The staff at "Wesley Mem"
Rev. Ed Winkler
Pastor
Ed was born in Mississippi, grew up in Oklahoma, and has lived almost
all of his adult life in Virginia. He is a graduate of Wesley
Theological Seminary. Since graduation, he has served churches in
Arlington and Strasburg in the Shenandoah Valley. Before entering the
ministry, he worked for the Federal Government for 25 years, mostly in
community development programs.
In his free time, Ed likes to read, hike, travel, and watch sports, He loves music, especially jazz, classical, and classic rock.
Ed's partner in his ministry is his wife, Nina.
Renita
Sheesley-Banks,
Minister of Music and Christian Education
Renita graduated from Taylor University with an BA degree in vocal performance and has taught voice lessons for the past 40 years. She earned a Masters of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and has since served as youth minister, children's choir director, preschool teacher, minister of Christian Education and summer pastor in United Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches.
Renita and her husband Reed have lived in
Charlottesville for 34 years and have two adult children and one lively
West Highland terrier.
Rev. Rochelle
"Rocky" Shoemaker
Assistant Pastor for Care Ministries
Rocky worked for 18 years in
special education before graduating from Wesley Theological Seminary and
The Institute of Pastoral Psychotherapy. She was ordained an Elder in
the United Methodist Church in 2000.
She is trained and endorsed as a
Pastoral Counselor for the past 15 years.
Rocky and her husband Jerry have three sons and three grandchildren.
Norman Allen,
Organist
Norman Allen is a graduate of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ, and served as Minister of Music in Topeka, KS, Wilmington, NC, and Roanoke, VA, before coming to First United Methodist in Charlottesville, where he served from 1962-1994. After retiring, he served as organist at Crozet Baptist and Aldersgate United Methodist before coming to Wesley Memorial in 2004.
Norman and his wife Florence have two daughters
and four grandchildren.
Bill
Rowland,
Administrative Assistant
Bill Rowland has been the secretary at Wesley Memorial since February of 2006. He was born in Bay Village, Ohio, a western suburb of Cleveland, and was educated at Bucknell University and the University of Virginia.
He lives in the Fry's Spring neighborhood of Charlottesville with his wife Pamela Meyers, also of Bay Village, and two sons, Micah Meyers and Liam Rowland.