Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church

About Church Staff

 

Rev. Nixon

Rev. Nixon

Rev. Victor H. Nixon, senior pastor, was born in Lavaca, Arkansas, June 26,1940, the son of Harmon and Louise Rankin Nixon. He graduated from Lavaca High School in 1958, from Hendrix College with a B.A. in History and Political Science, 1962, and received a Master of Divinity degree with Honors from Perkins School of Theology, S.M.U., in 1967. He was selected as a Perkins Distinguished Alumnus in 1989.

Rev. Nixon is married to the former Frances (Freddie) Henley of McGehee, Arkansas. They have one daughter, Aubrey Nixon.

He was ordained deacon and received into Probationary Membership in the North Arkansas Conference of The United Methodist Church in 1965, and ordained elder and received into Full Membership in 1967.

Appointments served include the following: Associate Pastor, Central United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, 1967- 72; First United Methodist Church, Berryville, 1972- 75; Huntington Avenue United Methodist Church, Jonesboro, 1975-77; Associate Director, North Arkansas Conference Council on Ministries, 1977 -1979; Arkansas Area Director, Cooperative Parish Ministries, 1979-83; Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Batesville, 1983-87; Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Russellville, 1987 -92, Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, Little Rock, 1992-present.

He has served on a number of conference boards and agencies, including Board of Ordained Ministry, Committee on Nominations and Personnel, Worship, Interfaith Hunger Task Force, Little Rock Conference on Leadership in Ministry, and Board of Pensions. He was appointed in 1988 by Governor Bill Clinton to the Arkansas Juvenile Advisory Group which supervises programs for pre- adjudicatory juvenile delinquents. He is a member of the West Little Rock Rotary Club and currently serves on the Boards of Central Arkansas Red Cross and the Alzheimer’s Association.

He has taught courses in a number of Schools of Christian Mission, and served on the faculty of the Course of Study School at Perkins School of Theology, SMU, where he taught Old Testament interpretation. He has been a Field Supervisor for five Perkins Interns and served as a mentor in the Perkins Mentors Program.

He was a reserve delegate to the South Central Jurisdiction Conference in 1976, and a delegate to the World Methodist Conference, Nairobi, Kenya, in 1986. The summer of 1988 he participated in a study tour on “Peace, Development and Disarmament” in the Soviet Union and German Democratic Republic. He was elected as a delegate to the 1992 and 2000 South Central Jurisdiction Conference and as a reserve delegate to the 1992 and 2000 General Conference. In July 2001 he served at the 18th World Methodist Conference in England.

His hobbies include reading, writing, languages, jogging, hiking, fishing, bridge, photography, and travel.

 

Rev. Allen

Rev. Allen

Rev. Andrea Allen, associate pastor, joined PHUMC in 2008. Rev. Allen has served as director of pastoral care at Methodist Family Health and as associate pastor for contemporary worship at First UMC, Rowlett, Texas. She is a native Arkansan, a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and Brite Divinity School. Her husband, Zeke Allen, is student pastor of First UMC, Maumelle. They have two pre-school children: Zeb and Rosalie.

 

Dr. Hampton

Dr. Hampton

The Rev. Dr. Jeffery B. Hampton, associate pastor, is in charge of the broad areas of Caring Ministries and Missions at PHUMC. He is responsible for membership care for a congregation with more than 4,000 members.

Dr. Hampton is a graduate of Hall High School in Little Rock. He graduated cum laude with a BA in Sociology from Morris Brown College in Atlanta. He earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary at Memphis.

Dr. Hampton served as pastor at McCabe Chapel UMC in North Little Rock, Ebenezer UMC in Conway, Mt. Zion UMC in Center Ridge and Wesley UMC in Morrilton. He also served as adjunct professor of Philosophy and Religion at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Extension Campus – Shorter College in North Little Rock.

Dr. Hampton is a certified Disciple Bible Study instructor. He has completed studies in the areas of building covenantal relationships, small group finances, Shalom Leadership, Christian Believer Leadership and Stephen Ministry Leadership.

Dr. Hampton and his wife Cynthia Ann Puckett Hampton have two daughters, Joya and Cheyanne. He enjoys reading, gardening and family recreational activities.

Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Revelation 2:10c) is a scripture that guides Dr. Hampton’s ministry. He is committed to serving God through making disciples of Jesus Christ and advancing multicultural opportunities in the church, community and world.

 

Rev. Akins-Banman

Rev. Akins-Banman

Rev. Harriett Akins-Banman, associate pastor, serves as the minister of Christian formation, which covers the areas of adult Bible Study and Sunday School, older adult ministries, ChristCare and small group ministries, labyrinth ministry, retreat ministry and Forum Studies Series. A native of Bardstown, Kentucky she graduated from Western Kentucky University with a B.A. in broadcasting and theatre, 1985 and received her Masters of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, 1993. She is an ordained elder and a certified labyrinth facilitator, Disciple Bible Study instructor and ChristCare trainer. She has served congregations in Blackpool, England; Texas, Kansas and Ohio. She and her family moved to Little Rock in 2001 and became active participants at PHUMC. She joined the PHUMC staff in February 2005.

Rev. Harriett is married to Mike Banman; they have one daughter, Madison and they share their home with two orange tabbys, Murray and Casey. She enjoys reading, time with family and friends and travel. Walking the labyrinth as a form of prayer discipline is very important to her. She is passionate about sojourning with others as they seek and explore ways to grow in their Christian faith.

Rev. Harriett’s favorite book of the Bible is the Psalms, especially Psalm 146. A favorite passage that serve as a compass for her ministry is from Matthew 22:34-40, specifically verses 37-39, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” And a second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Her favorite hymns include “Be Thou My Vision” and the older version of the Doxology.

 

Rev. Lindsey

Rev. Lindsey

Rev. Lynn Wimberly Lindsey, PHUMC Foundation director and Columbarium Garden director, has been a church member since childhood. She attended Hendrix College and graduated cum laude from University of Arkansas at Fayetteville as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She joined the church in 1984 as director of Children’s Ministry and served nine years in that position before completing certification studies in Christian education and theology studies for diaconal ministry. She was consecrated as a diaconal minister in 1990 and ordained as deacon in 1997.
Rev. Lindsey has served in the areas of Christian education, family ministry, older adult ministry and assimilation. She helped establish Helping Hands Respite Care, Telephone Sunday School class, nine other adult classes and ChristCare small group ministry.

Rev. Lindsey is the daughter of the late Clay and Carrie Hansen. She is married to Wayne Lindsey, also an active member. They have five children and seven grandchildren – the joys of her life! Besides playing with grandchildren, her hobbies include reading and traveling.

Since 1965 and before becoming a staff member in 1984, Rev. Lindsey was an active volunteer as a children’s Sunday School teacher for more than 10 years, a member of the Commission on Education and chair of the Commission on Mission. She was instrumental in establishing Woodlawn Therapeutic Children’s Center and served as the first president of the WTCC board.

A scripture that defines the ministry of Rev. Lindsey is: Beloved, let us love one another because love is from God… since God loves us so much, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:7-11.

 

Jay Clark

Jay Clark

Jay Clark, youth minister, came to PHUMC from the Division on Ministries with Young People at the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, TN, where he was the director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development with youth for the United Methodist Church and the director of Youth 2007- the largest UM youth gathering that the UMC sponsors. Jay grew up in Walnut Ridge, AR and is a graduate of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

He has served as the director of Youth Ministries at FUMC Forrest City, Marvell, Huntington Avenue- Jonesboro, Walnut Ridge, Mountain Home and Benton. He has been involved as an adult and student in United Methodist district and conference activities since 1983. Jay has also traveled around the United States, leading games and doing workshops with young people. Outside of the local church, he also served on the staff of the New England Conference and as the young adult minister at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew UMC in New York City and represented the UMC at the campus ministry of Columbia University. He is also a reserve delegate from the Arkansas Conference to the South Central UM Jurisdictional Conference and directed the first ever Young People’s Address at General Conference in 2008.

Jay says: “I am a relational youth minister. To me, youth ministry is relational. Relational to me means: my relationship with youth individually and helping meet their needs and wants to grow spiritually and in their personal commitment to God through the teachings of Jesus Christ.”

Jay and his wife Karen have a son named Quin. Together, they enjoy travel and the theatre (onstage and as audience members).

 

Michael Ekbladh

Michael Ekbladh

Michael Ekbladh

 will serve as associate director of music, effective August 1, 2009. Michael is a life-long United Methodist from Dallas and has diverse experience and wide-range abilities in choral conducting, youth ministries, composition and teaching. 

Born in Dallas, Texas, Michael has served numerous churches in Dallas, Houston, Ft. Worth, and Illinois.  He holds a Masters in Music-Conducting from Texas Christian University, and has pursued a Masters in Sacred Music from Southern Methodist University.  Michael is currently working as a freelance composer and conductor from his home in Dallas and as Copyright and License Administrator for Choristers Guild.  He has served as conductor, clinician or instructor for the Texas Conference Choir Clinic, community colleges, music conferences and churches of all denominations.  Under Michael’s direction, his choirs have been invited to sing at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and the International Church Music Festival in Coventry, England.  Commissioned works have included large works, anthems, and instrumental music of various styles and genres.
 Michael has been a member of Choristers Guild, American Choral Directors Association, The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, and The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers as well as a composer with Moon of Hope Publishing and Lorenz Publishing for more than ten years.

 

Cindy Burns

Cindy Burns

Cindy Burns, director of Children’s Ministries, was born in 1955 in Newport , Arkansas, and grew up there. She attended Agnes Scott College and earned a BA, Psychology, 1977. At the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, she earned an M. Ed., Rehabilitation Counseling, 1982.

She worked at Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta as a rehabilitation counselor with individuals who sustained spinal cord injuries. She also worked at Easter Seals Arkansas in the Office of Development raising money.

Cindy has been married to Kevin Burns since 1977. They have 2 children, Randy and Annie, and one grandchild, Jayden. Her hobbies are family, friends, tennis. bridge, Mah Jongg, needlepoint, knitting, gardening, walking, having fun! Cindy’s ministry goal is for every member of our church family to get involved in an area they feel called to serve. As this happens, there is no limit to what can be done for others in the name of Christ. Exciting!

Kristie Finney, associate children’s director, graduated from Hall High School in Little Rock, and earned a B.A. in Microbiology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She also has graduate college credit hours toward a M.Ed. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Upon moving to Little Rock as a youth she met her high school sweet heart and future husband, Allen, while attending church and youth group activities at Grace Presbyterian Church here in Little Rock. Both she and her husband were active volunteers with the youth there as a newly married couple and continued their involvement with youth when they moved their membership to Highland Valley UMC. They have 2 children, Trey and Ashley.

Prior to coming on staff here at Pulaski Heights UMC, Kristie was employed in the area of Health and Science as a Microbiologist with UAMS and the Arkansas Department of Health. From there she left the science field and went to work as a Customer Service representative with Acxiom. In January of 2002 she joined the staff of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church as the associate director of Children’s Ministries. This position has met her desire to work with and to teach children. Her goal in ministry is to help children understand who they are and what it means to be a Child of God. One of her favorite scriptures would have to be Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ how strengthens me.”
 

Scharmel Roussel

Scharmel Roussel

Scharmel Roussel, communications director, graduated from Parkview High School in Little Rock, earned a B.A. in English from Hendrix College in Conway, and later earned a M.A. in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has previously worked in communications positions for the Little Rock School District, the North Little Rock School District, the Arkansas Department of Education, and the Westminster School District (a suburb of Denver, where her son was born). Her son J.P. is now a police officer in Conway. J.P.’s wife Mary is a speech pathologist and rehab director in Beebe.

Scharmel has completed the process for certification in “Digital Culture Ministry” from the Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship and Lumicon Digital Productions. She is certified to provide workshops online at www.beadisciple.com and enjoys finding the time to teach again. She taught a course on church communication in May 2008 and again in August 2008. She previously taught part-time at UALR in the 1990s.

Scharmel earned certification in Information Technology at UALR in 2009.

Scharmel likes to read and enjoys Bible studies and book studies; she has completed Disciple 2. She enjoyed Rev. Harriet’s “Spiritual Pilgrimage to France” in May 2007, when a group visited cathedrals and labyrinths. She later enjoyed a similar experience in September 2008 in Italy with other Pulaski Heights UMC members and guests. She particularly enjoyed visiting Assisi, where St. Francis lived, studied and worked. From Scharmel’s perspective, St. Francis was the original Eco-Christian – concerned about the animals, the environment and all of God’s creation.

Among her favorite scriptures is “Nothing can separate us from the love of God…” from Paul’s letter to the Romans. Her goal in ministry is to spread that message of God’s loving presence – through print, radio, television and the world wide web. As communications director at PHUMC since 1996, her purpose has been to increase awareness among church members and the public of worship services, events, activities, and opportunities for all in the United Methodist Church, particularly PHUMC.

Along with other staff members, Scharmel belongs to a gym and works out several times a week. She earned two bronze medals for Nastar amateur downhill racing at Aspen and Snowmass in 2004. She has skied at resorts all over Colorado, in New Mexico, in Montana, in Austria, in Germany and in Switzerland.

Scharmel is fond of her Chihuahua -Poco Pablo Picasso, whom everyone calls Pablo, who was born in May 2008. Pablo has participated in Children’s Sermons and the annual Blessing of the Animals.