The Staff of Northside United Methodist Church

Pastors

• Dr. G. Gil Watson
  Senior Pastor,
  ext. 1126
  

  Dr. G. Gil Watson has been Senior Pastor of Northside Church since 1994. An Atlanta native, he began his higher education at nearby Oglethorpe University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science, followed by a Master of Divinity from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. Gil was ordained an Elder in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1972. He and his wife Carol have three children and four grandchildren. Gil’s extracurricular activities demonstrate a passion for the history of the American South and also for storytelling. Many Atlantans over the years have seen him dress up as John Wesley to tell the history of Methodism or as Joel Chandler Harris to tell the old Uncle Remus folk tales.

• Dr. Jody Alderman
  Senior Associate Pastor,
  ext. 1112
  

  Dr. Jody Alderman came to Northside in 2010, and has been an ordained Elder in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church since 1985. The son of a Methodist minister, Jody lists his hometown as, simply, the North Georgia Conference. He and his wife Debye (originally from Conyers, Georgia) have three grown children. Jody began his education at Emory University, with a B.A. from Emory College and a Master of Divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology. He then earned a Doctor of Ministry degree at Chicago’s McCormick Theological Seminary. Jody has a special interest in health and fitness activities like running and hiking, and he has started the Northside Outside ministry here at Northside Church.

Pastor's Assistants

• Ellen Griewahn
  Executive Assistant to Senior Pastor
  ext. 1123
  
• Stacey Connell
  Executive Assistant to Senior Associate Pastor & Adult Ministries
  ext. 1128
  
• Gayle Boland
  Administrative Assistant to Pastoral Care & Lay Academy Ministries
  ext. 1181
  

Directors

• Ernest Coleman
  Executive Director, Administration
  ext. 1121
  

  Ernest Coleman has been a member of Northside since 2000, and first joined the staff in 2006 as a part-time member of the Missions ministry. Ernest’s hometown is Athens, and he now has one grown daughter. He attended college at the University of Georgia, earning a B.A. in Accounting & Business Administration.

• Anne Parr
  Director, Adult Ministry
  ext. 1127
  

  Anne Parr, a native of Gainesville, Georgia, came to Northside Church in 1990. With a Bachelor of Music degree from Wesleyan College, Anne is a longtime member of the Chancel Choir in addition to her job as Director of Adult Ministries. Writes Anne, “God called me to church-related ministry when I was a teenager. After college and when my children were young, this took the form of active lay participation in my local church. The experience I gained over the years—along with the discovery of my spiritual gifts—provided me with the tools I needed to accept a call to serve in a church staff position.” Anne has three sons and ten grandchildren, and spends her leisure time enjoying yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, crafts, and Sudoku.

• Jacquelyn Williams
  Director, Catering
  ext. 1131
  

  Jacquelyn Williams has been a member of the Northside staff since 2001. She and her husband Rodney have one daughter (Deneen, also a member of Northside’s Kitchen staff), with one grandchild and another on the way. In December 2011, Jacquelyn will complete an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts at the Art Institute of Atlanta. She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Jackie wants Northside members to know, if they hear strange sounds coming out of the Kitchen, that she loves to sing but can’t!

• Rev. Catherine Boothe
  Minister & Director, Children & Disabilities
  ext. 1170
  

  Rev. Catherine Boothe has been on staff at Northside Church since 2006, and was ordained a Deacon in the North Georgia Conference in 2010. She earned two associate’s degrees at Young Harris College before getting a B.S. in Education at Valdosta State University and a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Catherine was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, but grew up in Evans, Georgia. Her outside activities include Friends of L’Arche Atlanta (committee member), BreakThru House (volunteer); Interfaith Disability Network (board member); as well as her book club and yoga classes. Catherine also has a cat, Atticus, who was found and rescued in the Northside Church building.

• Chuck Bell
  Director, Contemporary Worship
  ext. 1114
  

  Chuck Bell has served at various churches in Worship and Music ministries since 1988, and has worked at Northside Church since 2004. He is also serving as the House Band Director and a worship planning team member for the United Methodist Church’s 2012 General Conference. Chuck, a native of Conyers, Georgia, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, and he and his wife Kim have two daughters. In addition to Chuck’s ministry activities, he has also played organ/keyboard for the Atlanta Thrashers hockey team since 2001.

• Jason Clay
  Creative Director, Creative Services
  ext. 1193
  

  coming soon...

• David Buice
  Director, Drama
  ext.
  

  Drama Ministry Director David Buice is also Performing Artist in Residence at Oglethorpe University. Living in Atlanta since 1982, his years in Atlanta have found him working in various professional theater capacities. He has been associated with The Academy Theatre, The Southern Theater Conspiracy, Theatre Emory, The Theatrical Outfit, The Performance Gallery, The Alliance Theater, TheatreWorks and the Drama Ministry of Oak Grove United Methodist Church. At Oak Grove Church, he produced and directed numerous theater pieces for a wide variety of age groups, including Oliver!, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, God’s Favorite by Neil Simon, Arsenic and Old Lace, The King and I, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Greater Tuna, The Sound of Music, Angels by Phillip Depoy, A Tuna Christmas, Annie Get Your Gun, Steel Magnolias, Animal Crackers and Harvey.

• Tim Miltner
  Director, Facilities
  ext. 1164
  

  Tim Miltner has been a Northside Church member since 1990 and came on staff in 1997 as the Director of Maintenance. He came to Northside with the thought “that I can help “fix” things. Now years later, I see that the Lord brought me to Northside so that he could “fix” me!” Tim received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgia State University and is a member of the Church Facility Manager Association. He married his sweetheart Libby in 1990 and is blessed with two boys—Alex, who is at Georgia Tech and Luke, who attends Whitefield Academy. Tim enjoys most anything outdoors from Scouting, Fishing, Sporting Clays Shooting, and riding motorcycles. He coached baseball for years and now is just a baseball, soccer and football parent. He has been known to take on most any project and enjoys working with his mind and hands on items that produce tangible results!

• Amy Walker
  Director, Lay Academy
  ext. 1149
  

  Amy became a member of Northside in 2001 and joined the staff in 2005. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia and a Master of Divinity from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Amy’s hometown is Marietta, and she loves having her entire immediate family in metro Atlanta. When not teaching at Northside, a job that she loves, Amy enjoys photography and travel.

• Michael Moffitt
  Director, Music Ministries
  ext. 1130
  

  Mike Moffitt has been a member of Northside’s staff since 1986. He and his wife Nancy (a longtime soloist in the Chancel Choir) have three grown sons and one grandchild. Mike grew up in Dalton, Georgia, the son of a high school music teacher. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University. When not at Northside, Mike indulges his love of fly-fishing.

• Dr. Ann Brightwell McCord
  Minister, Pastoral Care
  ext. 1171
  

  Dr. Ann Brightwell McCord, a native of Valdosta, Georgia, has been a minister at Northside since 2008. Now retired from the North Georgia Conference, she was ordained a Deacon in the United Methodist Church in 1997. Her educational background includes a B.A. in music and drama from Valdosta State University, a Master of Divinity from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and a Doctorate in Ministry from Atlanta’s Columbia Theological Seminary. Ann and her husband Hank (a native Atlantan) have three children and six grandchildren. Describing her work at Northside, Ann writes, "My ministry is focused on many aspects of Pastoral Care. I have the opportunity to stay in touch with our Home Bound members through phone calls, visits, cards, newsletters, CDs of worship services and Home Bound Communion. I am blessed to work with many volunteers through our Sunday Servants, teaching, Counseling, Flower Delivery, Pastor on Call and Communion ministries."

• Allen Morrison
  Technical Director, Production
  ext. 1001
  

  Allen Morrison, an Atlanta native, has been part of the Northside staff since 2009. He has a B.S. degree in Science, Technology & Culture from Georgia Tech. Among Allen’s goals at Northside is to “make the encounter of worship a meaningful and potentially perspective-changing environment.” When not working, he enjoys being husband to Whitney and father to their young daughter, hiking and backpacking, drinking coffee (“only the good stuff!”), and “learning about our Creator and His desire for Relationship with me.”

• Kelley Stonis
  Director, Sports & Recreation Ministries
  ext. 1122
  

  Kelley Stonis was born and raised in Atlanta, just a few miles from our church. She joined the Northside staff in 1999, and became a church member in 2009. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Child Development and played four years of Division I-AA soccer. She and her husband, Kyle, have two young daughters and three dogs. Kelley enjoys playing and coaching sports, running, photography, and spending time with family and friends.

• Rand Eberhard
  Director, Student Ministries
  ext. 1184
  

  Coming soon...

• Sue Allen
  Director, Women's Ministry
  ext. 1188
  

  Sue Allen came to Northside in 2006 as Discipleship Coordinator in the Children’s Ministry; she has served as the Director of Women’s Ministry since 2008. Sue grew up in Berea, Ohio, before earning a B.A. in Psychology from the College of Wooster. She also has received an M.A. in Human Development & Family Relations and training as a Marriage & Family Therapist from the University of Connecticut. Sue and her husband Steve (Chaplain at The Lovett School) live with their four children and a small menagerie of pets. Sue loves leading Bible studies, journaling, writing devotionals, and spending time with family and friends.

• Todd Baker
  Director, Young Adult Ministry
  ext. 1148
  

  Todd Baker, a member of Northside Church since 1999, joined the staff in 2005. He and his wife Meredith (a member of the Music Ministry staff) are proud parents to their dog Sammy. Todd grew up in Lilburn, Georgia, before earning a B.S. in Microbiology & Cellular Biology at the University of Georgia. He later attended Dallas Theological Seminary, gaining a Master of Theology degree. Todd enjoys playing numerous sports, leading worship, and rooting for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Administration

• Trisha Kirsch
  Administration Assistant/Office Staff
  ext. 1100
  
• Carolyn Scott
  Financial Manager
  ext. 1146
  
• Debbie Jett
  Financial Assistant - Accounts Payable
  ext. 1125
  
• Nick Houston
  Financial Assistant
  ext. 1132
  
• Randy White
  I.T. Coordinator
  ext. 1124
  
• Leslie Bell
  Membership/Administrative
  ext. 1172
  
• Margaret Sale
  Receptionist
  ext. 1002