FUMCPP

Our Mission

We are driven to build a community that seeks to celebrate God's gift of diversity and values the wholeness made possible in community equally shared by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender, identity, expression, orientation, who are also of every race, age, physical and mental ability, level of education, family structure, and of every economic, imigration, marital, and social status, and so much more.

As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and are in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.

Our Staff

Brittany Leclair

Pastor

She joins us from First United Methodist Church of Clearwater where she most recently served as Director of Community Outreach and is a licensed local pastor. She began building relationships within the surrounding area of First Clearwater through connecting with local organizations such as The North Greenwood Recreation Center to be the church that shows up to love our neighbors.

Pastor Brittany graduated with highest honors from The Great Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida in 2021 with a Bachelors in Religion and Philosophy and is currently attending United Theological Seminary as an MDiv student (with hopes of transferring to Duke Divinity School in the Fall).

While she loves the traditional forms of church and worship, she also has a passion to reach those who are unchurched and dechurched (many of which may never step foot in/on our church campuses).Pastor Brittany brings a creative and energetic spirit to ministry and believes her greatest spiritual gift is sharing life with people through the “loving first” journey. She is passionate about justice ministry, and her life verse is Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

While she loves to learn from and interact with people across all walks of life, her first love is spending time with her husband, three children (a 7th grader, elementary and kindergarten) and two dogs! You can typically find her fishing with the family, hanging out at a local farmers market, getting tattoos, or lounging around in a hammock at the beach.

She’s excited to jump into the energy of the Holy Spirit already at work in our neighborhood and looks forward to connecting with each of us here at First UMC Pinellas Park!

Betsy Larson

Organist & Choir Director

Originally from DuBois Pennsylvania, I graduated from Grove City College with a Bachelor degree in Music Education. I taught junior high vocal music in Pasadena, MD for four years, and then completed my Masters degree in Music Therapy at Loyola University in New Orleans, LA. After working for seven years at an international shipping company in New Orleans, I moved to St. Petersburg in 1986 to work for Raymond James & Associates in the IT department. I retired in January 2020 after 33 years.

Gil and I have one son who is an Assistant US Attorney in Brooklyn, NY. We have been blessed with a beautiful daughter-in-law, Lindy, and a wonderful grandson, August. I’ve been a member of FUMCPP for 34 years and have always been part of the Music Ministry. It’s been one of the biggest blessings in my life: the opportunity to serve such a loving, friendly congregation.

Loretta Wilcox

Youth Director

I was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada and have lived in this area of Florida since I was two years old. Dudley and I married in 1981 and have three beautiful children. Craig, Katie and Kristin who passed away in 2011. Kristin blessed us with a wonderful son-in-law, Joel Putnam, who is attending Seminary in Boston. I attended Auburn University and St. Pete College–majoring in Education. Dudley and I have been involved in Via De Cristo and our whole family has been involved in Chrysalis. I have worked for over 40 years as the Human Relations/Payroll Administrator for PharMerica.

Dudley and I have been members of First Church-Pinellas Park since 1991 and have worked with the youth for more than 20 years. I have been blessed to be the Youth Director since 2004. Dudley has always been by my side with the youth on several Mission Trips and other activities with the youth. We really love working with the youth and children of our church family and have enjoyed watching them grow into wonderful adults.

Thomasina Stewart

Administrative Assistant

Born in Charleston, West Virginia and raised in Brooklyn, New York, (after many years of living in West Virginia), I still call Brooklyn home. In 1993 I began serving the congregations of the West Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church as a part-time Director of Ethnic Local Church Concerns. My portfolio included the Conference Commission on Religion and Race, Black Ministries Fund, Communities of Shalom, and other duties as assigned. In 2014 I was transitioned to full-time, taking on responsibilities for Outreach Ministries with a staff relationship to the Conference Board of Global Ministries. At the end of 2015 I retired from paid work. Barry and I moved to St. Petersburg in 2017.

As a licensed Local Pastor, I served two congregations for a total of 10 years–one, located in the Coolest Small Town in America and another in the urban setting. I was an officer of United Methodist Women on the local church, district and conference levels. As a member of the 2000 General Conference I was chosen to serve as a sub-committee chair within the Independent Committees body. From 2000-2008 I was a board member of the General Commission on Religion and Race based in Washington, DC. In 2015 I received certification as a Rural Chaplain.

In 1997 my eldest daughter and I were members of a Volunteers-In-Mission work-team to Africa University in Zimbabwe. In 2002 I led a 14 member work-team to Viet Nam. Barry and I have two adult daughters, Keara and Marissa and one grandson, Jai. We think the two son-in-laws should be given sainthood.

After 32 years of exams, mid-terms, other assignments and finals at West Virginia State (College) University, and Bluefield State College I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2012. I have been the Administrative Assistant at First Church-Pinellas Park for three years.

Jordana Clark

Pianist & Praise Team Leader

Anna Gregorska

Financial Secretary & Treasurer