Lay Leadership

The Lay Leadership page paints a very vivid picture of the many people in service at First United Methodist Church.  Even this large listing however just begins to scrape the surface.  On this page is a listing of church leadership from the Coordinating Council down through each committee and team.  Council minutes are also listed here as they become available throughout the year.  For more information on any church committee or group listed contact the church office.

LEADERSHIP LISTING
Coordinating Council
Administrative Committees
Church Committees
Standing Committees
Other Committees and Officers
 

COORDINATING COUNCIL MINUTES
To view church council minutes you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader.  This is available for free download from the Adobe website.  To download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader click on the icon below.

March 2008

January 2008

November 2007

August 2007

COORDINATING COUNCIL
The Coordinating Council is comprised of chairpersons from the various committees and teams in the church, other church lay leaders, a grouping of at-large members, and some members of the church staff.

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES

COMMITTEE ON LAY LEADERSHIP ▪ Chairperson Rev. Dr. Phillip L. Icenogle
The Committee on Lay Leadership works with the pastoral staff to equip the congregation for ministry though training, leadership sessions, and encouragement.  They also have the important task of finding people to serve on the various committees and teams in the church each year.
Laura Leslie, Lon Alderman, Elsie Utterback
Joan Bolz, Dick Geschwind, Nancy DiNardi
Associate Pastor Grant Armstrong, Lay Leader Wyvonna Clark

 

STAFF/PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Doug McCoy
This committee is basically the personnel committee at Pontiac First.  The Staff-Parish Relations Committee hires staff, does evaluations, adjusts salaries, and helps to act as a point of communication between the congregation and the pastors.
Doug McCoy, Mary Ellen Peabody, Betty Frobish
Joyce Tuttle, Cheryl Spires, Barb Swanson
Jamie Fitzsimmons, Tom Ewing
Ex-officio Judy Schott (lay delegate), Lay Leader Wyvonna Clark

FINANCE COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Don Schlosser (Church Treasurer)
The Finance Committee looks after church finances, including income and spending.  They carefully guide the congregation in properly spending the money God has blessed us with.
Chairperson of Coord. Council Gary Cunningham (‘10)
Rep. of Trustees (selected by Trustees) Bill Fairfield (‘09)
Lay Leader Wyvonna Clark (‘09)
Church Treasurer Duane Kiesewetter
Delegate to Annual Conference Phyllis Bend (‘08)
Staff-Parish Relations Chrp. Doug McCoy (’08)
At-large members:
Nate Nollen, Becky Stilwell, Don Wayman
Don Schlosser, Cory Metz

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ▪ Chairperson Bill Fairfield
The Board of Trustees prayerfully handles the church endowments.  They invest money left to the church from estates and gifts from members.  Their goal is to ensure for future financial stability for God's ministry in Pontiac and across the world.
Art Knapp, Dick Alderman, Roger Tuttle
Chuck Bevill, Martha Slavik, Joan Bourne
Dick Geschwind, Bill Fairfield, Virginia Bailey
Bill Landstrom, Prop.Chrp.

CHURCH COMMITTEES

EDUCATION COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Becky Walker
The Education Committee coordinates all Christian Education at Pontiac First from adults to preschool.  They train teachers, hold special events for children, present a yearly Christmas program, VBS, and so much more.
Ruth Schlosser, Kara Mehrkens, Troy Williamson
Laurie Franz, Linda Smith, Angie Nollen
Dawn Baker, Marianne Hilgendorf, Amy Armstrong
Sandy Graham, Deann McDugle
Children's Coordinator – Becky Walker, Associate Pastor - Rev. Grant Armstrong

MISSIONS COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Heather Schweizer
The Missions Committee prayerfully supports missionaries and missions with funding around the world.  They also organize local, national, and international mission trips for members of the church to serve on.
Joan Lyons, Vicki Aupperle, Jeannie Burcar
Heather Schweizer, Michelle Clark, JoAnn Unzicker
Jeff Schweizer, Troy Williamson, Rosalie Garretson
Mary Ellen Peabody

CHURCH & SOCIETY COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Brenda Thompson
This group of servants do various projects throughout the year including making care packages for college students and hosting church get-togethers.  The Church & Society Committee also cares for the Rev. Gordon Peabody Memorial Food Pantry.
Mary Lauher, Brenda Thompson, Denise Stielow
Joan Bevill, Caryl McCoy, Phyllis Gosteli
Sandra Hoerner, Dorothy Sebert, Dawn Baker
Food Pantry Rep. - Ruth Schlosser, Beverly Long

WORSHIP COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Jeff Schweizer
The Worship Committee in cooperation with pastors, worship team, choir directors, and organist plan and prepare the worship services throughout the year.  They provide ushers, greeters, coffee servers, and acolytes for worship.  The Technical Arts Ministry is also part of the worship committee.
Dawne Hoerner, Mary Hamilton, Susan Telford
Norma Carstens, Nancy DiNardi, Kara Mehrkens
Jim Morse, Teresa Grant-Quick, John Trewartha
Jeff Schweizer, Sheila Geschwind, Assoc. Pastor - Rev. Grant Armstrong

Ex-officio Mae Brewer, Laura Ramseyer, Dale Jones, Bob Long

FAMILY & FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Judy Icenogle
This committee organizes family friendly activities within the church and community.  Past events have included worship in the park and family movie nights.
Jim & Dorothy King, Lois Senter, Jean Dunning

EVANGELISM TEAM ▪ Chairperson Judy Schott
The Evangelism Team works together to host outreach events, equip members for ministry, and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.  They also staff the Welcome Center in the church narthex.
Howard Freeland, Vicki Aupperle, Judy Schott
Denise Richardson, Maggie Christianson, Dave Schott
Peg Mehrkens, Laurie Franz

STANDING COMMITTEES

PROPERTIES COMMITTEE ▪ Chairpersons Bill Landstrom
The Properties Committee is a sub-committee of the Trustees.  They are responsible for maintaining and overseeing all of the church property.
Ron Aupperle, Phyllis Bend, Lynn Cunningham, Jean Dunning, Ron Dunning, Jim Garretson, Roger Gosteli, Bob Jacobs, Milt Johnson, Bill Landstrom, Dave Schott, Stan Weber

COMMUNION COMMITTEE ▪ Chairpersons Joe & Peg Mehrkens
This small but dedicated group of servants makes preparations once and month and at special occasions for the serving of the Lord's Supper.
Jim & Dorothy King, Lois Senter, Jean Dunning

MEMORIAL COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Virgina Bailey
The Memorial Committee has care of memoriam gifts left to the church in honor of those that have passed.  These gifts are used in a variety of ways throughout the church and community.
Phyllis Abbott, Virginia Bailey, Margaret Brunskill, Marcia Cox, Nita Fulkerson, Carol Howells,
Peggy Mehrkens, Mary Ellen Peabody, Mary Tronc

 

OTHER COMMITTEES AND OFFICERS

HISTORICAL COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Wyvonna Clark
This dedicated group of individuals have the task of preserving the history of First United Methodist Church.  This has never been more important than now with the church celebrating its sesquicentennial.
Bill Snider, Janet Snider, Ruth McCabe

HACKLEY MISSION FUND COMMITTEE ▪ Chairperson Roger Tuttle
When Lucille Hacklry passed on she left a large endowment to the church.  She specified that the money be used within a period of ten years and that it be spent exclusively on missions dealing with children.  This is the committee that oversees the endowment.
Dick Geschwind, Ruth Schlosser, Dick Winters, George Russell, Wayne Taylor, Mary Ellen
Peabody

LIBRARY STAFF
The library staff maintains the library at Pontiac First which feature more than 4,000 books, magazines, and other periodicals.
Becky Trewartha, Librarian
Ruth McCabe, Assistant Librarian
Mary Tronc, Assistant Librarian

Marlene Landstrom, Assistant Librarian

ADULT FELLOWSHIP ▪ Chairperson Don Schlosser
The Adult Fellowship committee provides stimulating travel opportunities for ambulatory members of our church who would otherwise not be able to or be apprehensive about visiting on their own.