Ministry Staff

Ed Whipple, our director of student ministries, serves to guide our students in their journey with Jesus Christ. “I value the role of the church, and I desire to do my part in helping raise generations of believers in Christ.” He has directed numerous youth events, including local and international mission trips,camps, and retreats.  Throughout his career, he’s been involved with the following organizations in support of youth, college, and young adult ministries: Youth Specialties UM ARMY JUMMP Big House Mountain…

April Kwan serves FUMC Allen as our director of mid-childhood ministry, leading the discipleship process for our children in grades 3-6, including our sixth grade On Deck program. She is also our connection to our Treehouse Special Needs Ministry. April previously served FUMC as our youth ministry assistant. After growing up in a small town in Arkansas, she attended Texarkana College where she studied office administration. She also taught preschool at Children’s Creative Playday here at FUMC. April and her…

Trish Morehead is our director of early childhood ministry, developing a foundation of faith with our littlest disciples, birth-second grade. She will also guide our church in connecting with our preschool, Children’s Creative Playday. Morehead is a graduate of the University of North Texas with a degree in early childhood education. She is a former kindergarten and preschool teacher. She has a heart for working with children and seeing them grow in their faith community. Trish is a long-time resident…

Susan Hale has been on staff at FUMC Allen since 2010 and has served as the Director of Adult Discipleship since June 2016.  She enjoys helping people grow in their faith by finding the right group to journey with.  She also loves cultivating new leaders for Faith Academy and Sunday school classes. Susan grew up in Virginia Beach, VA.  She earned her bachelor of arts in English from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.  She recently completed her United Methodist…

4Ruth Swingle is our Director of Care and Support and Senior Adults. She coordinates and shares with the pastoral staff any prayer or member concerns expressed.  The Care and Support team involves many volunteers that assist with visits, cards, care and prayer.  She is a trained Stephen Minister and Stephen Leader. A lifelong Methodist and a daughter of a church secretary, Ruth learned at an early age the importance being active in a church.  Ruth and her husband, Dennie, have…

Dawn and Scott serve as contemporary worship leaders and directors of the Resonate Praise Team. They have enjoyed leading Resonate since 2003, and feel blessed to worship and encounter God each week with the congregation, not to mention serve alongside an amazing team of musicians who love the Lord and one another. The Hortons are long-time members of FUMC – Dawn was raised in our church – and they especially now appreciate the opportunity to raise their own two children,…

Myung-Jin (MJ) Wright joined our staff as our worship accompanist in August 2019. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in piano performance from the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. She has been pursuing a doctorate of musical arts at the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton since 2012. MJ has worked as a staff pianist at the Juilliard School of Music, National University of Singapore, and Singapore Lyric Opera. She has also served as a…

Tori Cantu serves as our assistant youth minister. She attended FUMC Allen before moving to Kansas to study at Tabor College on a soccer scholarship. At Tabor, she received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology. While in college, Tori served with Project Transformation in Sherman/Denison and found a passion for working with youth and young adults. Most recently, she was a summer intern at Creekwood UMC and discovered a calling to youth ministry. Tori loves sports, fishing, and gaming. She…

Cassidy Thomson is serving as the accompanist for the DARING Youth Choir for the 2019-20 school year. She accompanies the choir on piano at all rehearsals and performances, including the annual youth musical production.  Cassidy has been a member of FUMC Allen since sixth grade and was involved in the DARING choir and youth orchestra as a teenager. She recently graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and minors in mathematics and business. She plans to return…

Susanne Means grew up in Houston, TX, and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas in Austin. After moving to Ft. Collins, Colorado, she earned her teaching certificate from Colorado State University. She returned to Texas where she met her husband, Mark. They have been married 18 years and have two sons, Cameron and Matthew. She worked as a special education teacher in Allen for 14 years and now works for the Collin County Tax Assessor in Plano.