Meet Our Pastors

MEET OUR PASTORS
You can email any staff member below by clicking on their respective photograph. If you need a support staff email address you can click here to access it via a PDF file.

Brian Taylor, Senior Pastor
Significant Others: Wife, Patricia; daughters Brittany (23), Carrie (15); son Zachary (21) and his wife, Anna Lora
How I relax and have fun: golf and fish
Favorite music: Jazz
Favorite food or restaurant: Italian, or southern bar-b-que; pineapple upside down cake
Ideal vacation: Fish in the morning and golf in the afternoon
Biblical character I most identify with: Peter
What I like best about Munsey: commitment to missions; diversity and openness to people of all walks of life.

The Usual Stuff: Grew up in Knoxville, undergraduate degree in Religion at Emory & Henry; Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta; was the District Superintendent in the Maryville District before coming to Munsey in June of 2003.

Doug Grove-DeJarnett, Minister of Music and Congregational Life
Significant others: wife, Susan (teaches music in the Munsey Pre-school/Kindergarten); Daughters: Hannah, resides in Washington, DC and Gretchen, who resides in Charleston, WV.

How I relax and have fun: walking, love baseball and football, movies.
Favorite music: from the classics to country western.
Favorite food or restaurant: I love Italian food, but there is nothing better than a good bowl of chocolate ice cream!
Ideal vacation: The beach or visiting Wales and Ireland
Biblical character I most identify with: David, the singer of psalms, and Barnabas, a helper
What I like best about Munsey: the rich tradition and the talented people
The Usual Stuff: native of Marietta, GA. Graduate of Western Carolina University, with seminary training at the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. I come from a family of musicians – father was a church musician, mother a pianist; three brothers, all of whom have musical backgrounds.

Michael Lester, Minister of Congregational Care and Counseling
Significant others: Nancy (the love of my life!); grandson Evan William James; daughter Laura and son-in-law John James; son, Torrey; step-daughters Allison and Ashley.

How I relax and have fun: work in the yard; home repair projects; walk; day trips with my wife; read murder mysteries (Stuart Woods & James Patterson); rocking chair on the front porch.
Favorite music: Blues and jazz.
Favorite food or restaurant: A heart healthy diet
Ideal vacation: every year at Hilton Head Island; New York City
What I like best about Munsey: loving and affirming people
The Usual Stuff: grew up in Johnson City; former Baptist minister; theological education from Southern Seminary, Louisville, and Dallas Seminary; Board Certified Pastoral Counselor; have been on staff at Munsey since 2005.

Christina DowlingSoka, Minister of Children's Discipleship
Significant others: Joe-d, spouse; Ryan, Joel; Calico Kitty, Miracle Kitty and Kitty Kitty
How I relax and have fun: Travel, reading, playing games like “Pass the Pigs” with family
Favorite music: VBS Children’s songs!
Favorite food or restaurant: Mint chocolate chip ice cream
Ideal vacation: Sitting on the beach, listening to the waves and letting the wind blow the tiredness away
Biblical character I most identify with: Mary, Mary and Martha
What I like best about Munsey: Children! Joyful worship! Mission! Fun!
The Usual Stuff: I have the great joy of being the Minister of Children’s Discipleship here at Munsey. Came to Munsey four years ago after directing Buffalo Mountain Camp for 14 years. Prior to that I co-pastored churches in Iowa, Ohio and England along with my husband Joe-d who is also a United Methodist Pastor. Graduated with B.A. in religion from Florida Southern College and M.Div from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Elder in Holston Conference.

Katie Jackson, Youth Minister

Significant others: I am blessed to be the wife of Jonathan Jackson. He is my best friend and one of the wisest people I know.
How I relax and have fun: meeting people for coffee, hiking, doing anything outside, cooking and baking, watching the best team in the world- the Georgia Bulldogs.
Favorite music: Contemporary Christian, Country, Pop
Favorite food and/or restaurant: I love to eat…it doesn’t matter what. I would probably eat at Chick-fil-a every day if I could.
Ideal vacation: Traveling anywhere. My dream before I die is to visit all 50 states and every Spanish-speaking country in the world.
Bible character I identify most with: Peter – I have his heart and passion but also his impulsiveness
What I like best about Munsey: This is a church that serves. I love how involved people are in their community.
Unusual Stuff: I grew up in Georgia and attended the University of Georgia. I have a 20 year old brother and a 12 year old sister. My love of speaking Spanish and being immersed in the Hispanic culture led me to study abroad in Argentina in 2008. My dream is for all nations and all tongues to be united in singing praises to our awesome God!

Patty Muse, Lay Pastor: Small Groups & Local Outreach

Significant Others: My husband, Terry
How I relax and have fun: Chick flicks! (which include NCIS)
Favorite music: Jazz, Michael Buble, Jim Brickman
Favorite food or restaurant: I’m content with a slice of mushroom pizza from Johnny Brusco’s, especially with friends. And there’s just no point in eating a meal that doesn’t include dessert.
Ideal vacation: Running around New York City or lazing around Hilton Head (but I’ve never done either with Michael Lester)
Biblical character: The people Israel because I, too, often take three steps forward and two back in my faith journey – and, in my very real humanness, I tend to grumble like they did!
What I like best about Munsey: Real people trying in real ways to serve a real God who challenges us to love like He loves.
The usual stuff: “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!”

Jason Ratliff, Church Administrator

Significant others: My wife, Kellee, and I have two sons, Connor and Cole.

How I relax and have fun: I enjoy reading, running and hiking, As a family, we also love to travel.

Favorite music: U2 and Coldplay, Motown, and George Winston

Favorite food or restaurant: Anything I can throw on the grill.
Ideal vacation: I love to get away for the day to Ashville or to Nashville for a couple of days, or a week along the North Carolina Seashore.
Biblical character I most identify with: Neither Paul nor John can seem to talk about Jesus without getting excited; I appreciate that and relate to that.
What I like best about Munsey: No matter where you are in life or where you’re going, there is a place for you here, a variety of worship services, Bible studies, and areas to serve.

The Usual Stuff: I’m from Bristol, TN, a Tennessee High School and King College graduate with a B.A. in Bible and Religion and some seminary behind me (with more to go). I have served several churches in different capacities and taken on interim pastoral duties for several churches before coming to Munsey Church. Most recently, I worked at Holston Home for Children for 3 ½ years before joining the staff at Munsey.

Matt Dean, Youth Minister

Significant others: Nothing to write home about
How I relax and have fun: I enjoy fishing, hanging with friends, and good music

Favorite music: Bon Iver, The Avett Brothers, Eric Church, and John Mayer to name a few
Favorite food or restaurant: I love some tasty BBQ from Ridgewood

Ideal vacation: Anywhere I can float, fish or scuba dive in the ocean
Biblical character I most identify with: Peter…I try hard but mess it up a lot

What I like best about Munsey: I love that while Munsey is a large church you still feel as if it is very much so a family. Everyone is so intentional in making folks feel welcome and cared for.

The Usual Stuff: I was born and raised in Kingsport TN. My parents are Tim and Lisa Dean and I have a brother Tyler, who is in medical school in NYC. I went to Dobyns Bennett High School and graduated from ETSU with a Business Administration Degree. I spent a year working for Young Life at one of their camping properties in North Carolina called Windy Gap.