Central Church Staff
Dr. Bob Mitchell
Senior Pastor
BobMitchell@CentralUMC.com
Kathy and I met as undergraduate music students at Ashland College in Ashland, Ohio. We were married in August of 1970 between our junior and senior years. Following our graduation we moved to Mesa, Arizona, where I pursued a Masters Degree in Music Theory from ASU, while Kathy supported us by teaching music in the Mesa Public Schools. After completing my degree in 1974, I decided to take a break from academia and accepted a position working with young adults and the youth choir at a church in north Phoenix. Two years later, in 1976, I discerned a call to full time pastoral ministry, and Kathy, our son, Nathan, and I moved to Pasadena, California, where I began my seminary studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. While in Pasadena our daughter, Amy, was born.
After graduating from Fuller in 1980 Kathy and I moved to Elkhart, Indiana, where I had been called to serve as Associate Pastor at Winding Waters Brethren Church. I was ordained as an Elder in The Brethren Church (Ashland, Ohio) on August 2, 1981. After three years in Elkhart we returned to the Phoenix area where I served two small Brethren congregations until November of 1987 and Kathy resumed her teaching career in Mesa.
On July 1, 1988, I was hired to be an Associate Pastor at First United Methodist Church, Mesa. I began immediately to take the United Methodist history, doctrine, and polity classes required for my eventual appointment as an Elder in The United Methodist Church. On July 1, 1989, I was appointed by Bishop Galván as an Elder from another denomination to Mesa First UMC. I was subsequently appointed as a Probationary Elder and then into full membership as an Elder in the Desert Southwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
After four years at First UMC, Mesa, I was appointed to start a new United Methodist fellowship in the Ahwatukee-Foothills area of Phoenix. I served Desert Foothills United Methodist Church for ten years before being appointed to Chandler United Methodist Church in 2002.
Throughout these years, my wife continued to teach in the Mesa Public Schools. She retired last year and has chosen to continue teaching half-time. Our children are grown and on their own, more or less. Our daughter, Amy, married Steve Voida on June 30, 2001, in Pioneer Chapel at Central UMC. They are currently living in Atlanta, Georgia, where she and Steve are in the PhD program in computer science at Georgia Tech. Our son, Nathan, lives in Tempe and is a professional musician. Kathy and I are also in the process of being trained by three cats: Calvin, Hobbes, and Harley.
Rev. Dean E. Humbert
Associate Pastor
deanhumbert@centralumc.com
With fifty years experience as a pastor, Dean directs the Senior Ministries, Van Ministry, and maintains contact with the congregation through the Phone Ministry.
He works with the Fortnighters, a senior group, who meet at 10:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of the month. They enjoy programs of music, drama and travel. Each meeting also includes a time of fellowship and a meal prepared by the church caterer.
Dean was an engineering student at the time he felt the call to the ministry. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and went to work for the Navy at the Pt. Mugu Missile Testing Center. He enjoyed the work so much that he decided to stay in engineering. However, a year later he was still debating the call to the ministry. Finally he made the hard decision to quit his job and move his family 2400 miles across country to Dayton, Ohio where he enrolled in the United Theological Seminary.
At the beginning of his second year at United, he was appointment as pastor of Aley United Methodist Church. For three years this small congregation accepted and loved their student pastor though he was still growing in his faith, and learning how to preach and be in Ministry to others. This practical experience did as much for his faith journey as the classroom experience.
After a life-time of service, Dean states that the ministry has been a richly rewarding experience that he would not trade.
Surafel Gebretsadik
Amharic Pastor
Ethiopian Congregation
Pat Goss
Minister of Discipleship
Patricia.Goss@centralumc.com
I'm so happy to become part of the Central UMC Staff. I have helped present many meetings and workshops here for the United Methodist Women.
Pat and her husband, Joe, live in Mesa and attend Velda Rose UMC. They have two adult children and two grandchildren in Indiana.
At the present time, Pat is a Director of the Women's Division, of the General Board of Global Ministry, serving on Membership and Organizational Development. She also serves as a Director of the General Board of Global Ministry on Finance and Mission Education. She is a Certified Lay Speaker.
On the Conference level, Pat serves on the Conference Board of Global Ministry and Spiritual Formation.
Before moving to Arizona from Indiana in 1996, Pat served as a Church Treasurer and Youth Director in the South Indiana Conference.
Pat says: "I look forward to what I can contribute to the life of Central United Methodist Church, Thank you for this opportunity to be in ministry with you."
Donald E. Morse
Minister of Worship and The Arts
donmorse@centralumc.com
Since 1982, Don Morse has served as Minister of Music, Worship and The Arts at Central United Methodist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where he coordinates all musical ensembles, worship experiences, the visual 
arts, theatre arts, and communications. He is a graduate of Boston University School for the Arts, and The School of Theology at Boston University, with degrees in Sacred Music, Organ Performance, and Choral Conducting, and completed additional graduate study at Westminster Choir College at Princeton.
He has held regional and national offices in the Music Educator's National Conference in the American Choral Directors Associ-ation, and in the American Guild of Organists. As a choral conductor, he has been guest clinician for numerous regional and all-state festivals, national religious gatherings, MENC Choral Festivals, AGO Conven-tions and Services, and ACDA Choral workshops and conventions.
Mr. Morse is President of the Board of Trustees for the Alliacne for Arts and Understanding, an international organization seeking to foster cultural awareness and acceptance through the fine Arts. He also serves as Festival Director for many of that organization's international Music Festivals. For the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church Board of Discipleship, he has served as chair of the Music, Worship, and Arts Section. Additionally, he serves as consultant to many churches and schools in the areas of organ design, staff development, hymnody, and facilities planning.
Please take a look at the Music and the Arts page for more information about our ministry.
Stephen Hilderbrand
Contemporary Worship Leader
Homer Ferguson
Music Associate & Organist
homer.ferguson@asu.edu
Homer Ashton Ferguson III, a native of Belleville, Illinois began his service at Central Church on All Saints Day in 2002. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral 
Degree in Organ Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Kimberly Marshall, director of the Organ Studies program in the School of Music at Arizona State University. In May 2002 he received the Master of Music degree from Arizona State University in Organ Performance.
Homer began studying piano at the age of five with Mrs. Peggy Shaw and was very active in the music program during his years in grade school and junior high. His more advanced piano studies were done under the auspices of Mr. Glenn Freiner, former professor of music at McKendree College. It was during this course of study in high school that Mr. Freiner introduced Homer to the organ. The passion for the instrument was immediate and upon enrolling at Illinois College in the fall of 1996, Homer furthered his skill, technique and passion for the organ under the direction of Dr. Rudolf Zuiderveld.
In the summer of 1998 Homer went on an organ study trip to Holland, Germany, and Belgium. It was here that he gave his first international performance in Leens, Netherlands. Homer also broadened his musical training at Illinois College by studying piano and conducting with Dr. Garrett Allman. His achievements were many at Illinois College having also served as the co-editor of The Rambler, awarded the McGaw Citation in the Fine Arts, the Sturtevant Leadership Award, the Ruth Bellatti Music Scholarship, and listed in the 2000 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. Mr. Ferguson graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in music and a minor in Political Science, in May 2000.
While at ASU Homer has been the recipient of the Wurzburger Organ Scholarship, the Arizona Regent's Music Award, and recently the Graduate College Award. An active performer and recitalist Homer has also played with the Arizona State University Symphony Orchestra and has been broadcast on KBAQ, the local NPR and classical music station in Phoenix. In the spring of 2004 Homer was invited to teach at Illinois College as the sabbatical replacement for Dr. Zuiderveld where he served as Full-time Instructor of Music and College Organist.
Professionally, Homer serves as the Music Associate and Organist at Central United Methodist Church in Phoenix, the historic first protestant church and the "Mother of Methodism" in the Arizona territory, serves on the teaching faculty of Arizona State University, and is the organist for the Mater Misericordiae Latin Mass Mission Parish. Homer is also a REALTOR® with West USA Realty.
Marilyn Seese
Minister of Education
marilynseese@centralumc.com
Marilyn graduated in 1970 with a degree in Music Education from the State University College at Potsdam, NY. Upon graduation she moved to Phoenix, and was invited to attend a Maundy Thursday service, and joined Central shortly afterwards. Over the years she has especially enjoyed singing in the choir, accompanying Broadway shows, and playing in the bell choir. She is involved with the Praise Band at the Wednesday Evenings Fellowship. After teaching Sunday School for fourteen years, She is very glad to be serving as the Minister of Education and she really enjoys being with Central's children.
Amanda Ferguson
Youth Director
Carla Whitmire
Part time Secretary
carlaw@centralumc.com
Carla Whitmire has been a United Methodist all her life. Carla and her husband Dave have lives in Phoenix for 17 years. They have two children; Sarah is 16 and 
a Junior at Thunderbird High School. Ben is an 8th grader at Vista Verde Middle School. Before moving to Phoenix, Carla worked as a computer programmer for General Dynamics in San Diego, CA.
Carla and her family have attended Cross in the Desert UMC for 16 years where Carla has been very active. She served on the Education and Prayer Committees and is currently co-chair of their Missions Committee. In addition, Carla volunteers in the church office and taught many Sunday School classes for all ages. She has been a Vice President for the Central East District UMW and is now the Mission Coordinator for Spiritual Growth.
Carla is excited to be a part of the ministry at Central United Methodist. She will be responsible for producing the newsletter, scheduling the facilities, and our awesome office volunteers.
Helen Clark
Membership Secretary
Helen Clark, Membership Secretary, has been a member of CUMC since 
1979. She was born and raised in west Texas and attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock where she majored in music. After a career covering thirty seven years as a banker in several cities, including Baton Rogue, Mobile, Jackson, MS, El Paso, Dallas and Phoenix, she retired from Bank of America in 1994 as a Customer Service Manager.
Over the years, Helen has continued her interest in music including membership in church choirs wherever she lived. She has been a member of the CUMC Sanctuary Choir since 1979 and has made several tours to Europe and the Carib-bean with that group. She has also recently re-sumed her piano studies.
Helen and her husband, Wray have two children and three grandchildren.
Norma Heubach
Funeral / Wedding Coordinator
Click here for Wedding Information
Girma Tilahun
Building Superintendent
