Staff

Senior Pastor – Rev. Gail Angel (beginning July 1, 2021)

Rev. Gail F. Angel grew up in Virginia, where she was ordained a Deacon in 1985.

Her first appointment in East Ohio was the two-point charge Dellroy/Leavittsville United Methodist Churches. Angel was ordained an Elder in 1988 and that year began serving with her husband Andy in the Perrysville Charge of Perrysville/Pleasant Hill/Mt. Pleasant UMCs.

Angel has also served Caledonia United Methodist Church, Tiro United Methodist Church, Tiffin St. Paul United Methodist Church and Shelby First United Methodist Church.

She was pastor of Cardington First UMC from 2008 until her appointment to the cabinet in 2014. Angel currently serves on the Mid-Ohio District committee on ordained ministry, one of many leadership positions she has held in East Ohio.

She and Andy, a United Methodist Elder serving as chaplain at Hospice of Knox County, met at Duke Divinity School.

Director of Youth Ministry – Brian & Julie Zimmerman

Brian was born in Missouri, while his dad served with the USAF at Whiteman Air Force base in Knob Noster. He lived there until he was two, when his parents moved back to NE Ohio to where theirextended family was from. He has always loved fish, even in Missouri he would play in little streams and catch fish. Brian graduated from Lake Local Schools in Hartville, Ohio in 2001. His best high school memories were with his youth group at Greentown UMC and summer camp at Wanake. He then attended Heidelberg College, where he earned hisdouble major in Water Resources and Environmental Biology. 

Julie was born in Canton, Ohio. She grew up on a farm in Carrollton, Ohio for 6 years before moving to the North Canton, Ohio area. Julie grew up in a Brethren church and found Jesus at a very early age. She attended and graduated from North Canton Hoover High School, where she loved the art program offered there. She furthered her education at The University of Findlay, and drove back and forth with a crazy fish guy, during school breaks. When Julie graduated with her Multi-Age Arts Education degree, she and Brian were married 2 weeks later in 2006. Brian worked on his master’s degree through Bowling Green State University from 2005-2007. They lived in the town of Bowling Green,as Brian finished his degree and Julie worked at a local daycare, where she created an art program/resource room for them. They moved to their current home in Gambier, Ohio in December of2007, and had Alivia in 2010. Brian, Julie and Alivia started attending Fredericktown UMC in 2012.

Brian has worked at Ohio State University since 2007 at four different jobs, all having to do with the conservation of rare and endangered fish species in Ohio. Julie worked on the east side of Columbus for 7 years at an arts focus charter school, and most recently in Utica for the past 5 years, as the high school art teacher. 

Brian and Julie feel they are beyond privileged to work at Fredericktown UMC with the youth and staff.   Matthew 5:16

Worship Leader, Contemporary Service, Traditional Service & Ignite / Praise Team Director  – Ross Carter
Nursery Coordinator – Emily Carter
 
Ross has been attending Fredericktown United Methodist Church since 1993 when a high school buddy invited him to church. He became an active member of God’s Army (a youth singing/dancing/puppeteer ministry). Ross has also been the lead singer in several Christian bands and at one time was signed with Tate Music Group with his band Abia.  Ross is a retired SSG from the Ohio Army National Guard as a Brigade Chaplain Assistant. 
Ross teaches History, Health, and Economics at Mansfield Christian School.

Emily has attended the Fredericktown United Methodist Church since she was a child.  She was asked to serve as the Nursery Team Leader in 1999 and served there for 5 years until she moved into other areas of ministry, including office staff, treasurer, preschool teacher and in 2015, God brought her back to serve as the Nursery Coordinator once again.  Emily also teaches at the Fredericktown Christian Preschool and surrounds herself with children.  Emily feels that God has called her to share God’s love with the children and teach them His ways- Proverbs 22:6. She feels honored to be called to serve in this area and is excited to see how she can be used to further His kingdom.

Ross and Emily were married at FUMC and also raised their three boys; Kyle, Caleb, and Christian in the church.

Director of Children’s Ministry
Kalvari Kershner
 
Kalvari Kershner  grew up in the Gilead Mennonite Church and received Christ as her Savior at a very young age. When she was a junior, she rededicated her life to Christ and knew that she would serve Him her whole life. She began attending FUMC to be involved in God’s Army and she and her husband became youth group leaders and ran the GA program. She also worked as an administrative assistant in the adult education program at Mount Vernon Nazarene University for several years.  Kalvari began to work in the nursery and children’s ministries as a Sunday School teacher and nursery volunteer. She also helped with VBS and many other children’s activities. In 2005, Kurt and Kalvari opened a childcare in their home and she operated it for 10 years, as she raised her children. Kalvari continued to teach Sunday School.   Kalvari is a metastatic breast cancer survivor and praises Christ for healing and sustaining her. She feels very honored and blessed to be serving the Lord and this church as the Children’s Ministry Director, and hopes that you will get involved as the Lord leads you. Please contact her with ideas to help this ministry grow stronger as our church expands!
Kurt and Kalvari were married at FUMC and are raising their three children, Annabelle, Andy, and Austin as believers in Jesus at the church.
Director of the Adult Choir – Mary Elder
 
Mary has been a member of FUMC for as long as she can remember, and she represents one of five generations of her family to attend this church. She remembers Sunday School in the basement backroom of what is now the Historical Museum.
Mary has participated in music ministry for almost as long as she has been a member. It began when she was a child in the Carol Choir, and in high school she sang in the Senior Choir and also played piano for Bible School and worship services. Currently, Mary provides worship music with her other instruments, the flute and the harp.
After college, Mary married her high school sweetheart, Bill Elder. Following his medical school and residency, the Elders returned to Fredericktown where Dr. Elder established his medical practice. Here they raised their three children, Elizabeth, Laura, and Tim. Mary and Bill have eight grandchildren.  Bill retired from practice in 2019.
Mary has served in many positions at FUMC and currently directs the Adult Choir.  Mary encourages all who like to lift their voices to God through music to consider joining the Adult Choir. There are no try-outs and everyone is welcome, whether or not they can read music. The Adult Choir is really an extended family who care for and pray for one another, and who simply want to make a “joyful noise” in the praise of God.
Mary is also chairperson of the Disability Ministries Team.  She is Chairing the creation of a new ministry  called Buddy Break.