News

Nathan Prisk

Nathan Prisk, Bass Vocalist, has been a professional singer for over 20 years. He received a full performance scholarship for piano performance at Clayton State University. Nathan teaches voice and piano in the south metro Atlanta area and is the Fine Arts Director at Creekside Christian Academy, McDonough, Georgia. He wants to build singers and performers, worship leaders and worshipers. Nathan toured extensively for 15 years as a professional vocalist with many ensembles, including Poet Voices! He now travels as a soloist, vocal/choral clinician, pianist, vocal coach, piano teacher, and emcee. Nathan’s debut solo album was released on July 27, 2012.

Phil Cross

Phil Cross began his songwriting journey in 1980 and is one of the most highly acclaimed songwriters in Gospel Music. His compositions are well known and well loved. Phil tours with Poet Voices and is also available for solo concerts, choir revivals, worship leading, and songwriting seminars. A few of Phil’s most known songs include Champion Of Love (Cathedral Quartet), When I Get Carried Away (Gold City), Saved To The Uttermost (The Speers), Miracle In Me (The Greenes), Yes I Am (The Hoppers), I Am Redeemed (Poet Voices), and Jesus Built A Bridge (Poet Voices).

Linda & David Lay

Linda Clayman Lay grew up in Clayman Valley, a tiny community named after her family outside of Bristol, Tennessee. She grew up surrounded by music in a family that treasured tunes, from old-time and bluegrass to gospel and traditional country. Her father, mandolinist Jack Clayman, formed a family band with Linda and his family, taking them to the places where the local musicians gathered, jammed, and performed. Linda later founded and led Appalachian Trail, an innovative bluegrass band that performed for more than 20 years. In Appalachian Trail, Linda truly found her voice, becoming not just the band’s lead singer but one of the most beloved singers in bluegrass. During her years touring with Appalachian Trail, she met the gifted guitar player and singer—and her future husband—David Lay. David Lay grew up listening to his father sing and preach and was fortunate to be able to attend a lot of the all night singing conventions where he heard some of the greats in Southern Gospel. David played bass for a gospel group when he met Linda. He switched to guitar and after a brief courtship they married and he was performing in front of thousands of listeners. David is a very solid, versatile rhythm player and is able to adapt to the diverse styles of music with ease. David encouraged Linda to venture out to tour with other musicians, and today when she plays he is always beside her.

Jonathan D. Williams

Jonathan D. Williams has previously served for three and half years as Organist/Accompanist at Ardmore Baptist Church – Winston-Salem, NC where he chaired Arts at Ardmore, a visual and performing arts series, and organized and performed in the biennial Keyboards at Christmas. Jonathan studied organ performance with Faythe Freese at the University of Alabama where he won the AFMC – Sarah Caldwell Lee Organ Competition at Samford University and the Clarence Dickinson Organ Festival Competition at William Carey University. Jonathan also works in the Forsyth County Tax Administration office and is married to Catherine (Cady) née King. They are blessed with a lovely and rambunctious 1.5-year-old son named Archibald James (Archie). FUN FACT: Archie’s namesake, Archibald Theodore King, was a Moravian Minister in the Virgin Islands during the early 20th century.

Justin Terry

Justin Terry was born and raised in a musical family. He began his professional singing career in 2006 when he joined a touring gospel quartet, Cross4Crowns. He saw success with the quartet including several nationally charting radio singles, national award nominations, as well as being regarded as one of the top bass singers in gospel music. In 2012, Justin left Cross4Crowns to embark on a solo career. Even with a successful solo career in full swing, Justin made time to tour with some legendary artists, including The Blackwood Quartet, The Stamps Quartet, Aaron Tippin, and Gary Puckett and The Union Gap. Although performing in such venues as Silver Dollar City, Dollywood, and Anderson Music Hall, Justin still finds time to come back to his roots and lead worship at many churches across America. We are grateful to have Justin Terry worshipping with us on this, his first visit to The Lake Junaluska Assembly.

Christopher Plaas

Christopher Plaas has entertained audiences throughout the United States and Europe. He earned his BM in Vocal Performance at East Tennessee State University and his MM in Vocal Performance at Appalachian State University. Christopher has been featured as a young artist with Indianapolis Opera, Opera on the James, and Teatro Nuovo and has had recent appearances with Knoxville Opera, Salt Marsh Opera, Barn Opera, and Asheville Lyric Opera. He is currently in his 4th year as an adjunct professor of voice at East Tennessee State University.

The Reverend
Jennifer Forrester

The Reverend Jennifer Forrester is associate pastor of First United Methodist Church Hickory.

The Reverend Paul Christy

The Reverend Paul Christy was born in Avery County and is the son of a United Methodist preacher. He grew up in a parsonage family and has one sister who is a United Methodist preacher and two brothers who likewise are United Methodist preachers. Paul holds degrees from Brevard College, Pfeiffer University and Duke University. Paul has been in the active United Methodist ministry since 1988 and has served appointments in Statesville, Providence and Cool Spring UMC, and North Morganton UMC in Morganton, NC, at First UMC Sylva, at Highlands UMC, and now is at First UMC in Hickory, and Reeps Grove and Macedonia.

He is married to Jamye Cartner Christy and they have two children: Zack is married to Crystal and they are the proud parents of Paul and Jamye’s grandchildren, Elijah and Ella Ann. Zack is a United Methodist Minister in Cherryville, N.C. at First United Methodist Church. Their other child. Caroline. was recently married and she and her husband reside outside Charlotte, N.C. Paul enjoys spending time with his family and fly fishing and playing golf. Paul is an avid runner who has run several half marathons. He will admit that he is not fast but enjoys running with others in the church. Paul has served the United Methodist Church in different capacities over the years, not only as a local church Pastor but in the Conference as well, as the Director of Lay Speaking Ministries for the Smoky Mountain District, on the District Board of Superintendents, and on the Conference Board for Equitable Salaries.

One of Paul’s greatest joys is being a part of Foreign missions. He has been to Bolivia, Haiti, Jamaica, and Bosnia on several occasions teaching and building either churches or barns in these countries.

The Reverend Dr.
Audrey Warren

The Reverend Dr. Audrey Warren is the Senior Pastor of First UMC of Miami Florida appointed in July of 2015. A native Floridian, Audrey did not venture far from her hometown of Naples. Audrey holds degrees from Florida Southern College (BA), Duke Divinity School (MDiv), and Wesley Theological Seminary (Doctorate of Ministry). Audrey has a passion for outreach and mission and has used these gifts to lead Fresh Expressions movements in Florida. She has most recently co-authored “Fresh Expressions: A New Kind of Methodist Church for People Not in Church” and “People over Property: Scripture, Stories, and Strategies to Help People of Faith reimagine Their Space,” both authored with Bishop Kenneth Carter. Audrey is a dynamic preacher, educator, courageous leader and motivator while bringing diverse people together to carry out the work of Christ in the community.

The Reverend
David McEntire

The Reverend David McEntire is the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Lakeland, Florida.

The Reverend
James A. Harnish

The Reverend James A. Harnish is a retired Pastor from The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church, facilitator for the Institute of Preaching at Duke Divinity School and author of books including “Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Time: An Invitation to Renewal for Pastors” and “Easter Earthquake: How Resurrection Shakes Our World.”

The Reverend Dr.
Elaine Heath

The Reverend Dr. Elaine Heath had an amazing life journey, growing up in poverty with many hard experiences, including having to leave home and find her way when she was a junior in high school. After her children were born, she went to college, then seminary, then earned a PhD in theology. She is ordained in the United Methodist Church, served as a professor for 11 years at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, and as Dean and Professor of Missional and Pastoral Theology at Duke Divinity School, Duke University. She retired from Duke to lead Neighborhood Seminary, a non-profit that she co-founded to provide theological, practical, and spiritual formation for lay people to know how to help their neighborhoods flourish by participating with what God is doing in their neighborhoods.

She lives with her spouse at Spring Forest, a multicultural intentional community in rural North Carolina, where, she along with seven friends, tend a forest and small farm that supports immigrants who experience food insecurity, hold day retreats for small groups and individuals, and host a decentralized mission church, The Church at Spring Forest. She serves as Abbess for their residential community, and Theologian in Residence for their church.

The Reverend
Sally Campbell-Evans

The Reverend Sally Campbell-Evans is Pastor of Congregational Care at Hyde Park UMC in Tampa, Florida.

The Reverend Dr.
Mark Teasdale

The Reverend Dr. Mark Teasdale is the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Teasdale joined the faculty at Garrett-Evangelical in 2008 and served as the director of the doctor of ministry program from 2009-2018. Within the faculty, he has chaired multiple committees and been a part of redesigning courses and degree programs. In the classroom, Teasdale has excelled in traditional lecture formats and in creating innovative online classroom engagement.

Teasdale also is president of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, associate editor of Missiology: An International Review, and served for six years as the editor of Witness: The Journal of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education. He was also named one of the first Fellows of the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism. Teasdale has published many articles and book chapters, and is the author of Methodist Evangelism, American Salvation: The Home Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1860-1920 (Pickwick, 2014), Evangelism for Non-Evangelists: Sharing the Gospel Authentically (InterVarsity Press, 2016), and Go! How to Become A Great Commission Church (Wesley’s Foundry Books, 2017). Among his research interests, Teasdale hopes to expand on his signature “evangelism equation” by publishing on the intersection of salvation and working for the public good.

Active in the church, Teasdale is an ordained elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church. He is a highly sought keynote speaker and has led numerous workshops on evangelism. Teasdale has also been a consultant with several local churches and denominational bodies, including the cabinet of the Methodist Church (Lower Myanmar) and the Connectional Table of the UMC. For the past several years, Teasdale has offered a popular online “Evangelism for Non-Evangelists” course through Garrett-Evangelical’s Connectional Learning program, offering both clergy and laity the opportunity grow in their understanding and practice of evangelism within their local context. He is also a faculty member for the United Methodist Course of Study programs at Garrett-Evangelical and Wesley Theological Seminary.

Dr. Edgardo Colon-Emeric

Edgardo Colón-Emeric is dean of Duke Divinity School, Irene and William McCutchen Associate Professor of Reconciliation and Theology, and director of the Center for Reconciliation.

Colón-Emeric’s work explores the intersection of Methodist and Catholic theologies, and Wesleyan and Latin American experiences. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Colón-Emeric was the first Latino to be ordained as an elder in the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and was founding pastor of Cristo Vive UMC in Durham, N.C. He became founding director of the Hispanic House of Studies at Duke Divinity School in 2007 and joined the Divinity School faculty in 2008. Since 2010, he has served as the director of Central American Methodist Course of Study, which trains Methodist pastors who have not earned a formal Master of Divinity degree in such places as El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. He is also director of the Duke-Peru Theological Initiative, a partnership between the Methodist Church of Peru and Duke Divinity School.

He became director of the Center for Reconciliation in 2018.  He serves on the United Methodist Committee on Faith and Order and on both national and international Methodist-Catholic dialogues. In October 2017, he met with Pope Francis as part of a delegation from the Methodist-Catholic Dialogue and presented the pope with a Spanish translation he created of the dialogue’s bilateral statement.

Colón-Emeric is the author of Wesley, Aquinas, and Christian Perfection: An Ecumenical Dialogue (Baylor University Press, 2009) which received the 2008 “Aquinas Dissertation Prize Winner” from the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal at Ave Maria University and Óscar Romero’s Theological Vision: Liberation and the Transfiguration of the Poor (Notre Dame University Press, 2018), which received first place in the 2019 Catholic Press Association award for books about newly canonized saints.

The Reverend Dr.
Samuel H. Moore, Jr.

Reverend Moore is an ordained elder in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, a graduate of Greensboro College (BA Religion), Duke Divinity School (Master of Divinity), and Drew University (Doctor of Ministry Degree). Sam and his wife Marva have served numerous churches while Sam has also served on the Board of Ordained Ministry, Board of Trustees, Black Methodist for Church Renewal Committee of the WNCUMC, and has offered community service with the NAACP, and board memberships at Bennett College for Women, Pfeiffer University, and Greensboro College. Sam is from Reidsville and he and Marva share a blended family of five children, thirteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Matthew Sleeth, MD, a former emergency room physician and chief of the hospital medical staff, resigned from his position to teach, preach, and write about faith and health. Dr. Sleeth has spoken at more than 1,000 churches, campuses, and events, including serving as a monthly guest preacher at the Washington National Cathedral. Recognized by Newsweek as one of the nation’s most influential Christian leaders, Dr. Sleeth is the executive director of Blessed Earth and author of numerous articles and books, including Reforesting Faith and 24/6.

His most recent book, Hope Always: How to be a force for life in a culture of suicide, released in May 2021. Dr. Sleeth lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with Nancy, his wife of 40 years. Their grown children serve with their families in full-time ministry and as medical missionaries in Africa.

Dr. Sleeth will bring our Keynote Addresses and will speak on “10 Ways to Maintain Mental Health.”

Bishop Kenneth Carder was elected to the episcopacy in 1992 by the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of the U.M. Church. At the time he was the pastor of the Church Street U.M.C. in Knoxville. He was assigned to the Nashville Episcopal Area, effective 1 September 1992. He was assigned to the Mississippi Area in 2000, where he served until retiring in 2004 and joining the faculty of Duke University Divinity School. Currently, Bishop Carder serves as the Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry Duke Divinity School, Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of five books and numerous articles.

Bishop Carder was with us in 2021 and is back in 2022 to be our Preacher for the Festival of Wisdom and Grace.

Rev. Dr. Hyung Jae Lee serves as the Smoky Mountain District Superintendent of the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church. Most recently, Jae has served as pastor of Calvary UMC in Charlotte since 2013. Previously, he was pastor of Wesley UMC and Thrift UMC, both in Charlotte, and associate pastor at First UMC in Brevard. Born and raised in South Korea, Jae completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Hanyang University in Seoul. Coming to the US in 1997, he earned a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and a Doctor of Ministry at Duke Divinity School.

Jae is married to Kim, a registered pharmacist in North and South Carolinas, and they have three adult children. Jae loves Western North Carolina’s mountains and enjoys walking and hiking.