Welcome

We are progressive, relevant and committed to seeking peace and building hope through worship, service, social justice and education. No matter where you are on your faith journey, or how you worship, we hope you will feel welcome and included. Visit our Common Questions page to find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

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Learn about our accessibility accommodations downtown and at Green Wood here.

We know going to a new church can be intimidating – we want to let you know what to expect to help make your experience at FUMC a great one!

FUMC Church Statement

We seek to know God. We are grounded in unconditional love. We affirm all persons.

We learn from one another as we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, an outsider who tore down dividing walls and calls us to unity. We are progressive, relevant, and committed to seeking peace and building hope through worship, service, social justice, and education.

No matter where you are on your faith journey, or how you worship, we welcome you to help us build our community. This includes all races and ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages and stages of life, abilities and disabilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Our Pastors

Nancy

Nancy

Nancy grew up in a family with deep United Methodist roots, but like a lot of people, she drifted away from church as a young adult. When she felt God nudging her to come back, she spent a lot of time visiting and learning about other denominations. That is when Nancy chose United Methodism because she loves the emphasis on growing in faith and serving others. Before following her call to ordained ministry, she taught high school English, English as a Second Language in Switzerland, and Composition at a local community college. Nancy also stayed home with her child until they started school. She first came to FUMC as the associate pastor in 2010 and was appointed lead pastor in 2018. Nancy loves this congregation and feels grateful every day to serve a church that is so vital, healthy, and joy-filled! More than anything, she believes the church should be a place of hope – hope for today and hope for the future – for all of God’s people. Nancy’s passions in ministry include preaching, teaching, community-building, and social justice. She has one college-aged child, Emmett, three cats and a dog named Turtle.

Jenaba

Jenaba

After earning a master’s degree in medieval studies from Western Michigan University, Jenaba felt pulled to teaching within professional ministry. Zhe worked in higher ed administration, academic libraries, professional editing, and hospital chaplaincy before admitting that God’s work through zher would shine brightest in the pastorate. Jenaba completed a Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, before returning to zher adopted home of Michigan. Teaching, writing, preaching, and reimagining how we do church are among Jenaba’s loves; talk with zher about the Church in action around social justice and equity, building worship in new ways, and creating digital holy space in online community. When not in minister mode, Jenaba writes poetry, knits, practices calligraphy, drinks a fair amount of tea, and reads nearly anything.

Tim

Tim

Tim has been serving as the Chaplain of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan for two years. He felt God’s call early on in his undergraduate studies, with a desire to serve in higher education and campus ministry. He has served in collegiate ministry for 18 years, including as the Director and Chaplain of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville from 2008-2018 and the Chaplain at Emory & Henry College from 2002-2008. Tim received a Master of Divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in 1991 and graduated in 1988 from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a degree in Music Education with a vocal emphasis. He is a native of Marion, Illinois. His many hobbies include an avid love of music, weightlifting, hiking, cooking, and travel. Tim has also been a beekeeper for more than 20 years.