Lauri Jo comes to us with over 10 years of experience as a pastor.  She loves serving in the United Methodist Church and is excited to be in Elizabethton.  She joined the staff here in June, and is quickly finding her place and role here.  She enjoys preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and getting to know people in a more personal way.  The relationships she builds with church members are where she truly finds her joy.  She is a graduate of Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, GA.  She is active in the Holston Conference and serves as clergy president for the Johnson City District.  She has previously served as the associate pastor at First UMC in Oak Ridge, TN, campus minister at UT-Knoxville, and as associate pastor of Munsey Memorial UMC in Johnson City, TN.  She is happily married to Rex Hill, who also serves as a United Methodist pastor, is the stepmother to Marissa and Danae and new mother to Breanna Marie Hill.  In her time away from the church she enjoys time with her family.

Hi, I’m Debbie.  I grew up in Indiana where I lived on a small farm and received my Associate of Arts Degree at Vincennes University.  I worked as a Preschool teacher/administrator for 7 years before being called into the ministry as a U.S.-2 Missionary of the United Methodist Church.  As a US-2, I moved to Knoxville and helped open Partners for Children Day Care near downtown.  I helped with a local youth group during this time and decided the Lord was calling me to work with Children and Youth in the church. I returned to school, receiving my BA in Religion at Tennessee Wesleyan College.  I have spent the last 17 years as a Minister to Children and Youth at Trinity UMC (Athens, TN),  Faith UMC (Ft. Myers, FL) and now First UMC (Elizabethton).  During my time in Tennessee, I have worked with the Holston Conference Young Adult Ministry and was on the design team for Youth ’99. 

Robin previously worked twenty years as an Account Clerk in the Tennessee State Park System. Having served as a part time church secretary for her home church in Roan Mountain, TN; she often wished she could find a full time position at a church.  The Lord answered this wish in December 2006, at which time she was hired as the Administrative Assistant for First United Methodist Church.  She feels this job is one of the biggest blessings she has received in her lifetime.  Robin has a daughter, Victoria Faith and is a Carter County native living in Roan Mountain all of her life.   The job of Administrative Assistant involves a vast array of duties, but the interaction with the congregation is best “perk” of the job.  Robin and Victoria consider the blessing of her job as being adopted into a wonderful family.  

David Hale - Choir Director