Staff
Pastor David is a native of North Dakota and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii. He began a master of divinity degree at Wartburg (Lutheran) Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa including a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education at the Mendota Mental Health facility in Madison, Wisconsin. He interned for six more quarters of CPE at Bryan Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska before completing his degree at the Iliff (United Methodist) School of Theology in Denver, CO.
He has served United Methodist churches in Washington State since 1980 (at Rockford and Edmonds) and moved to Oak Harbor in 1987. He is a retired U.S. Navy reserve chaplain. He volunteers as chaplain for the Oak Harbor Area Council of the Navy League, the Oak Harbor Police Department and Whidbey Genereal Hospital.
He has been married to Colleen (Purcell) since 1981. Colleen is the Spiritual Care Coordinator and Bereavement Specialist for Hospice & Home Health at Whidbey General Hospital in Coupeville, WA. Their son, Daniel, was born in 1990. He is a senior at Oak Harbor High School.
Hobart and his wife, Virginia, retired to Whidbey Island after 40 years of service as pastor and district superintendent in the Kansas East Conference of the United Methodist Church. He has served the church in Coupeville, WA as interim pastor and supports the church staff in both communities.
Chet grew up in Oak Harbor and returned to his home town to pursue his passion for music. He directs both the vocal and bell choirs 3/4 time at the church and teaches piano and drum lessons out of the music cottage at his home. He also directs an 80 voice Whidbey Community Choir. He and his wife, Laurie (who also teaches piano lessons), have been married since 1996 and have eight children and one grandchild between them.
I finally have a chance to update myself! Yea me! Now let's see what I can come up with to write about...If you detected a little Canadian in my accent there, it's because I was born and raised in Minnesota. It's a common mistake so don't worry about it. I married Josh in 2001 and we had our first son, Evan, in 2004. Our second son, Wyatt, was born in 2007. We are a military family and have been in Oak Harbor since 2004. My dad is a Methodist minister back in Minnesota and has been one of my biggest influences for going into youth ministry.
If you have any questions or comments or anything at all, go ahead and email me!
Hi! I'm Lynn and I'm so excited to be working with OHMY! I grew up here in Oak Harbor and have gone to OHFUMC all my life. I love the island and I love my church family. The youth group and Touch of Faith choir were important parts of my high school experience. Our TOF performances and two mission trips (Hawaii '98 and Vista Hermosa '00) were awesome experiences that I'll never forget. After high school, I attended Skagit Valley College to get my AAUCT degree and Western Washington University for my BS in Mathematics and Master's in Teaching. I started substitute teaching in Oak Harbor in September 2006. In 2006-07, I helped Erin Buckley-Noonan with the Signs of Faith and Touch of Faith choirs and was blessed to get to know and work with all of the signers. I'm super proud to take over as the director this year! In August 2007, I found out that I would also be co-directing the youth program with Erin Lorenz, with me as the primary leader for the middle school youth! With the help of Erin, the youth, and the rest of our church family, I know this year is going to be great!
Peggy Miller-Stephens - Secretary
Peggy Miller joined OHFUMC in 1991. She sings in the choir and creates decorations for the annual Mirth Event, the Patriotic Musical and most recently, Vacation Bible School. She became reacquainted with a high school prom date, Ray Stephens, and they were married by Pastor David on a boat in Bowman Bay under the Deception Pass Bridge in July of 2004. Peggy's love of animals has become an in-home cat-sitting business called . . . The Cat's Meow.
Lisa Smith - Pianist/Organist
Lisa is the librarian at Oak Harbor High School. She and her husband, Ed, and her father, Verne Robinson, moved to Oak Harbor about three years ago. Lisa plays in the church Praise Ringers handbell choir and sings in the Community Chorale. She has been playing the piano and organ for the church once a month since the fall of 2006 filling in when Kay Boon, our former organist, was gone.
Bob is a native of Minnesota and retired U.S. Navy Chief. He is a co-founder of and is active with the Whidbey Island Astronomical Society. He and his wife, Marali, have been married since 1992.
Kevin is a native of Selah, Washington. He served over ten years with the U.S. Navy and is currently a teacher aide at Oak Harbor High School. He and his wife, Susan, have been married six years and are parents to Holly.
