Church Leadership
“Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.”
John 12:26
First United Methodist Church – Nominations Report
For service beginning or continuing on January 1, 2021.
Updated on January 11, 2021
To learn about the various church committees and their role in serving the church, read our FUMC Committees summary.
Administrative Board Officers
Chair: Cindy Walter
Vice Chair: Brandon Crisp
Secretary: Merry Rightmer
Treasurer: Mark Hamre
Executive Team (ex officio members of Ad. Board)
Cindy Walter (Chair)
Brandon Crisp (Vice Chair)
Pete Meeker (Past Chair)
Whitney Thurman (SPRC)
Judy Kostura (Finance)
To Be Elected (Trustee)
Rev. Taylor Fuerst (Senior Pastor)
Dave Ballbach (Director of Operations)
Coordinating Team (ex officio members of Ad. Board)
Board of Trustees Chair: To Be Elected
Staff-Parish Relations Committee Chair: Whitney Thurman
Finance Chair: Judy Kostura
Youth Ministry Chair: Leslie Ivey
Children’s Ministry Chair: Erin Scarth
Adult Discipleship Chair: Pete Meeker
Communications/Marketing: Anthony Gutierrez
Congregational Care Chair: Judy Breckbill
Connections Chair: *
Mercy and Justice Chair: Terri Purdy
Worship Chair: To Be Elected
Reconciling Ministry Chairs: Davis Covin
UMW President: Patricia Kenrick
Pastors/Program Staff: Rev. Taylor Fuerst, Rev. Cathy Stone, Dave Ballbach, Lara Greene, Devon Bailey, Mary Heckmann, Emily Buchanan
Administrative Board
The Administrative Board is empowered to elect to office any vacancies in this report or that may occur in the course of the year.
Board Officers |
Committee Chairs |
Staff (Ex-Officio, Voice, No Vote) |
Members at Large
Class of 2021 |
Class of 2022 |
Class of 2023 |
Appointed Clergy Appointed Clergy
Senior Pastor – Taylor Fuerst
Associate Pastor – Cathy Stone
Associate Pastor – Brad King
All other FUMC Staff (ex-officio with voice, but no vote)
Staff-Parish Relations Committee
Chair: Whitney Thurman; Staff: Rev. Taylor Fuerst
Ex-Officio: Cindy Walter, Administrative Board Chair/Representative; Sandy Wilder, Annual Conference Delegate
Staff: Rev. Taylor Fuerst
2021 Penny Appleby Carl McClendon Whitney Thurman* |
2022 Kathy Billiot Mary Kathryn Kane Stan Casey |
2023 Jon George Alan Stephens Becky Strandwitz |
Annual Conference Delegates
(2 for FUMC, plus 4 District Delegates)
Alternates: Sandy Wilder, Meme Drumwright
2021 Sharon Doss Cindy Walter Lauren Perry |
2022 Mike Etie |
2023 Janet Duke Ransom Duke Daviss King |
Finance Team
Chair: Judy Kostura
Staff: Deanna Fairchild (Staff), Dave Ballbach (Staff), Rev. Taylor Fuerst (Staff)
Ex-Officio voting: Cindy Walter, Administrative Board; Mark Hamre, Treasurer; Stewardship Chair; and representatives from SPRC, Trustees & Annual Conference Delegate
2021 Jan Ashmos Pam Steves Dick Young |
2022 Carrie Conner Tim Deithloff Tony Kenrick |
2023 Kevin Waggoner Lisa Pittman Judy Kostura* |
Board of Trustees
(at least 3 women required)
Chair: To Be Elected
Staff: Dave Ballbach, Mark Steves
2021 Bergan Casey Robbie Cripe Barrett Criscoe |
2022 Haley Rose Tucker Thurman Jen Gius |
2023 Alison Binford Tom Strandwitz Catherine Waggoner |
First United Methodist Church Endowment Fund, Inc
Board of Directors
Members at Large |
Ex-Officio Administrative Board Chair Finance Chair: Judy Kostura Board of Trustees Chair: To Be Elected Church Treasurer: Mark Hamre Registered Agent: Deanna Fairchild Senior Pastor: Rev. Taylor Fuerst |
Committee on Nominations & Leadership Development
Chair: Rev. Taylor Fuerst
2021 Jim Dow Lindsay Liggett Chip Morris |
2022 Will Binford Melanie Rush Jane Bowen |
2023 Kaycee Crisp Curt Shaw Davis Covin |
Adult Discipleship Team
Chair: Pete Meeker
Staff: Emily Buchanan
Deborah Wilder Ellis Pittman |
Curt Ashmos Lucius Bunton |
Curt Shaw Amy Wink |
Children Ministries Team
Co-Chairs: Erin Scarth
Staff: Lara Greene, Chloe Conner
Tegra Swogger Liz Kilday |
Dustin Goss Leslie Story Meredith Wooderson |
Cassie Gresham Haley Rose |
Youth Ministries Team
Chair: Leslie Ivey
Staff: Devon Bailey
Sarah Austin Melanie Greene Mark Steves Adele Boerner (HS) |
Molly Drazic Heather Schuelke Rebecca Yohe Monica Choi |
Tim Deschner Caroline Greene (HS) Peyton Ivey (HS) Christie Wilson Elisabeth Carrell |
Mercy and Justice Team
Chair: Terri Purdy
Staff: Rev. Cathy Stone
District Mission Board Member: Terri Purdy
Davis Covin Lisa Hildebrand Daviss King |
Shirley Derryberry Ann Teich Sally Watkins |
Howard Hartman Caroline Jones Keely Nugent Randy Teich |
Mercy and Justice Work Group Leaders:
Green Team – Caroline Jones
LGBTQ Ministries – Lisa Hildebrand
Homelessness – Randy & Ann Teich
At the Well – Judy Chambers
Connections Team
Chair: To Be Elected; Staff: Trevor Harper
Sharon Doss Davis Covin |
Ben Patterson Rick Ortiz |
Alice Parrish Robbie Cripe Laura Velez |
Communications /Marketing
Chair: Anthony Gutierrez; Staff: Mary Heckmann
Keefe Boerner | Laura Lee Daigle Tony Gius |
Tegra Swogger |
Congregational Care Team
Chair: Judy Breckbill; Staff: Brad King
Staff: Dr. Brad King
Silver Link Ministry Team Drive a Senior-West Austin Hospital Visitation Team Knit Wits Ministry Comfort and Joy Ministry |
Chair-Taylor Rush Chair-Tom Ausley Co-Chair-Jan Ashmos, Co-Chair-Amy Hurt Chair-Carol Dickerson Co-Chair-Virginia McCarroll, Co-Chair-Debbie Rippetoe |
United Methodist Women
President-Patricia Kenrick Vice President -Patricia Kenrick |
Secretary- Becky Ratliff Treasurer -Caroline Jones |
Nominations -Emily George At-large -Carrie Conner |
The Administrative Board is empowered to elect to office any vacancies in this report or that may occur in the course of the year.
*With the Connections Team in flux during COVID, the Nominations Team decided not to appoint a chair at this time.
FUM Preschool 2020-2021 Advisory Board
Katie Kaighin (Chair)
Carly Criscoe (Treasurer)
Tegra Swogger
Ann Venno
Kristen Thurman
Samia Broadaway
Ex-Officio Members:
FUMC Dir. Of Operations
FUMC Dir. Of Finance
FUMC Dir. Of Children’s Ministries
FUMP Director
Erin Edge (FUMP Teacher)
FUMC SPRC Rep
FUMC Finance Committee Rep
FUMC Trustees Rep