Ministry Staff

Ministry Staff

Meet the people who Can connect you to the various ministries of First United Methodist CHURCH of Allen
Recreation Ministry

Tori Cantu

Tori Cantu serves as the leader for our Recreation Ministry. 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…
Elementary Ministry

Susan Hale

Susan Hale is our Director of Elementary Ministry. Susan Hale has been on staff at FUMC Allen since 2010 and has served as the Director of Adult Discipleship and the Director of Care and Support Ministry. 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…
Resonate Praise Team

Dawn & Scott Horton

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,…
Special Kids Ministry

Susanne Means

Susanne Means is the director of our Special Kids Ministry. She 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. Susanne worked as a special education teacher in Allen for 14 years and has…
Adult Discipleship

Adam Lubbers

Adam Lubbers joined the FUMC Allen staff on July 18 as our Director of Adult Discipleship. He came to us from Chapel Hill UMC in Farmers Branch where he served as youth minister and pastoral intern for three years.  Adam is originally from Granbury, TX, and became an active United Methodist in high school. He went to college at Abilene Christian University, where he studied history and the Bible. While at ACU, he met his wife, Courtney, and they were married…
Senior Adults/Welcoming Ministry

Rev Maxie Moore

Maxie Moore is the FUMC Allen Associate Pastor in charge of our Welcoming Ministries and our Senior Adult Ministry. She leads our Hospitality Team who strives to extend radical hospitality to everyone who walks through the doors of our church.  She also supports our Community Connect Team, which seeks to equip all church members to be evangelists and develop relationships with our community. Maxie has a passion for teaching and, especially, for leading Disciple Bible Study. Maxie and her husband,…
Preschool Ministry

Trish Morehead

Trish Morehead is our director of Preschool Ministry and director of our preschool, Children’s Creative Playday. In both roles, she works to develop a foundation of faith with our littlest disciples, birth-second grade 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 of…
Modern Worship

Josh Vigran

Dr Joshua Vigran is the worship leader for First United Methodist Church of Allen’s modern worship service The Table. He comes from a long line of musicians in his family and will continue this legacy as he serves our congregation in both traditional and contemporary worship. Josh has served as worship leader at a number of churches in California, New York, and Texas, and is passionate about creating an atmosphere where people can freely enter into the presence of the…
Youth & Young Adult Ministries

Ed Whipple

Ed Whipple, our director of Youth & Young Adult 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.” Ed is pastor for our youth at FUMC Allen as well as the staff contact for our college and young adult ministries. He has directed numerous youth events, including local and international mission trips,camps, and retreats.  Throughout…
Missions/Care & Support Ministry

Rev Jessica Wright

Rev Jessica Wright serves as associate pastor at First United Methodist Church of Allen responsible for coordinating missions and community advocacy opportunities as well as Care and Support Ministry. Jessica became a Christian through a hamburger (and an amazing community) at a Wesley Foundation campus ministry. She believes sharing food and our stories can help all of us become rooted in the greatest story of all – God’s great love for us in Jesus Christ. Fun Facts: Jessica served as…
Worship Ministry

MJ Wright

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…