A native of Amherst County, Virginia, Bill has served in pastoral leadership in a variety of ministry settings. A graduate of Randolph-Macon College with a B.A. in Religious Studies, he received his Master of Divinity degree from The Divinity School, Duke University, Durham, NC. He went on to receive his Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian Spiritual Formation from The Theological School at Drew University in Madison, NJ.
In 1986, Bill married Susan Blackman, a native of Charlottesville, Virginia and an alumna of The University of Virginia. Their two children are Anne and Rob, students in Chesterfield County Public Schools.
A former co-captain of the Randolph-Macon College football team, Bill still enjoys being active. Walking, biking, weight training and gardening are his current default activities. He reads within a wide array of topics, from ascetical theology to astrophysics to poetry and fiction by Wendell Berry and essays by Annie Dillard. He also is possessed of eclectic musical tastes, ranging from Gregorian chant to Andrea Bocelli to Pink Floyd and Alison Krauss to Aimee Mann to Linkin Park.
Bill’s favorite aspects of Christian ministry involve the intersection of worship and teaching with daily life. He regards the praise of God in corporate worship as foundational for and formative of communal and individual vitality and outreach. In proclaiming the word and administering the sacraments, he seeks to mine the riches of the Christian experience in which God is glorified and an environment of hospitality and beauty is provided for all. He also considers teaching to be the area in which struggles with and challenges to faith can be honestly aired and lovingly addressed.
Lauren comes to Bon Air United Methodist Church from Ada, Ohio, home of Ohio Northern University, by way of the University of Missouri, Columbia, and Candler School of Theology, Atlanta. She was commissioned as a Provisional Elder at the 2009 session of the Virginia Annual Conference in Norfolk.
Lauren says that her faith "is grounded in a loving, triune God who is essentially relational," and that she feels that she is called "to serve God by guiding and nurturing people as they seek and live in relation to God through Christ and the Holy Spirit." Believing that "the church is called to live out the gospel in community through worship, service and care for the marginalized and those in need," Lauren previously has spent time in Cape Town, South Africa. There she recruited and coordinated volunteers to work with the South Africa Education and Environment Project in daycare centers and tutoring programs. She also has worked on the summer staff of Appalachia Service Project where she helped to repair and remodel homes, and developed "a love of Appalachian folks, the mountains, and power tools."
In October 2009, Bon Air UMC welcomed autumn weather, pumpkins, and the new Director of Christian Education! Amanda Stallard joins us from sunny Florida, where she was raised and attended college at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. After graduating with Honors and a double major in Religion and Communications, Amanda moved to Durham, NC and pursued a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. There, she cultivated a passion for the Bible, church ministry, and college basketball.
While at Duke, Amanda was heavily influenced by the Gospel of Luke, and began to understand ministry as more than just activities that occur on Sunday mornings. For her, ministry is grounded in Christian love—a love that reaches out to the marginalized, the imprisoned, the oppressed, and the unseen. In an effort to combine her passions for children and for the marginalized, Amanda travelled with the Zimbabwe Orphan Endeavor (ZOE Ministry) to Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to provide hugs and medicine for children dying from HIV, and to provide hope and homes for children who were raising their siblings in the wake of their parents’ deaths.
Amanda has experience building children’s programming and small group studies for the local church and believes that education and discipleship are foundational to a thriving and growing faith. Amanda believes that the church was established to be a community where Christ’s love is to be taught and to be shared, within and outside the walls of any particular building.
Minister of Music/Organist, Kathy Toole received a B.M. at the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and an M. Div at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Kathy is actively involved in cooperative efforts with area musicians for events such as Youth Choir JAM, Kaleidoscope summer music camp for elementary age children and the AGO Children's Choir Festival. As church organist, she has performed recitals and special programs in various cities, including Washington's National Cathedral.
As Music Associate, Suzanne Krauss shares the responsibilities as organist and choir accompanist. Suzanne also leads the Carol Crusader Children's Choir and oversees the younger children's choirs - Cherubs and Toddlers.
Suzanne received her BA in Piano Performance from the University of California at Santa Barbara where she also studied organ with John Kuzma and James Welch. She holds an MA in Music Education from the University of California at Hayward. Suzanne has earned both the Service Playing and Colleague Exam Certificates from The American Guild of Organists and is fully licensed and certified as a Kindermusik Educator.
Suzanne, also a loving mother of two, shares an enthusiasm about music with her husband Marc, enjoys walking, family trips to the beach, parakeets and tropical fish.
Amy comes to us from Trinity UMC, Richmond, where she served as the Associate Director of Youth Ministries. While there, she was responsible for all aspects of the Middle School Ministry, including Sunday programs, mission trips, retreats, Bible studies, covenant groups, and confirmation programs. She also assisted the Director of Youth Ministry in overseeing and carrying out the missions and service aspects of the overall youth ministry. A graduate of HollinsUniversity, Amy worked with several non-profit organizations before entering youth ministry. She continues to volunteer in various ways in the community and is enrolled as a part-time student at Union Theological Seminary and PresbyterianSchool of Christian Education.
Larry Tingle is our Director of Outreach Ministries. Larry is a retired elder in the Virginia Conference. As Director of Mission and Outreach, he develops and directs our mission and outreach ministries, working closely with the Missions/Outreach Committee.
Tom Dunkum came on board August 1, 2008 as Minister of Visitation. He retired in June 2008 at Annual Conference and accepted the position here at Bon Air. He is delighted to be in ministry with the people of Bon Air UMC. His job description calls for 15 hours a week and is directed first of all to our homebound members, those who are temporarily homebound, and those who are hospitalized and recovering from stays in the hospital. However, if you desire a visit, please call the church office and let him know. He relates to the Congregational Care Committee.
Jeanne Jones - Director, Bon View School for Early Childhood Education
Jeanne marks 2009 as her 39th year as director of Bon View School, Bon Air UMC’s preschool ministry, which she co-founded in March 1971. The school has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children for 15 years.
Jeanne is a Richmond native and a graduate of Douglas Freeman High School, Marshall University and earned her M.Ed. Degree from VCU with a focus in early Childhood Education. Jeanne has served the ECE Community from local to national level. She served as President of P.A.C.E.D. (Preschool Association of Educational Directors), served on the Richmond Early Childhood Association Board as: President, 2nd Vice President, Recording Secretary, Member at Large, Accreditation Chair and Historian. She also served on the Virginia Association for Early Children Education Board as: Affiliate President, 3rd Vice President for Liaisons and Accreditation Chair. On the national level she served as NAEYC Validator and Mentor, Mentor for the Ecumenical Child Care Network and Success by Six Mentor. She has also been a Conference Presenter at P.A.C.E.D., VAECE and the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 2002 she was awarded the Early Childhood Advocate of the Year Award by the Richmond Early Childhood Association and has been listed in Who’s Who in American Education since 2005 and in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers in 2004-2005.
Jeanne has been a member of Bon Air UMC since 1965 and has served as Sunday School Teacher, Children’s Coordinator,Vacation Bible School Coordinator for 7 years, BAUMW Circle Leader and Vice President.
Marilynda M. Nease (Mur) - Pastoral Counselor
Mur is lay member of the United Methodist Church, a member of the American Counseling Association, and a pastoral trainee with the Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors. She is a member of Good Shepherd UMC and is a lay representative on the Richmond District Board of Ordained Ministries. Mur earned her B.A. in Psychology and Counseling from Columbia College in Columbia South Carolina and her M.S. in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. She spent a year as an intern for the Columbia Hospital's Hospice Program in Richmond, Virginia and in addition to Bon Air UMC, she offers counseling at Christ UMC. Specialty areas include individual and couple psychotherapy, pre marital and marriage counseling, grief and bereavement, depression and anxiety, sexuality and relational issues. Her orientation is existential and person-centered. She can be contacted by phone at 804-317-0420.
Mur often worships with different United Methodist Churches and with other faith traditions and offers her "Interpretive Signing" as a way to introduce herself and style of pastoral counseling. Mur's pro seminar paper for her Master's was entitled "Composing A Life Song" and she enjoys using music in her therapy when and where appropriate.
Kathy Blaska was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. Kathy joined the staff at Bon Air UMC in April 1998 and is responsible for church facilities, all financial records, and supervision of the administrative and custodial staff of Bon Air UMC. Her hobbies include reading, cooking and gardening.
Marilynda M. Nease (Mur) - Pastoral Counselor
Kathleen Blaska - Financial Business Administrator
