Skip Blancett is our Senior Pastor.
Skip was born in Bellmead, TX and graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Master’s in theology and a Doctorate in multimedia communication. He recently received a Master’s in international relations from St. Mary's University.

Skip delivered his first sermon when he was 13. He was ordained as a full elder in 1974. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1976-1998 as a Navy Chaplain/Captain.

He has been married to Gayle for 40 years and they have three children. Tim Blancett is a general sales manager at BMW in Raleigh, N.C.; Brad Blancett is a think tank engineer and software programmer with IBM in Raleigh, N.C.; Hollye Davis is a college representative for University of Maryland, Ft. Hood, and owner of Essengee’s in Bartlett. Skip and Gayle also have six grandchildren.

In his spare time, Skip also enjoys creating stained glass, jogging, acrylic painting and reading. He’s also produced a children’s CD “Ruby Island.” Gayle spends her time writing, taking photographs and taking care of her seven miniature horses and 26 chickens.

Skip joined our staff in March 2007. He can be contacted at skip.blancett@fumc-killeen.org

Carol Roberts is our Associate Pastor.
Carol grew up in Pennsylvania, but has been in Texas since 1981.  After serving in the U.S. Air Force, she completed her bachelor’s degree in vocational home economics education at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and then worked as a County Extension Agent in Cooke and Grayson Counties.  During this time she completed a master’s degree at Texas Woman’s University in Denton in Family Studies.

A longtime lay person in the church, Carol was active in various ministries in the local church and served in numerous leadership positions.  In 2000 Carol entered seminary at Brite Divinity School and completed a Master of Divinity degree in 2004.  While in seminary she worked at two Fort Worth churches: Arlington Heights UMC and Saginaw UMC.  She served as an associate pastor at Genesis UMC in Fort Worth for four years before coming to FUMC Killeen in 2008.  That same year she was ordained as an Elder in Full Connection.

In her spare time, Carol enjoys sewing, quilting, crafts, and gardening.  She likes to bake for others. 

Carol joined our staff in June 2008.  She can be contacted at carol.roberts@fumc-killeen.org

Gary served in the U.S. Army for 27 years, retiring in 1997 as a Colonel. His wife of 41 years, Susan, is a teacher in Killeen ISD. They have two children and seven grandchildren. Scott McMillan lives in Austin with his family of four and Tracy Hale lives on Fort Hood with her family of five.

This is Gary’s second staff position in a Methodist Church, having served as the Church Administrator of Manassas St. Thomas UMC in Manassas, VA before moving to Killeen in 2000.

He enjoys working outdoors at home, spending time with his grandkids and teaching Christian classes at First UMC Killeen.

Gary joined our staff in September 2008. He can be contacted at gary.mcmillan@fumc-killeen.org

Jodi Marfell is our Youth Ministry Director.
Jodi was born and raised in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" (Minnesota). She attended Concordia University, St. Paul, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree as a Director of Christian Education, specializing in youth ministry.

Jodi served a one-year internship at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Aiea, Hawaii. She met her husband, Tim, in Hawaii and after he returned from a 15 month deployment to Iraq they married in November 2007.

They live in Killeen and have two dogs named Chloe and Emma.  Some of her interests include tennis, golf, racquetball, playing on the church softball team and training for her first marathon.

Jodi joined our staff in April 2008. She can be contacted at youthdirector@fumc-killeen.org

Debra Longley is our Children’s Ministry Director.
Debra is a “hometown” Killeen girl. She graduated from Ellison High School in 1987 and Texas A&M University in 1991 with a degree in Business Management. Debra lived in League City, Texas for twelve years prior to moving back home to Killeen to be closer to family. She worked at Bay Harbour United Methodist Church as the Nursery Director before being appointed as the Children’s Director.

Shortly after moving back to Killeen with her two children, Casey and Sam and three dachshunds, she met and fell deeply in love with Mitch Longley. They married in July of 2006. They combined families added Craig and Brian and three more dachshunds. Their house is always busy with family and friends.

Debra is very passionate about leading children to a relationship with Jesus Christ. She loves her church and her church family. She loves big parties that include the whole church. Debra is always looking for new ways to grow the children’s ministries. She loves to talk about we could do together to make a difference. Stop by and talk to her.

Debra joined our staff in June 2005. She can be contacted at debra@fumc-killeen.org

Pam Stephenson is our CDC Director
Pam was born and raised in Kansas. She met her husband at Ft. Riley, Kansas and they were married in 1973. Being married into the Army, she got to do a little traveling.

They were blessed with three children Dustin, Christopher and Becky. While on her husband’s second tour at Ft. Riley, she decided to get her license to operate child care in her home. This started her career in child development.

She managed her own child care business in her home for one year at Ft. Riley and six years at Ft. Ord, California. In 1991, they retired from the Army and moved to Killeen. She immediately began work at First United Methodist Church Child Development Center as a teacher.

In 1996, she attended classes at Central Texas College and received her Child Development Associate’s and took some business management courses. She became the Director in 2006.

She loves being around children, working with parents, working with her staff and she loves her job.

Mary Jo Dallas is our Financial Accountant.
Mary Jo was born in Tokyo, Japan as the third daughter in a family of eight girls.  Her father served in the military and her mother was a full-time homemaker. 

She received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Accounting from Kansas State University and later continued studies in French at UMHB and Southwestern University in Georgetown. She is married to Ed Dallas, who is a retired Army officer. They live in Harker Heights where they raised their two children.

Kate is currently working for KPMG in Houston and she plans to attend graduate school. Matthew is a senior at Texas A&M.  Ed owns a business in the area and works on a contract basis for the Killeen Chamber of Commerce.

Mary Jo joined our staff in February 2007. She can be contacted at financialadmin@fumc-killeen.org

Ken Smith is our Financial/Membership Secretary.
Ken was born in Jennings County Indiana and enlisted in the Army after graduating from High School in 1949. He was assigned to Fort Hood in 1966. He served in the Army for over 31 years and retired in 1981 as CW4. Ken returned to CTC and UMHB to obtain a teaching certificate and majored in Language and Business receiving a BA and a Certificate to teach in Texas. He taught Spanish at Ellison High School for 11 years and retired in 1996 to serve as a full time volunteer at FUMC.

Ken has been married to Debbra for 53 years and they have three sons (2 married) with 4 grandchildren: Taren (22) graduated from Texas Tech as a nurse in May; Tanner (17) a junior at Arlington High; Justin (19) seeking electrician certificate at TSTC; and Ryan (15) is a sophomore at Harker Heights High. Ken has served the FUMC in many capacities and continues to be active in its ministries.

Debra Friddle is our Administrative Assistant.
Debra was born in Atlanta, TX, but grew up in Birmingham, AL. She moved back to Texas during her senior year in high school and then attended Lamar University in Beaumont.

She and her husband Joe met in church choir almost 48 years ago. They have two daughters, Lori and Kelli and two wonderful grandchildren, Austin and Taylor.

Debra worked for Killeen ISD for 28 years before retiring and starting here at FUMC. She loves to read (mysteries) and cook. She enjoys music and she and Joe are active in their local Emmaus community.

Debra joined our staff in October 2007. She can be contacted at debra.friddle@fumc-killeen.org

Terry Bierwirth is our Media Coordinator.
Terry has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. Originally from Albuquerque, Terry has a strong media sales background, selling advertising on television, radio, billboards and in magazines.  Throughout her career she has assisted in producing television commercials, has written radio commercials and articles for magazines and has become very passionate about photography.  Terry is an Army wife.  Her husband David and two children, Bryce, 9 and Madison, 6 live on Fort Hood.

Terry joined our staff in October 2009.  She can be contacted at terry.bierwirth@fumc-killeen.org

Alison Haygood is our Director of Music .  She can be contacted at christy.haygood@killeenisd.org

Suzanne Berndt is our Organist.
Church music has been an important part of Suzanne’s life since childhood as well as children’s ministry. She has taught secondary and elementary school music in Oklahoma, California and Texas. She also was a voice instructor at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and toured Europe as an accompanist to their ‘Choir of the North’.

Suzanne first studied piano with ‘the best teacher ever’, her mother. Her educational background includes Sweet Briar, VA; University of North Texas, TX; University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK; and she recently received a Kodaly Certificate in music for young children from University of Mary Hardin Baylor.

Suzanne and her husband Mike, a flautist and avid Kansas Jayhawk fan, enjoy the antics of their pets, Chihuahhua ‘Gustav’ and bird ‘Cocky’ as well as visiting their grandchildren Lucy Jane and Charlotte Elaine and their parents Mary and Dan at Ft. Bragg, NC. Suzanne’s two other children, Ross and Roxanne, live in Denton, TX.

Charles Thomas is our Facilities Manager.
Charles was born in Rosebud, TX, joined the military after High School and retired in 1993. He worked for the Fort Hood Commissary for four years and the Veterans Hospital for thirteen years before joining FUMC Killeen. Charles has two daughters and a grandson. Both of his daughters have earned Masters Degrees and live in Atlanta, GA. Charles loves his job here at the church and really likes the people he works with and around.

Charles joined our staff in December 2001. He can be contacted at directoradminser@fumc-killeen.org