"I was born and raised in Lauderdale County. My parents were deaf and my mother was also blind, so I had many unusual experiences that God used to prepare me for what life had in store for me. I surrendered to the call to ministry when I was 42 years old and spent eight years in part-time ministry before retiring from the Mississippi Department of Transportation and going into full-time ministry. 

I went back to college at the University of West Alabama to complete my requirements to be ordained in 1999. After 20 years of ministry I decided to retire from full-time ministry while serving Lauderdale UMC but continued to serve as a retired supply pastor. Since retiring I’ve served four churches and Elizabeth and I are currently in our 33rd year of ministry. 

I married Elizabeth Wilkinson in 1967 and we had one son, Larry, who was born with Cerebral Palsy. Caring for Larry helped us to become stronger in our faith and to learn to fully rely on God. Larry was an absolute blessing to both of us and certainly changed our lives...for the better. Larry died in 1 997, at the age of 25. Nine years ago we downsized and moved to a cottage at Aldersgate so we could have more time to travel. We have traveled some but haven't gotten very far away from serving churches. 

I’ve always heard if you want to make God laugh, then tell him your plan.  God has always had a plan for me and Elizabeth and so far that has included a church for us to serve.

JC was born and raised in The Woodlands, Texas. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Ole Miss in 2023.

College was where JC first truly felt a call to ministry in his life. After his freshman year, he interned at The Woodlands Methodist Church as a middle school ministry intern. Following his sophomore, junior, and senior years, he worked at Pine Cove Ridge in Columbus, Texas, ministering to high school students. During his four years of college, JC also served in Young Life as a volunteer leader, student staff member, and team leader for Lafayette High School. He would go on to serve as a Student Ministry Resident in Oxford, MS following his graduation from Ole Miss then stepped into a 5th/6th Grade Shepherd Role at The Woodlands Methodist Church where he grew up attending.

"I am passionate about helping students not only understand the gospel but also equipping them to share it with their peers and live lives dedicated to the Kingdom."