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STAFF

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TOM GOODELL

Lead Pastor

Pastor Tom Goodell has been a United Methodist pastor since 1989. During this time, he has served in small, rural and large, urban congregations. He has served in Cropsey and Strawn, Normal, Maryville, as campus minister at Eastern Illinois University, Washington, Pontiac and Vandalia.

Pastor Tom is rooted in John Wesley’s understanding of the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and a passionate response to the needs of the communities in which we live. He believes our faith is lived out through Jesus’ words in Matthew 25: 39-41. “When you cared for the needs of others, you have met me.”

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He is the recipient of the Harry Denman Award for Evangelism, in our Illinois Great Rivers Conference; the Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary Alumni Award, and numerous awards for citizenship in the communities where he has served.

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He has been married to his lovely wife, Sherry Goodell, since 1986 and is the father of two sons; Andrew and Nick, and one daughter-in-law Kyra. Tom and Sherry share their home in Washington, IL with their rescue kitty, Olivia Grace.

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ABBIE JOHNSON

Administrator

Abbie is a Washington resident who taught high school math for many years. She loves reading, crafting, being outside, and spending time with her family. We are all very grateful for her organization as we navigate our Messy Church.

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KATHRYN LONGFELLOW

Social Media Coordinator

Kathryn is our chronically online, world traveler, and formerly retired ESL Teacher turned content creator and librarian. With a background in English, and Gender and Diversity Studies, we're very excited to have her fresh perspective join our team.

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BILL ADAMS

Pastor Emeritus

Pastor Bill Adams (retired) is a lifelong United Methodist. Born and raised in Macomb Illinois. He was baptized at Wesley UMC in Macomb and later transferred his membership to First UMC of Champagin. It was from FUMC in Champaign that he began to follow his call into ministry. The first half of his ministry life was as a layperson. He is a second career pastor and began his professional career as a United Methodist pastor since 1997. He retired December 31, 2022.

During his 25-year career he has served in a two-point rural charge, suburban churches, and an urban congregations. At the conference level Bill has served as chair of the Conference Finance and Administrative committee, and as the chair of a District Committee on Ministry.

Having spent half his Christian life as a layperson, Bill believes strongly in the priesthood of all believers. His life scripture is Colossians 3:23-24. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Bill often says, you may like him but you will love his wife, Cindy. They have been married since 1980. They are the parents of three beautiful, intelligent and independent women, Emily, Ellen, and Erin. Their first grandson, Will, was born in 2023.

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REV. RUSS SMITH

Pastor Emeritus

Rev. Russ Smith was ordained in 1970 as a deacon and in 1975 as Elder of the Central Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church. He felt and answered a call to become a minister at age 15 while at Epworth Springs Camp. Russ grew up on a farm west of Springfield.  He began preaching in his junior year of college in 1967 in small churches near Mt. Vernon while attending McKendree College. He graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Mo. He served First Federated Church of Clayton, Il, as Directing Pastor of the Pioneer Larger Parish in Jacksonville, Quincy Union UMC, Monticello UMC, Danville St. James UMC, and retired in 2011 from Wesley UMC in Macomb for a total of 44 years.

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Russ led 8 pilgrimages to Israel, Jordan and Egypt over the years and spent several extended study periods in Israel.  From these trips he developed a proficiency in relating the Bible to the archaeology and geography that shaped the peoples of the Bible. He enjoyed-in depth courses on Old Testament at Oxford University one summer. He led numerous mission trips, mostly with youth, and directed or counseled at church camps.  He participated in mission trips to Appalachia, Liberia, Mexico, and Cuba. He spent many years serving in the area of finance and administration of the annual conference.

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Russ and Karen have been married for 56 years and counting. Karen was an elementary school teacher for 6 years and later earned a MLS at the U of I. She was the librarian for a K-8 school before accepting a position at the Children’s Research Center at the U of I for 20 years. They have two children, Alisa Smith-Reetz and Robert Granville Smith, and six wonderfully amazing grandchildren. Russ and Karen love to travel in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, and the USA. His primary interests are in reading, travel, model railroading (half their basement is a HO scale railroad) and he is a trainmaster in the Illinois Valley Division of the National Model Railroad Assn.

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THE BRIDGE UMC - Washington IL

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