Stephen D. Haines
Senior Pastor

    e-mail:  steve@fumcsalisbury.org

Steve Haines brings to First Church a passion for creative Christian Ministry. It is Steve's belief that God has commissioned all churches to make a difference in the world by being living examples of the goodness of Christ. As a result, he believes that First Church is called to embody what its name says that it is "First",

• First in compassion
• First in Spirit led social consciousness
• First in response to the needs of the Salisbury Community
• First in leading people to the "Hope of God" offered through His Son Jesus Christ.

Steve has served as United Methodist pastor in Western North Carolina for thirty years and has dedicated his life to helping others understand the love that God offers them, as well as the Lord's expectation of His people to share that love with others. A native of Southern New Jersey, Steve is a graduate of High Point University, and the Duke University Divinity School. He has also done continuing education work at The Babcock School of Business at Wake Forest University, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Asbury Theological Seminary, Interpreter's House, The Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has also served on several committees and agencies within the Methodist denomination and in the communities where he has lived. Steve and his wife Nancy, a Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse at Rowan Memorial Hospital, have three children, Sarah, David, and Kathryn.

   Julie E. O'Neal
Associate Pastor

    e-mail:  julie@fumcsalisbury.org

Julie joins the ministry team at First United Methodist following a decade as a local pastor in the Western North Carolina Conference. She graduated from Cary High School and North Carolina State University, and has completed the basic Course of Study for Ministry at Duke Divinity School, where she continues her studies. Prior to pursuing vocational ministry, Julie was a teacher and a Christian Educator.

Believing that all Christians are called into ministry, she is eager to help others explore their own call. Part of her mission is to help ask such questions as, "Who is my brother?, "Who is it you are looking for?", and "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Julie and her husband Ross are the parents of sons, Jake, 20, and Evan, 17. She enjoys cooking and traveling, and her most memorable mission trip was to the West Bank in Palestine/Israel.

   Matthew M. Brown
Director of Music Ministries

    e-mail:  matthew@fumcsalisbury.org

Matthew Michael Brown, a native of North Carolina, is our Director of Music Ministries and  oversees a comprehensive sacred music program consisting of five ensembles and the church's concert series, firstARTS. Previously, Mr. Brown served on the music staff of Grace Church in New York City, where his primary responsibilities included service playing and assisting in the training and conducting of the Choir of Men and Boys, the Girls' Choir, and the parish's professional Adult Choir. In addition to his duties at Grace Church, he maintained an active career as a collaborative artist throughout New York City accompanying instrumentalists, choral ensembles, and the voice studio of former Metropolitan Opera soprano, Ms. Rita Shane.

Mr. Brown earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts and completed graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where he earned the Master of Music degree in Organ Performance and Literature and the Sacred Music Diploma. Following graduate studies, Mr. Brown pursued private studies with renowned concert organist Dame Gillian Weir in the United States and abroad through a grant sponsorship from The Robert Carwithen Foundation. Additional studies have been at the GOArt Organ Center in Goteborg, Sweden and the International Summer Organ Conservatoire in Orleans and Paris, France.

In competition, he has won top prizes in regional and national organ playing competitions including those sponsored by the Music Teacher's National Association and the Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He has performed throughout the United States, England, and France and has been invited to play a recital in Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London, this upcoming fall. His début recording titled Collage was released in 2009.

Mr. Brown is a former organ student of Dame Gillian Weir, Jack Mitchener, Wayne Leupold, and David Higgs.

Samantha Wesley
Director of Christian Education and Children and Family Ministries

    e-mail:  samantha@fumcsalisbury.org

Samantha feels called and blessed to First United Methodist as she shares her gifts and talents with the children and the congregation. She is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.A. in History, and a graduate of Louisville Theological Presbyterian Seminary with a Masters of Divinity Degree with an emphasis in Christian Education.  Samantha also received her certification as a Christian Educator through the Presbyterian Church (USA).

For over 20 years Samantha has been involved in all aspects of Christian Education and church work with all ages.  She served on the Rowan County Habitat for Humanity, and is a member of the Christian Educators Fellowship in The United Methodist Church and in the WNC Conference and is involved in many local and overseas mission work.

Adam Sproles
Director of Youth Ministries

    e-mail: adams@fumcsalisbury.org

Adam is a recent graduate of Pfeiffer University with a B.A. in Sports Management. His job search led him to First UMC to lead the Youth. At Pfeiffer, he was involved with the Campus Crusade and Christian Educators (CEF) groups. Before coming to FUMC, Adam did an internship with Hickory Baptist Church with their Sports Ministry. He has also participated in a mission trip with the WNC Conference doing a building project in Nicaragua. Adam grew up and went to school in Aberdeen, NC. He and Kelly Melton married in August 2009.

Kimberly Johnson
Business Administrator

    e-mail: kimberly@fumcsalisbury.org

Kimberly is a native of Rowan County and resides in Rockwell. She graduated from East Rowan High School and Campbell University. Before joining our church staff, Kimberly was employed as a corporate controller. She brings twenty years of experience to this position. Over the years, she's volunteered with PTA's and school booster clubs on many fundraising ventures. She enjoys being a mom, gardening and long walks on the beach with her husband Greg. They have one son, Will, a senior at NCSU.

Elaine Hewitt
Director of Lay and Welcome Ministries

e-mail:  elaine@fumcsalisbury.org

Elaine's spiritual journey has its roots in a local small, rural Methodist church. She and her husband had the opportunity to be part of several United Methodist churches as they moved during their military careers. Elaine enjoys using her spiritual gifts of administration, encouragement, and hospitality in our church's connecting and equipping ministries.

Elaine graduated from West Rowan High School. After graduating from Wake Forest University, she worked for two years with Vocational Rehabilitation. Then she began a 20-year career as an Air Force communications-computer systems officer. She enjoyed a wide variety of jobs in the military such as program manager for satellite ground stations, base communications maintenance officer, inspector general, and squadron commander. While in the service, she completed a Masters in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. After retiring, she was the primary care giver for her mother. Her husband is "Butch" Clements. They have three grown children: Christopher, Tammy, and Matt.

April Elrod
Administrative Assistant

e-mail:  april@fumcsalisbury.org

April is a native of Rowan County and a graduate of East Rowan High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She is also a High Honors graduate of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. At RCCC, she earned her Associate's Degree in Information Systems and was recipient of the Most Outstanding Student award in her field of study. She enjoys reading, exercising, watching a wide variety of sports, and spending time with family and friends. She has a passion for travel, planning to visit Europe some time in the future.

Murl Leazer
Building Superintendent

Murl was born and reared in China Grove on a 105 acre farm on Webb Road.  He attended China Grove Elementary School for eight years and graduated from China Grove High School.  He drove a school bus the last two years of high school.

He married Patricia Olsen in 1966 and they have three daughters and six grandchildren.

Murl worked for the A & P for twenty years as Produce Manager and left to start his own cleaning business in 1978.  The Leazers moved to Hendersonville in 1983 and left there in 1988 when Murl went to work for the Hartland Institute in Virginia, where his daughters attended college.  While at the college, he was grounds superintendent and operated heavy equipment such as dozer, backhoe, track hoe, road grader, dump truck and tractors.

Pat and Murl moved back to Salisbury in 1997.  Murl was hired by First Methodist in early 1998 as Building Superintendent.

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