Our Pastoral and Professional Staff |
Rev. Dr. Jonathan Baker, Senior Pastor, came to Aldersgate in 1999. Before that he was Conference Resource Director for our Peninsula-Delaware Conference. In that capacity he used his excellent organizational and administrative skills to run the Dover office and our annual conference meetings. He served as pastor of Cecilton UMC in Cecilton, Maryland from 1975 to 1982 and Epworth UMC in Rehoboth Beach from 1982 to 1996. In 1999 he was elected to the General Conference. Jonathan grew up in downstate Delaware, attended Wesley and Albright Colleges and received his Masters and Doctors of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Jonathan is the son of a retired Methodist Pastor who also served churches in our conference.
Jonathan's wife Donna is a registered nurse with a Masters in Nursing. She is a very accomplished musician and vocalist. Jonathan and Donna have two children. Matthew is an aspiring artist and biodynamic farmer living in the Virginia and Belize area and Elizabeth is a student at Delaware Technical College preparing to be a counselor.
Jonathan's clergy responsibilities include visitation and pastoral leadership for Pastoral Care Team, Worship, Altar Guild, Music Ministry, Finance, Financial Campaign, Planned Giving & Memorials, Nominations & Personnel, Trustees, Administrative Board, Leadership Team, Staff Parish Relations, Staff Team, Outreach, Religion & Race, Mission Area Ministry, and U.M. Men. Jonathan's e-mail box.
Rev. Karin Tunnéll, Associate Pastor, came to Aldersgate July 1, 2000 after serving for four years at Calvary and Wye of Carmichael, United Methodist Churches in Queenstown, Maryland. Pastor Tunnéll brings a rich educational and professional background to our church. Some highlights are:
Karin's clergy responsibilities include visitation and Pastoral Care Team, Council on Ministries, Confirmation Class, Membership & Evangelism, Higher Education, Communications, U.M. Women, Saturday Night Alive Services, and Scouting. Karin's e-mail box.
Leanne Seabright began as Director of Music at Aldersgate in August 2002. Leanne holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and received her Masters of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. A trained vocalist (soprano), Leanne brings experience as a director of adult, children, and youth choirs. As Director of Music Ministry, she will conduct the Chancel Choir, Junior Choir, and Youth Choir as well as oversee all areas of Music Ministry. She has a passion for her faith and music and a joyful personality that is contagious.
Leanne is married to Stefan, a concert organist teaching at Westminster Choir College. Leanne and Stefan have a daughter named Amelie. Send e-mail to Leanne
Bradford T. Winters brought a lifetime of musical experience to our organ when he arrived in September of 1972. Brad holds two degreees in Music Education, and has recently retired from teaching in the public schools. The music he shares with us, and his support and leadership, were captured in one of the verses Evelyn Swensson wrote in a poem commemorating his 20th anniversary ten years ago:
"......He's played two thousand services and weddings, quite a few.
Plus funerals and concerts with the chancel choir on tour.
Every time he gave his best and left his signature: Soli Deo Gloria!"
Send e-mail to Brad
Holly VanSuch joined our staff in 1996 as Director of our Handbell Choir. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education and Music at the State University of New York and a Masters in Education at Long Island University. She's a first grade teacher at Forwood Elementary School. Holly and her husband, Joe, and their three children live in Brandywine Hundred. Send e-mail to Holly
Chris Ritchie, Director of Student Ministry, is an alumnus of Messiah College in Grantham, PA with a BA in Christian Ministries, with a concentration in mission. He has extensive spiritual gifts and leadership skills having served in several different ministry settings. Chris has been a youth pastor and also felt called, with his wife, to serve the Lord in a cross-cultural setting by serving as short-term missionaries in Seoul, Korea for two years. After returning to the USA, Chris served for three years as Director of Youth and Family Ministries at Central Presbyterian Church in Towson, MD.
Relocating from Towson to be closer to family, Chris and his wife Kathy, and son Steven, now live in Wilmington. Chris has seen God's power demonstrated through changed lives among those with whom he has worked and through God's amazing faithfulness. Chris and his family have already attended several youth activities and worship services to get to know our Aldersgate youth and their families. He started July 1, 2002! Send e-mail to Chris
Sharon Jennelly, Director of Children's Ministry and the Children's Day Out program. Sharon coordinates the children's Sunday School classes, Vacation Bible School, Christian Summer Day Camp, Cradle Roll, Nursery, childcare, 11 o'clock Children's Worship, Children's bulletins, Pizza, Pajamas, & Movie Nights, PraizToo (4th-6th graders) and other related fellowship opportunities. She is a native Wilmingtonian and adores her husband, John and children, Nicholas and Rachael. Send e-mail to Sharon
Fern Annette Fields, is our new Director of Discipleship. Fa, as she likes be called, will join us full time in August but will begin immediately working part time to help us prepare for our fall schedule. Fa has her Masters Degree from Western Michigan University and brings wonderful gifts to this position and already some knowledge of Aldersgate from her participation last year with our children's choirs. Fa is married to Mark and has two children, Isaac and Bevin. Contact her at 478-2575 ext. 16 or send e-mail to Fa.
Karen Moore, Spiritual Director and Care Coordinator, grew up in Easton, Maryland. She is the mother of three children and the proud grandmother of five. Before experiencing her call to ordained ministry, she worked as an R.N. in Baltimore and Maine. She has served as the pastor of churches in the Dover, Salisbury, and Wilmington Districts of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference since her ordination in 1985. She received her M. Div. and her D. Min. from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Karen has always described her call to ministry as a call to help people develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
Recently, she has discerned that God is calling her to new expression of this ministry as a Spiritual Director. She will receive a Master's Degree in Spiritual Direction from Neumann College in Aston, PA in May of 2004. This new direction has led her to establish a new independent, not-for-profit ministry called Chabereth Ministries. Chabereth--pronounced khabereth--is a Hebrew word meaning companion. Through this ministry, Karen will offer individual Spiritual Direction and retreats. Contact her at 478-2575 or send e-mail to Karen. Take a look at her Chabereth Website, but come back to The AldersGateway.
As Care Coordinator she meets congregational needs for care using the gifts of lay leadership, pastors and professional staff. This involves working as a member of the pastoral team to support key Aldersgate groups including: Congregational Care, Health Ministries, Stephen Ministers, Nursing Home Ministries, Eucharistic ministers and Prayer Ministry.
Anne Murray, Parish Nurse Coordinator, is there for our physical and emotional well being, in conjuction with Congregational Care and Health Ministries. She attends us at home, at church and in the hospital. Send e-mail to Anne
Janet Yabroff, Stephen Ministry Leader, is also a member of the Pastoral Care Team and ministers in nursing homes.
Atiya Siddiqui is our faithful and dedicated Nursery Attendant. She manages the Nursery 8:15am till 12:30pm on Sunday mornings and other occasions.
Royal Lowthert joined the staff as Church Business Administrator in 1993. He is a member of the National Association of Church Business Administrators and is currently pursuing certification in that association. Royal came to Aldersgate after sixteen years of manufacturing experience with DuPont. He serves as controller, computer analyst, property manager and Mr. Fixit. He enjoys his work because he feels it is both his vocation and his ministry. His hobbies include tennis, computers and an old 1962 Volkswagen. Royal's e-mail box.
Tracy Ward is the newest member of the staff at Aldersgate. She joined us in July, 2003 as the Administrative Assistant to the pastoral staff. Tracy and her husband, Matthew, are new to the Wilmington area, having spent the last three years in Lexington, Virginia. Send e-mail to Tracy
Leslie Wiebe is Administrative Assistant to non-clergy staff and oversees our DOV program. Our DOVs are office volunteers who offer sanity to the work of our other office staff. Leslie works mornings. Send e-mail to Leslie
Doris O'Neil has been our Financial Secretary since 1985. She keeps our contributions and other financial information current in the computer and other church records and reports. She does all that on weekday mornings, so call her before noon; she's busy elswhere after that. Send e-mail to Doris O'Neil
Betty Moore is our volunteer Membership Secretary. She keeps our computerized membership information, and official records and reports up-to-date. She performs many related tasks and is quite capable of filling in wherever needed since she was a church secretary for many years prior to coming to Aldersgate about five years ago. Al, Betty's husband, is retired from DuPont/Dow, and has become our resident photographer. He takes baptism photos and gives enlarged prints to each family. He also photographs our new members and various other events here at Aldersgate. Send e-mail to Betty
Walter and Robert Farmer are our custodians who keep our rooms and offices shining and set up for use. Walter works weekdays from 6 AM-3 PM and Robert is responsible for weekends.
Please welcome our newest staff member...Kurtis Davis, III. Kurtis lives in Wilmington with his wife, Navinia, daughter, Kyle, and sons, Josiah, and Daekota. He is a graduate of Mt. Pleasant HS and Temple University and has taken classes at Philadelphia Biblical University. He takes Mary Farmer's place, enabling us to have " round-the-clock" building care by working weekdays from 2-10 PM.