12 New Members Join

We welcomed 12 new members on October 15th!

Check out their photos and read  a little about them below, and then introduce yourself the next time you see them at church. These new members come from a variety of religious backgrounds and states/countries, reminding us of the diversity we celebrate at Ft. Myers UCC!

• Bill Adams and Linda Wightman are engaged and will be married in the near future! Bill hails from Indiana and is retired. He feels at home at Ft. Myers UCC. Linda, also retired, has a rich religious background that includes Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist church affiliations. She is transferring her membership from Faith UMC.  (Neighborhood 2)
• Rich Decker and Bill Taylor were married on November 14th, 2016. Rich is a project manager and has attended both Baptist and Methodist churches in the past. Bill is a mental health therapist with Salus Care and attended a Nazarene church in the past. He also attended seminary and became a pastor. (Neighborhood 17)
• Cindy Gill is retired from the U.S. Navy. She chose our church because she knew Jack Wert, who was her math teacher for several years. Jack is feeling old now! (Neighborhood 12)
• Dee Harsh started attending our church with her friend Cindy Gill. Though she grew up in the Baptist church in South Carolina, Ft. Myers UCC feels like “home”. (Neighborhood 11/13)
• Randee Hudson (not pictured above) is a retired school librarian who has lived in Wisconsin and South Dakota. Randee attended Lutheran, Congregational and UCC churches in the past and is happy we accept people wherever they are on their “journey”. (Neighborhood 15)
• Cliff and Evelyn Lawrence have a passion for social justice. Cliff is from the Northeast and is now retired, but has served as a pastor at several UCC “joined” churches. Evelyn is from Germany and has lived in Pennsylvania where she attended a Lutheran church. She had not planned on remarrying after the death of her previous husband, but then she met Cliff! (Neighborhood 18)
• Eileen Oglesby has attended Catholic churches all over the world, most recently at John Paul XXIII. She is the mother of Katie Vasquez and doting grandmother to Dimitri and Jesse. (Neighborhood 17)
• Lynn VanLeaven has lived in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and transfers her membership from  Calvary UCC in Twin Lakes, WI. Lynn is retired from the military, allowing her to pursue her interest in social justice and outreach. (Neighborhood 7/9)
• Katie Vasquez is the proud, stay-at-home mother of two adorable little boys – Dimitri and Jesse. Though raised Catholic, Katie likes our “open and affirming” congregation because she feels so welcome here. (Neighborhood 17)