Bill Morgan
Family: Bill is married to Dianne Weekley Morgan. They have two grown sons, Bailey and Andrew.
Areas of Ministry: As senior minister, Bill will tell you that 25+ years of preaching, teaching, and writing can be expressed in a one sentence faith statement: God’s grace in Jesus gives us the power and pattern to live with joy, serve with love, and die with hope. Short sentence. But if you get him talking about it, he goes on and on.
Educational Background: Bill received a BS from Birmingham-Southern College and his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Vanderbilt University.
Favorite Books: Faith application books by minister-authors Frederick Buechner, Barbara Brown Taylor, and John Claypool. 20th-century history by such writers as David Halberstam, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and William Manchester. Bill also delights every time that octogenarian British mystery writer P. D. James turns out another one. Plus, every day includes time with THE book.
Hobbies: Bill is an avid runner. He enjoys spending time with Dianne and their 70-pound black Labradoodle Jack. (Jack — another topic people around Canterbury know will get Bill talking.)
Oliver W. Clark, Jr.Family: Married to Elaine Clark; one son, David
Areas of Ministry: Oliver helps develop small groups as a means of training teachers and leaders and to help laypersons live out their faith in their daily vocations.
Educational Background: Oliver attended Georgia Tech and graduated from Birmingham-Southern College(BA), Duke University (M.Div), and Emory University (Doctor of Sacred Theology, D.S.T.).
Ministerial Background: Oliver has a wide variety of experiences in church service spanning 43 years. He was associate pastor at St. Michael’s Church (Scottish Presbyterian) in Dumfries, Scotland. He also has served at Anniston First Methodist, Highlands UMC (Birmingham), Forest Lake (Tuscaloosa), Lanett First Methodist, Valley (Huntsville), and East Lake (Birmingham). He served six years as a District Superintendent. Oliver also started Valley UMC (Huntsville) in 1965, and he served as a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries in Liberia, West Africa, from 1968-1971.
Favorite book: Simply Christian: Why Christianity makes Sense, by N. T. Wright
Hobbies: Oliver enjoys golfing, weight training, walking, and reading mystery novels.
Favorite verse: Mark 12: 28-31 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Mike Holly
Family: Married to Rev. Julie Holly (Discovery UMC). They have two children, Lena Holly and Davis Holly.
Educational Background: Mike received a B.A. in Psychology at the University of South Carolina and a Master of Divinity at the Divinity School at Duke University.
Ministerial Background: Assistant to the Pastors, Mount Hebron United Methodist Church, West Columbia, SC
Director of Student Discipleship, Kern Youth Center, Lake Junaluska, NC
Member of Kadasha Experiential Worship Team, Lake Junaluska, NC
Campus Minister Intern, Wesley Foundation at UNC, Chapel Hill
Ministry Intern, Rocky Mount United Methodist Church, Mooresville, NC
Associate Pastor and Youth Director, First United Methodist Church, Trussville, AL
Favorite Books: The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Clairborne
Practicing Passion by Kenda Creasy Dean
Resident Aliens by Bishop William H. Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Confessions by St. Augustine
Hobbies: Mike enjoys hiking, reading, blogging, visiting farmer’s markets, and spending time with family.
Favorite Verse: Luke 9:23 “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Dixon Mitchell
Family: married to Carolyn Mitchell
Areas of Ministry: Minister of Counseling
Educational Background: Dixon graduated with a BA in Speech and English from the University of Alabama, a Master of Divinity from Emory, and a Masters of Education in Community Counseling from Auburn University. He received his Doctorate in Counseling and Psychology from Auburn as well. He completed a two-year post-doctoral internship at the University of Pennsylvania in cognitive therapy and is the only Founding Fellow in Cognitive Therapy in the state of Alabama.
Ministerial Background: Dixon served as Pastor at Camp Hill UMC, Rock Mills UMC, and Lineville First UMC. He has been Minister of Counseling at Canterbury since 1976. He also has been on the staff of the Carraway Hospital teaching faculty for 23 years.
Favorite Book: The Incomparable Christ by John Stott
Hobbies: Dixon enjoys fishing, hunting, Auburn football, and attending art shows with Carolyn, who is an award-winning wildlife artist.
Favorite Verse: Isaiah 40:31 “but they who wait for the lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Warren Nash
Family: Married to Valerie Nash; Three sons: Wilson (married to Callie Stone Nash), Graham, and Dixon
Areas of Ministry: Warren works closely with Canterbury's senior minister, Bill Morgan, in the overall institutional management of the church. He has specific responsibility for Canterbury's business affairs, directing the financial, property, personnel management, and legal issues of the church. He works directly with the Church Council, Finance Team, Trustees, Staff Parish, and the Canterbury Foundation.
Educational Background: Warren attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis and holds a B.S. in Banking and Finance from Mississippi State. Graduate degrees include an M.B.A. from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and a Masters of Theological Studies from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. Warren has completed graduate studies at The Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Georgetown.
Ministerial Background: Warren is a “second-career” minister, entering the ministry after a 25-year career in banking which included running his own banking consulting firm. Warren joined Canterbury’s staff in 2001 and was ordained as a deacon in full-connection in 2008.
Hobbies: Warren is a private pilot and enjoys golf and scuba diving with his boys, as well as backpacking/high adventure trips with Canterbury’s Troop 63, where he serves as chaplain.
Leon Precise
Family: Married to Betsy; Two sons: John (married to Heather) and Scott (married to Jennifer). Four grandchildren: Hannah, Andrew, Leigh Ann, and Abby
Areas of Ministry:
• Minister to Older Adults
• oversees the Pastoral Care Log.
Educational Background: Leon received a BS from Birmingham-Southern College and his ME from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.
Ministerial Background: Leon joined Canterbury as soon as he graduated from seminary in 1969.
Hobbies: Leon enjoys working puzzles, playing with his grandchildren, watching sports of any kind, watching the Western channel on TV, reading, and going to the driving range with his grandson, Andrew.
Favorite Bible Verse: Micah 6:8 “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Mikah Hudson
Family: Mikah is married to Missie Doggett Hudson. They have one daughter, Emmalynne.
Areas of Ministy: Minister of Worship. In conjunction with Bill Morgan, Mikah provides leadership to the worship life of the congregation in both the traditional and contemporary worship services. He preaches regularly in those services and leads laity teams in discovering new ways of connecting to people in worship. Mikah also joins with the clergy in providing pastoral care and guidance to all who seek the ministry of the church. Mikah, along with other laity, provides leadership and support to Canterbury’s Stephen Ministry, and he enjoys teaching and leading small groups with specific concentration on Methodism, Worship and Sacraments.
Education Background: Mikah received a BA in History from Birmingham-Southern College and his Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology, Emory University.
Ministerial Background: In one way or another, I’ve known or felt my calling to the ministry since I was a child. After college I fully accepted that call and enrolled in seminary to prepare for the ministry. After a year of seminary I received my first appointment as a Student Local Pastor to Bethel United Methodist in Talladega, AL. In 2001, after graduating from seminary, I moved to Birmingham, married my wife and was appointed as the Associate Pastor to Saint Mark United Methodist in Vestavia. In June of 2005, I was appointed as an Associate Minister at Canterbury United Methodist. In my first year, I was the interim Minster of Youth.
Favorite Book: Anything by Barbara Brown Taylor
Hobbies: Enjoys bird hunting, fishing and golf.
Sam Williamson
Family: Married to Paula; one daughter, Samantha; stepdaughter, Stephanie Fehn; stepson, Mark Fehn, Jr.
Areas of Ministry:
• Minister and Director of The Carpenter's Hands (a home repair ministry to low income families in Jefferson County)
• Disaster Response Team Leader
• Preaching, Teaching, Pastoral Care
Educational Background: Sam graduated from Birmingham-Southern College and received his Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.
Ministerial Background: Prior to coming to Canterbury in 1995, Sam served at Anniston First UMC and Birmingham First UMC.
Hobbies: Sam relaxes by spending time on the open road riding his motorcycle. He enjoys most anything in the great outdoors.
