We're blessed to have three full-time pastors at First United Methodist Church! Stella, Troy, and Crystal urge you to talk to them about how you can get connected and involved in our church. Jenny Caughman works part-time as our Minister of Spiritual Care. If you need a pastoral visit, call the office at 865-483-4357. If you'd like to submit a prayer request, click here. If you need a pastor after office hours, contact the pastor on call, click here.
 Our Lead Pastor, Stella Roberts, has served churches in New Jersey, West Virginia, and the Holston Conference, including 15 years at Keith Memorial United Methodist Church and several years as the district superintendent of the Knoxville district. She is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College, Yale University Divinity School, and Princeton Theological Seminary.
Stella is married to Sam Roberts, a religion professor at Tennessee Wesleyan College, and they have two dogs, Winnie and Uma. Avid campers, they have taken their vintage Airstream all over the U.S. Stella leads our traditional worship services every Sunday morning at 8:45 and 11:00 a.m., preaches occasionally in our contemporary worship service, and sings in the choir. Stella loves choir music so much she sometimes chaperones our youth choir when they go on tour in the summer.
 Associate Pastor Troy Forrester received his Master of Divinity from Duke University in 2006, and this is his first appointment as a pastor. A native of Kingsport, TN, Troy attended East Tennessee State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in political science and a minor in legal studies in 2001.
Troy is our church softball coach and head cheerleader, leading the First United Methodist Plagues in our local softball league. Troy preaches in both the praise and worship service and the traditional worship service, and also heads our ministry for Young Adults, including a Sunday School class on Sunday mornings and social and mission activities at other times.
 Associate Pastor Crystal Smith is a native of Greeneville, TN. She was ordained in 2007, after receiving a Bachelor's in Religion from Greensboro College in Greensboro, NC and a Master’s of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. Crystal previously served as associate pastor at Colonial Heights UMC, in Kingsport, TN, and at Sumrall UMC in Sumrall, Mississippi.
Crystal is married to Trevor Smith, who teaches voice at Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, TN. Crystal and Trevor welcomed their first child, Ella, in March 2010.
Crystal is staff liaison to Adult Ministries, Missions, Social Concerns, Stephen Ministries, Library, and United Methodist Women.
Crystal loves to spend time with family, enjoys traveling, and cooking.
 Jenny Caughman, Minister of Spiritual Care, joined our staff in September 2011. Jenny recently finished her coursework at Earlham School of Religion in Indiana. Jenny’s responsibilities include teaching Disciple 1 and helping coordinate and lead small groups. She provides ongoing support, connection, and pastoral services to members of our congregation who are home-bound, hospitalized, or nursing home residents. Jenny is also involved with worship, preaching and serving as liturgist, and with other special services.
Jenny brings many gifts and experiences to the pastoral care staff here at FUMC. In Spring of 2011, she served as chaplain at UT Medical Center, providing services for patients, families, and staff, as part of her clinical pastoral education. Jenny has also worked as a therapist and coordinator of Children’s Services at the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Knoxville, providing crisis intervention and long-term counseling for children and adults who have been sexually assaulted or abused. She also has worked as a music therapist at Calvary Hospital in Bronx, New York, providing music therapy services for terminally ill adults and their families.
Jenny is married to John Caughman. They have three children, Neall, Alex, and Abby.
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