Pastors & Staff

Dr. Gary Spencer, Senior Pastor: x107
The Reverend Doctor Gary Spencer has been the Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church Orlando since June 2003. Gary's gifts and graces uniquely qualify him for being the leader of a major church in a growing downtown community. Gary is a native of Florida, growing up in the West Palm Beach area. During his high school days, he was an avid athlete, playing both football and basketball. He continues his interest in sports by playing golf. Feeling a call by God into full time ministry, Gary attended Florida Southern College where he majored in Religion. After graduation from Florida Southern, he earned his Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. Gary was awarded his Doctorate of Ministry from Princeton Seminary, Princeton University in 1996. It was while attending Candler School of Theology that he met his wife, Judy, to whom he has been married for 25 years. Judy and Gary have two adult children, Kirby and Katie.

Gary has ably served several churches in Florida, including his most recent appointment as Senior Pastor of Suntree United Methodist Church in Melbourne, where he led a successful building campaign to enlarge and enhance the campus of Suntree UMC to better serve the needs of a growing congregation. While at Suntree, Dr. Spencer's preaching, teaching, and leadership skills resulted in an average growth of about 200 new members yearly. Dr. Spencer has a burning desire to "win people to Christ" and to "grow disciples for Christ by encouraging people to identify and use their God-given spiritual gifts for God's Kingdom here on earth." Gary also has a burden to reach out to the poor and needy in our community, and for FUMCO to share the Love of Christ with those outside the church.
You can email Gary at: gary@fumc-orl.org

Rev. Britt Gilmore, Associate Pastor: x122
Britt Gilmore came to First United Methodist Church of Orlando as our Associate Pastor in early July of 2005. Although Britt is new to FUMCO, he is no stranger to the area. His family moved to the Orlando area in 1985, where they soon became involved at St. Luke's UMC in Windermere. Britt has already been an asset to our congregational family, and is helping coordinate our church's response for hurricane relief.

Britt received a Bachelors’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. He subsequently worked at Caterpillar in Illinois for a couple of years, helping design yellow tractors. During this time he felt God's call toward full-time ministry. It wasn't long before Britt was working with youth in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Britt's remarkable wife, Alison is from Ireland. They met in Belfast while serving the Lord in different areas of ministry; Britt was a Youth Worker at East Belfast Mission (a Methodist congregation), and Alison was a Staff Worker for a college ministry. Alison worked with student leaders on university campuses in Ireland for six years. They were married in August of 2003, and had their first child, Ellie, in November, 2004. Britt attended the seminary at Duke Divinity School and graduated in May, 2005.
You can email Britt at: britt@fumc-orl.org

Rev. Rodney Wallace, Senior Ministries Congregational Care: x123
Rev. Wallace is a true blessing for the members of First Church. He is always ready with a kidding smile and a compassionate heart. Rodney has been serving the community through FUMCO since June of 2002 as the Pastor of Senior Ministries and Congregational Care. Born and raised in Texas, Rodney is a retired Elder of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church and served 21 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Tucked in the middle of his service to the Methodist Church, Rodney spent several years as a middle school history teacher. He is diligently involved with the Stephen Ministry and makes regular visits to many of our church members throughout the community.

In 1966, Rodney received his Bachelor of Science from East Texas State University in Commerce, TX. Following this, he earned his Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX in 1969 and then his Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma in Normal, OK in 1978. Rodney has been married close to 40 years to his lovely wife Judy. Their children are Bret Wallace and Beth Burton. Rodney and Judy have two grandsons, Tyler Burton and Scott Wallace.
You can email Rodney at: rodney@fumc-orl.org

Richard “Dick” Smith Adminstrator x160
Richard joined the staff of First Church in September 2007 as our Church Administrator. Dick holds a BS degree in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University, and performed graduate work in business administration at Case Western Reserve University. He and his wife Carol reside in Orlando, Minneapolis and Chicago.

Dick has held numerous executive capaticities prior to joining the First Church staff including President of Technology Consulting Partners, Ltd. (TCP), Sr. Vice President and Chief Information Officer of LSG Sky Chefs, CIO officer and Senior Consultant at ANC Rental Corporation, Sr.Vice President and CIO at Grand Expeditions, Inc., Sr. Vice President, CIO and member of the Operating Committee at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Sr. Vice President and CIO at Holiday Inn Worldwide (and member of the Holiday Inn Board of Directors), Sr. Vice President of International Systems at Federal Express, Sr. Vice President and CIO for Flying Tiger Line, Vice President and CIO for the Irvine Company and Vice President and CIO at Carlson Companies and CIO Corporate Information Systems at the Toro Company. Dick has also held positions as Business Administrator at First United Methodist Church of Sarasota, as well as President of his home Owners Association in Orlando.
You can email Dick at dicksmith@fumc-orl.org.

Holly Eby, Children's Director: x142
Holly joined First United Methodist Church in 1984. She has been passionately involved in Children’s Ministries for 9 years, and has served as director for the past 3 years. She has been actively engaged in other capacities at the church including being a member of the Children’s Council (3 years as Chair) and as a member of the Administrative Board.

Holly has a BA degree from Rollins College in Communication Arts. She is a native of Orlando. She graduated from Boone High, where she met her husband, Kevin when she was 16 years old. Holly and Kevin have two children – Savannah, 14 and Randy, 12.
You can email Holly at: holly@fumc-orl.org

Steve Schneeberger, Youth Director Ministry Coordinator: x127
Youth Director Steve Schneeberger began his career in youth ministry twenty years ago in Lawrence, Kansas. Before moving to Orlando in 1994, he lived and worked in Clearwater for six years. Steve has been the Director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church for 13 years. He also is the founder and Director of the Youth Ministry Insitute

Steve received his BS Degree with a Business major from Baker University in 1985. In 1988 he received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas. Steve lives in Orlando with his wife Carol and their three children Hannah, Bobby, and Michael.
You can email Steve at: steve@fumc-orl.org