Associate Pastor

Pastor Jake was called into ministry while doing disaster relief work in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  He is a New Orleans native and graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in History.  He then received his Masters from Wesley Theological Seminary.  Jake is passionate about forming & building Christ centered community that impacts our neighbors & the larger community in meaningful ways.  Jake met his wife Robin while serving in the Peace Corps together in Armenia.  They moved to Northern Virginia in 2010, and have two beautiful children, Mack & Stella.  Pastor Jake is a Black Belt in Jiu-jitsu, a published author, and loves spending time talking about (and eating :)) food!

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Executive Director

Wendy is a Wisconsin native, and graduated with a degree in Business Management.  She is a long time member of Gainesville Church along with her husband Chris and 3 boys.  She is passionate about helping people grow in their faith and become involved in the church community.  When she is not serving at the church, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to concerts, reading and taking care of her plant collection.

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Children's Ministry Assistant

Shelby has been an active member of Gainesville Church for the past 3 years and has a passion for children's ministry.   In her words, she is "a firm believer that people will forget the words you say but will never forget the way you make them feel.  Through God's word and the Sunday School lessons, I aim to make each child feel so loved and plant the seed of God's love so deep in their hearts that no matter where life takes them, they always feel His love and light."   She is a self-proclaimed "goofball" which is probably why she fits in so well with the kids here at church.  As an active mom of two young boys, she spends her free time with her kids and husband, John.  

Children's Ministry Co-Director

Renee is passionate about teaching children how much God loves them here at Gainesville Church!  She is a California native, with a marketing degree from San Jose State University.  Renee grew up as an active member in her local Catholic Church and began a personal walk with Jesus at a Young Life camp in High School.  Renee has a very active family with her husband Eric & two children...one in High School, and the other in the Air Force Academy.   When she's not at church, they enjoy the outdoors, sports and working out.

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Children's Ministry Assistant

Kristen and her family have attended Gainesville Church for the past two years.  She is a licensed social worker with a specialty in palliative care.  As a busy mom of 3 small children she also has a passion for the Children's Ministry here at Gainesville Church.  In her words "GUMC has become a place to not only grow in our faith and relationship with God but a place where we have been able to develop friendships and connection opportunities with other families."

Children's Ministry Co-Director

Carrie truly loves working with children and helping them to build a personal relationship with Jesus.  She grew up in Western Pennsylvania in a very faithful family attending her local church.  As a former school teacher, Carrie is passionate about education and graduated with a Masters Degree in Education, with a specialization in Gifted Education.  When she's not here at Gainesville Church, Carrie enjoys crafting and baking with her 3 young girls, and spending time with her husband Steven.

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Choir Director

Janet is a Western Kentucky native, and grew up along the beautiful Tennessee River.  She received her degree in Music Education from Murray State University, and continued with graduate work at Oberlin College & George Mason University here in Virginia.  Janet taught High School music & chorus in the Fairfax County Schools for over 22 years before joining us at Gainesville Church as the Choir Director.  Janet has a passion for children, youth and adult choirs and enjoys spending time with her family and participating in Women's groups here at the church.

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Youth Director

Bert is passionate about middle & high school students experiencing life-changing faith in a fun & loving community.  Bert grew up in a military family stationed all over the US...from Hawaii, to California, to North Carolina & Virginia.   After attending high school in Northern Virginia, he graduated from Roanoke College with a degree in Religious Studies.  Bert and his wife Liesl currently call Sterling home.  

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Director of Outreach & Connections

Melonie moved to Northern Virginia from North Carolina with her husband and 4 children a few years ago.  She graduated with a degree in Interior Architecture and Graphic Design from the University of NC in Greensboro.  She previously served as the Communications Director at her former church in NC for many years before moving to VA and joining Gainesville Church family.  She has a passion for design, church communications, small groups and reaching the un-churched in our community.  When she's not here at the church you can find her out running or enjoying the outdoors on a hiking trail.

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Worship Director

Adam was born and raised in the greater Philly area (Delco gang rise up!).  Even as a young 16 year old his passion for music and worship began to merge as he embraced leadership roles in his local church.  He graduated with a degree in music & business from Eastern University and came to Gainesville church in 2016, along with his wife Carol Ann.  Adam is passionate about worshipping God through music & he absolutely loves building relationships with people in the church.  Fun fact about Adam is that when he's not leading worship his favorite genre of music is heavy metal (yes, like guys screaming and guitars playing at the speed of light...he loves it!).  

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Stage Designer

Carol Ann is an Alabama native, moving to Philadelphia, PA with her husband, Adam, before coming to Northern Virginia together.  She graduated with a bachelor's in Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Montevallo.  Carol Ann is passionate about taking the concepts in scripture & turning them into an artistic physical representation for the congregation to experience a deeper connection with God.  When she is not working at the church, she is spending time with her husband, Adam, reading, playing the piano, and baking.  

AV Director & Operations Manager

Patrick is a Northern Virginia native, growing up in Fairfax County before attending Shenandoah University.  Patrick is a passionate perfectionist when it comes to being behind our sound board.  With a degree in Music Production & Recording Technology he plays an important role in the quality of our worship services.  Patrick along with his wife Nora, and their young daughter, spends much of his free time together as a family.  

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Receptionist & Children's Ministry Assistant

Bernadette grew up in Maryland before moving to Northern Virginia.  After attending Gainesville Church for many years, she became a part of our staff team in 2017.  Bernadette's passion is helping people in need as she leads our community assistance program.  When she's not serving here at the church she is a phenomenal quilter & seamstress.  She also enjoys spending time with her husband and two adult children.

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Bean is a wise and gentle soul, passionate about ministry and staff morale. He's been in ministry his whole life.  Bean knows the key to a good day at church begins with a full breakfast. You can find him every morning waiting patiently outside the church kitchen, while a certain human prepares him bacon, eggs, and cheese. The rest of the day you can find him checking on the staff, knowing the best way to cheer us up is by having us scratch his back or give him a treat.