Nathan began serving as pastor of the UMC of Kent in July 2023.  Prior to coming to Kent, he has been a pastor in local United Methodist congregations in Tiffin, Niles, and Berea.  In addition to local church ministry, Nathan has served in a variety of leadership roles in our East Ohio Conference, including the EOC Church and Society Committee, the EOC Annual Conference Worship Committee, two District Committees on Ministry, two District strategy teams, and the EOC Board of Ministry.  Beyond our United Methodist connection, he has served on boards of directors for community centers, Habitat for Humanity, and community hospice care centers.  Nathan received a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Northern University and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary.  He is married to Megan, and together, they enjoy spending time with family and exploring the Kent community and local parks.

Bob returns to the UMC of Kent after over 40 years of ministry.  Through the years, Bob has served churches in the East Ohio Conference, starting in joining the staff as Associate Minister in Kent from 1980-1985. After retiring from the East Ohio Conference in 2016, Bob has worked as a Hospice Chaplain.  A graduate of the University of Mount Union, The Divinity School at Vanderbilt University, and the Institute of Pastoral Psychotherapy in Northern Virginia.  Bob is a leader and trainer in Stephen Ministries.  Bob and his wife, Janet, have two adult children – Stephen and Becky.  When not involved in the church, Bob enjoys golfing, biking, traveling and going for walks with Janet, and learning to play his hammer dulcimer.

Rick joined our staff in January, 2006, and brought a strong background in both education and youth ministry. He has a B.A. in Elementary Education from Bethany College and a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry from Malone College, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Malone University. A licensed principal, he taught sixth grade in the Akron public schools from 1989-93, and from 1993 through 2005 was the athletic director and physical education instructor for grades two through eight at the Canton Country Day School. He also served for five years as the Youth Director at the Wedgewood United Methodist Church. Rick couples a strong professional background with a deep Christian faith and a passion for being in ministry to young people. He and his wife, Staci, have four adult boys, two daughters-in-law, and a beautiful granddaughter. Rick oversees our entire ministry of Christian education for young people from birth through the twelfth grade.

Chelsea Alderson is the Director of Children's Ministries at the UMC of Kent, which includes directing our Children's Choir.  She received her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Messiah College and a Master in Music Performance from Kent State University.  Chelsea has performed with a variety of theaters in PA and OH and worked as a music director for several youth music and theater camps.  Currently Chelsea, as a licensed educator for Pre-K through 12th grade, is also the music teacher at Holy Family School in Stow, a position she has held since 2018.

Cara has been a long time member of the UMC of Kent.  She has served on many church committees and is a Head Usher for the 8:30 service.  Her many years of office experience included positions in the retail and private manufacturing home offices. Cara lives in Kent and has an adult son Derek, who is a chef in Austin, Texas.

Adam joined the staff in 2015, bringing more than 15 years of experience working with the public, including nearly a decade managing local Hollywood Video stores. Adam is a Kent State University alumnus with a B.A. in Classics and Art History. He studied choral music education for several years at Bowling Green State University, and has been performing in choirs and musicals for over 20 years. He has worked with teenagers as a vocal director and assistant music director of high school musicals, as a counselor at BGSU’s Musical Theater Camp for high school students, and has extensive experience performing and directing in local theaters. As a lifelong member of this church, he is proud to be assisting the church in its mission. He lives in Stow with his wife, Patti, and their son, Alexander.

Lynnette joined the staff in 2004 bringing 15 years of financial and administrative experience in both the private and non-profit sectors. With her accounting degree and expertise in data management she has automated and streamlined operations for many businesses, as well as, our business office. Lynnette is a lifelong member with a strong commitment to the growth of the church. In 2006, she founded the UMCK chapter of the Prayer Quilt Ministry. Lynnette lives with her husband, Dan and continues to work remotely since the pandemic.

Lisa has always enjoyed working with people of all ages, but her true joy comes from children. Lisa has three children of her own and prides herself on raising them to be happy and caring adults. After graduating from Kent State University, Lisa spent about 7 years working as Activity Director in a nursing home/ retirement community. Over the years, Lisa has become lead teacher in the 4 & 5 year old classroom and Director of the school. Lisa feels extremely fortunate to have such talented and caring teachers at Tree City and enjoys working with them every day.

Dr. Frank Wiley has been the Music Director for our Sanctuary Choir since 1996. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance and a Master of Music degree in composition. His Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition was awarded by the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University.

Dawn joined the staff of the United Methodist church in October 2018. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where she studied with Dr. John Walker, Dr. Ann Labounsky, and David Craighead. Dawn also has a Master of Music degree in organ performance from the University of Akron studying with Dr. Barbara MacGregor. She is the Akron Chapter American Guild of Organists Scholarship chairperson; leading adult choir festival fundraisers and Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza events for students. Dawn is also a member of the community handbell ensemble, Summit Bells, and the Brahms Allegro Teachers' Club which supports students who study music. Dawn lives in Stow with her husband and three children.

Nik Stackpole began in the fall of 2019 as the director of our youth handbell choir, called ZAMARingers (based on the Hebrew word “zamar,” which means to praise God with music).  Nik is a music education student at Kent State University with a strong background in church music.  He leads third through twelfth graders in the ZAMARingers, who ring monthly in Sunday worship.

Staci provides overall management for our very active church kitchen. She works with our United Methodist Women to prepare weekly lunches for Rotary and Lions Club and monthly dinners for the Kent Garden Club. She also works with numerous church groups to prepare a variety of church luncheons and dinners. She also serves as the kitchen hostess for outside groups that need food for an event, and coordinates with caterers for groups renting the church.

Rick Hall joined the staff in 2015 after a long career as a school custodian for Crestwood Local School District. He is responsible for cleaning the building and overseeing setup of Pierson Hall, the Gym, and other areas of the church for all events.