broadway Review and too many Christmases on Campus to remember.  It was here that a professor/mentor suggested that he might find a music career to be more fulfilling and so he has. 
  
Many of you may remember that after he graduated  from UF in 1978, and before he actually started his church music career, he spent five months here at First Church as very inexperienced Youth Director.  His fondest memory, other than the great group of youth, is learning how to drive that old yellow school bus on the one way streets of Ybor City during a youth mission trip that summer.  He left First Church for a full time Director of Music and Youth at Cason United Methodist Church in Delray Beach, Florida, but would soon find his way back to Gainesville to become first the Assistant to the Pastor, then the Director of Music, at University United Methodist Church.  And here he remained for 27 years building a very successful college and church music program. 
    
He is the proud owner of seven (7) rescued cats - Hobbes, Anna, Abby, Ally, Scooter, Sasha, and Zoe.  His favorite time of year is Fall - Christmas (a gene he inherited from his mother) and is a fanatic for huge Christmas light displays.  His house has been included in the Gainesville Sun listing for the last four years. 
  
The rest of the story is yet to be written as he enters a long line of excellent music directors here at First Church.  He believes that everyone has a musical voice with with to offer praises back to God, so if he hasn't already invited you to join the choir, he will. Stop by his office and say hello. 
 

Barbara "BJ" Jiménez - Organist  372-8523 Ext. 26
bjimenez@fumcgnv.org      Click Here to print Bio and Picture

Barbara ‘BJ’ Jimenez was born into a loving, Christian home and raised by parents who embraced God as the center of their lives. BJ started singing and playing piano at age of four and sang her first solo in her home church. A musical family, they shared their musical gifts every Sunday in church: her father led the singing, her mother sang solos within the choir; her brother played piano and sang solos, her sister sang and played organ. Growing up the youngest in a family of musicians, there were many nights spent singing around the piano, each taking turns playing for the rest, even her dad played along on guitar.

At fifteen, she began working as a vocalist and pianist in theater, television, and radio. She was a regular in recording studios as a singer, keyboardist, and pianist, performing on album projects, and was the singer in popular, local commercials. She attended Arkansas State University with studies in Liberal Arts, classical and jazz piano performance with an emphasis in Music Education. While attending ASU, once a week she would drive to Memphis State University and study jazz piano under Gene Rush. When she moved away from home, naturally, she was Nashville-bound, where she sang and played her way into the music industry mainstream as a successful, professional musician.

Throughout her music career, BJ continued her worship while sharing her spiritual gifts and serving in church staff music ministries. She is a member of The Fellowship of United Methodist in Music & Worship Arts, The American Guild of Organists, and The American Guild of English Hand Bell Ringers, and is an alumnus of the Sigma Alpha Iota musical fraternity. BJ recorded with many artists, church choirs and worked alongside singer/songwriters in Christian Music while in Nashville, where she experienced a stellar mark in her career: by special invitation, BJ performed for the world-renowned opera star, Luciano Pavarotti. She has enjoyed repeat performances as guest artist with ‘The Nashville Symphony’, ‘The Arkansas Delta Symphony’, ‘The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’, ‘The Gainesville Community Band’, and ‘The Batesville Symphony’. Venue appearances include, ‘The Performing Arts Center’, Nashville; ‘The Phillips Center for the Performing Arts’, Gainesville; ‘The Fowler Center’ & ‘The Forum’, near Memphis, and ‘The House of Blues’, in New Orleans.

In 2006, she moved to Gainesville and married. BJ treasures her community, enjoys supporting the arts, and contributes her talents to raise money for charities. In 2009, she appeared as guest vocalist with the Gainesville Community Band at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Today, BJ continues to make symphony appearances, supports fundraisers, works and records in recording studios in town, but dedicates her free time to her family, gardening, oil painting, drawing, and songwriting.
 

Rachael Jordan - Director of Youth Ministries  372-8523 Ext. 18
rjordan@fumcgnv.org   

Rachael was born in Portland, ME and grew up in Clifton Park, NY.  She moved to Boynton Beach, FL at the start of high school and in August 2009, moved to Gainesville upon acceptance to the University of Florida. She is currently an undergraduate pursuing a B.A. in both Religion and Sociology and is really interested in Christian ethics, Bible interpretation and conflict resolution/mediation.  Rachael has been attending FUMC since she came to Gainesville and has found that the congregation has become her family-away-from-home. She loves music and is in both the Chancel and Bell choirs.  She was in band for 8 years and plays multiple instruments (mainly brass).  She loves the outdoors and worked as a summer camp counselor in the middle of the Everglades for 2 years.  Rachael also has 2 older brothers and 7 older step brothers.     
 

Sandy McIntosh - Administrative Assistant  372-8523 Ext. 25
sandy@fumcgnv.org   

I am Sandy McIntosh, the Administrative Assistant for FUMC. I am originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, but have travelled and lived in many beautiful areas such as San Diego, Honolulu, and most recently West Palm Beach. I moved to Archer in December 2009 and before coming to FUMC, I worked for the City of Archer as the Administrative Services Coordinator. I also have many years of experience in Property Management but my most interesting job (before coming to FUMC of course) was as a Flight Attendant. I am married and I have one daughter, one dog, and two cats. I enjoy travelling, gardening, hiking with my dog, and beach days.

Jill Wagstaff - Director of Children's Ministries Secretary  372-8523 Ext. 19
jill@fumcgnv.org     

Jill grew up in Northeast Gainesville and graduated from UF before starting a family with her husband Tobin.   She is a former F.U.M.C. preschool teacher (all four of her children graduated from FUMP) and has taught in both the academic fields and the arts since 1993.  As a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for over ten years, Jill greatly values community volunteerism and continues to serve as a past president of the Gainesville Junior Woman’s Club, advisor to Sigma Kappa Sorority, the PTA at her children’s school,  and as co-founder and president of the local non-profit music and arts school Studio Percussion.   In addition to her BA and post-bac work, Jill holds a Florida Childcare Professional Credential, Staff Credential, Director’s Credential, and National Child Development Associate (CDA).  As a member of the Duckpond Neighborhood, Jill respects and appreciates our ties to both the local and global community and strives to bring children into a closer relationship with God through practical and meaningful experiences that have a positive impact on all people.  In her spare time, Jill loves spending time with her family on the water and playing bass in local punk band Ball and Chain.
 

Amy Watson - Preschool Director  372-8523 Ext. 12
fumpers@fumcgnv.org   

Amy grew up in Auburn, AL and is a life-long Methodist. Prior to coming to FL, she earned a BS in Marine Biology from Auburn University and worked for 9 years as a Biologist. When Amy and her husband David moved to Gainesville in 1996, she changed career directions. She earned a Child Development Associate Credential and taught preschool for a few years. Amy and David were blessed with their child Addie in 1999 and she then became a stay-at-home Mom. In 2003, Amy was offered the position of the FUMC Preschool Director so she earned a Director Credential and has been involved with the FUMPer students ever since. Amy enjoys spending time out-of-doors with her family.