The First United Methodist Church is currently seeking a part-time Handbell Choir Director.
More information can be found in the job posting below.
Rev. Mary Beth Blinn
LEAD INTERIM PASTOR
Call: (571) 244-1856
Rev. Mary Beth Blinn is the Lead Interim Pastor She grew up in Kentucky where her father was also a United Methodist pastor and her mother was a homemaker. After college in Virginia, and seminary in Tennessee, she was ordained in the Virginia Annual Conference where she served as pastor and District Superintendent as well as pastor in the Red Bird Missionary Conference for a total of 38 years.
She retired in 2019 and moved to Albany in 2021. She is happy to be close to her daughter and family who live in Cobleskill, Rev. Anna Blinn Cole and Garrett Cole, with 10 year old June.
Her son and family, Christopher, Kate, Charles (11) and Calder (9) live in Havertown, PA where he is a high school special education teacher.
While she is serving half-time at East Greenbush, she also enjoys gardening, biking, and getting to know the history and beautiful geography of the Capital Region and Upstate New York.
Rev. Jennifer Williamson
INTERIM PASTOR
Pastor Jen is the quarter-time interim associate pastor. She is a lifelong United Methodist. She was born and raised in Girard, Ohio. After Seminary at Drew Theological School in New Jersey, Pastor Jen and her husband moved back to the Youngstown area and she served as an associate pastor of a large suburban church. She was then appointed as pastor of Woodville United Methodist in Woodville, Ohio. After that, her husband became rector of Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs; Pastor Jen served part time there as pastor of visitation and youth.
In 2024, her husband, Jeremiah, became the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany. Pastor Jen has spent her Sundays either preaching at area churches or joining her husband on his church visits across the Diocese.
She is a chaplain at St. Peter’s Hospital and is currently completing her third unit of Clinical Pastoral Education through Emory University.
She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and their 5 year old miniature schnauzer, Jarvis.
Lauren Lehmann
SUNDAY SCHOOL COORDINATOR
Lauren is a wife and mother. Her husband, Bob Lehmann, is also a member of our church, and they have two children- Gracie and Emma.
Lauren is a business owner by day, and mom by night. She owns a hair salon, and truly enjoys her profession. She went to college to be an elementary school teacher- and life just took her down a different path.
She has a lot of education and experience working with children, and was a volunteer Sunday School teacher when she was in her twenties. Some may say, working with children is her calling.
Robert Thomsen
CHOIR DIRECTOR
Robert joined the FUMC Sanctuary Choir in 2019, as a way to bring music into his life again and became Director in 2021.
Robert has always loved music and performing arts, from early days helping turn the pages of his grandmother’s music as she played the piano beside him. In the years that followed, he took on dance, piano, and voice lessons, and was a part of musical and theater productions throughout school and into his early twenties.
Robert went onto a career in cosmetology, building a client base in the capital region. He found working in hair and beauty fulfilling artistically, but he couldn’t keep away from the spotlight for long. He carved a path as a platform educator on conference stages, teaching for the Goldwell product company, traveling the region and educating fellow hairstylists with the latest cutting and styling techniques.
He returned to music in 2019 when he was asked by a longtime friend and fellow performer to ‘come out of retirement’ and appear in a cabaret performance at the Wood Theater in Glens Falls, NY.
Robert enjoys working with an incredible group of musicians and looks forward to continuing to provide new and exciting music to enrich our church’s ministry.
Martha Deyo
ORGANIST
Marty was born in Ayer, MA, but raised in the small rural town of Wolcott, NY, which is in the “lake effect” snow area on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Marty’s father was the instrumental music teacher in the local school, and her mother was a professional seamstress.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, with a minor in music, from SUNY Oswego, and a master’s degree in education administration from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX. She retired from teaching at Green Meadow Elementary School and currently lives in Averill Park with her rescue dog, Olive.
Marty began playing the piano at the age of seven, her teacher was the organist at her Presbyterian church. She started playing the trumpet in fifth grade, with her dad as her teacher. She participated in bands, recitals, and church choirs throughout her school years and as an adult has continued to be involved in music as an Accompanist, Substitute Organist, Principal Organist, and small Bell Choir Director. She has also played in several bands and is currently playing in the Yankee Doodle Band, from Rensselaer, and the Eagles Concert Band in Pittsfield, MA.
Her daughter Kelly and her husband, Manuel, live in Castleton. Kelly teaches Special Education at Averill Park High School and is also a musician. Manuel is a welder. Her son Corey and his family live in Cumberland, RI. He is a comptroller for a large company, and his wife Lisamarie is a reading teacher.
She has five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter! Although all her family members have wonderful careers and talents, she is immensely proud of her grandson, Cooper who is a junior at West Point studying for a degree in Mechanical Engineering while serving in the Army.
She looks forward to sharing her gift of music and being part of our music ministry.
Gail Welkley
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Gail has been the Administrative Assistant at FUMC since November 2009. She is a graduate of Averill Park High School where she received awards in art and music and studied at the College of St. Rose and Hudson Valley Community College. Gail has been employed as a grocery store clerk and has worked as a secretary for several New York State agencies.
Gail left the workforce for several years to be home with her son Ethan while he was very young. Gail, her husband Andy, their son Ethan, and their dog Cheddar (yes, like the cheese) live in North Greenbush, NY.
Steven Green
CUSTODIAN
Steven Green is the church custodian. He is also a Department Supervisor at The Home Depot and has previously performed maintenance and custodial work for Catholic Charities and Kinderhook Reformed Church.
Steven lives in Latham and has three grown children, Steven Jr and Ashley who are twins and Amanda. His hobbies include bowling and fishing.