About FUMC > Pastors
Rodney Hamm is the Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church-Cary.
He has degrees from East Carolina University and Duke Divinity School. He
joined the FUMCC staff in 2004 and previously was the District Superintendent
in the Burlington District for eight years.
He was born in New Bern, NC and grew up in Durham, graduating from Northern
Durham High School. Rodney is married to Phyllis and has three children --
Tiffany, Trent and Leslie -- and three grandchildren. He says his most enjoyable
time and energy is spent with his wife, whether gardening, doing house repairs,
sharing about the mission of Jesus in the church and community or traveling.
He says, "She has been the voice of love, challenge, reason and many times
the voice of God working in my life. Being with her, fellowshipping with friends
and making new ones is more fun than any hobby that I've ever had."
When asked if he would like to share anything else, Rodney replied, "I love
life. The presence of Christ's Spirit in us as individuals and as a community
of disciples calls for the best we have, our greatest investment in the Kingdom,
and the best that we can call forth from each other. We're privileged to live
in the flow of God's grace, power, mercy, gifts and love. All that and more
makes life more than mere protoplasm, consumption and pulse. It's the great
adventure! And on the journey, to love and be loved makes life the supreme
joy."
Contact Rodney Hamm at 919-467-1861, ext. 223 or email at rhamm@fumc-cary.org
H. William Green is the Associate Pastor at First United Methodist Church-Cary. He received a B.A. from Catawba College, an M. Div. from Duke Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from Emory University. William has been with FUMC since 1989. Prior to coming to FUMCC, he was the campus pastor at Methodist College for three years.
He is originally from Durham, NC, and his hobbies include biblical storytelling and playing guitar. William leads Disciple Bible Study at the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women and LOVES watching the Durham Bulls. He scored his first touchdown in high school in Cary in 1967 when he played for Jordan HS in Durham, and he was voted "Most Inspirational Player of the Year" at Catawba College in 1973.
Contact William Green at 919-467-1861, ext. 224 or email wgreen@fumc-cary.org
Daniel F. Lipp is the Pastor to Shut-Ins at First United Methodist
Church-Cary. He has a B.A. from Furman University in Greenville, SC and an
M.R.E. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He has
been at FUMC since 1999.
He was previously Associate Pastor at Highland Baptist Church in Raleigh,
NC. He is married to Cheryl Jennings and has two children, Dana Peele and
Timothy Lipp, and a granddaughter, Charlotte Peele.
He is originally from Falls Church, VA, and he enjoys gardening (esp. growing African violets) and traveling.
Contact Dan Lipp at 919-467-1861, ext. 233 or email dlipp@fumc-cary.org
Rick Wilkerson is the Director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church-Cary. He has a B.A. in Sociology from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, and an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. He joined FUMC in 2002 and is responsible for the ministries and activities of youth grades 6-12+. He was previously at Front St. UMC, Genesis UMC and Knightdale UMC, where he served for 15 years in youth and adult ministries, with a focus on disciple training and support.
He is married to Kathy (owner/manager of Possibilities, a women's clothing store) and has two children, Brittany and Eli.
Contact Rick Wilkerson at 919-467-1861, ext. 277 or email rwilkerson@fumc-cary.org
Alice Kunka is the Associate Pastor, Adult Ministries at First United Methodist Church-Cary. She has a B.A. from UNC Greensboro, a Masters of Education from UNC Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. She also has completed graduate theological studies at Wesley Seminary. Prior to coming to FUMC in 2006, Alice served as pastor of a Hispanic/Latino congregation at Avent Ferry UMC in Raleigh. Ten years ago she became part of the organizing team for a new church start-up called Sunrise UMC in Holly Springs where she helped to establish opportunities for Christian education and spiritual formation. During that time she also developed a passion for ministry with the Latino community and began working with churches across the NC Conference to establish new Hispanic/Latino ministries.
Alice serves as Secretary for the NC United Methodist Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries, as a member of the UMC Conference Board of Ordained Ministry's Theology and Doctrine committee, and on the board of the Heart of Carolina Walk to Emmaus. She also enjoys teaching local pastors in the summer and weekend Course of Study at Duke Divinity School and serves as the Liaison for Deacons @ Duke, a group of seminary students there.
One of Alice's favorite hobbies is singing with the Cary Concert Singers. Alice and her husband Bob are fifteen-year residents of Cary.
"I am amazed at how God seems to have prepared the way for me to be in ministry at FUMCC. What a blessing to share the inward journey of becoming more like Christ together, and the outward journey of "being Christ" to the world!"
Contact Alice Kunka at 919-467-1861, ext. 243 or email at akunka@fumc-cary.org.