Pastor Wayne Mims
Rev. Dr. Wayne D. Mims is currently the pastor of Shiloh United Methodist Church in Lovejoy, Georgia. Reverend Mim is a native of Cleveland, Mississippi. He matriculated to Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where he received his B.S. degree in Biology in 1990. In December of 1990, Rev. Mims graduated from the Mike Monterey School of Air Traffic Control in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and has been an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration since 1988 through a cooperative education program that the federal government had with many predominantly black institutions.
Rev. Mims accepted the call to ministry in October of 2003 and enrolled in seminary in December for the spring of 2004. Rev. Mims received his Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center, Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia with a concentration of Psychology of Religion and Pastoral Care & Counseling in the spring of 2008. He earned his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Northwestern Theological Seminary in Port Richey, Florida in 2010.
Rev. Mims is the former Young Adult Minister at the Andrews Chapel United Methodist Church in Jonesboro, Georgia, where he also served as associate lay leader for Age Level & Family Ministry and Rev. Mims is the former pastor of the Hosanna United Methodist Church in Griffin, Georgia. He is married to Karese Burton-Mims of Birmingham, Alabama. They are blessed to have 3 wonderful daughters; Brittany 26, Kayla 16 and Brandy 14.
Rev Gail Ortega – Minister of Christian Education
Reverend Ortega is a native Floridian with deep ancestral roots in southern Georgia. Ortega found his social justice calling after the assassination of the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King, Jr when he began to assist fellow Lydick Lake Civilian Conservation Job Corps (just outside Bemidji Minnesota) members in learning how to read. That experience was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to social justice and service. After 35 years of service in the San Francisco Bay area, Gail returned to the south where he and his wife Bridgett have a home in Hampton, Georgia.
Reverend Ortega is a graduate of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill Valley, Californi. He has attended and worked at such prestigious institutions as Menlo College, Atherton, California, and University of Utah. He has participated in several lengthy research projects including the East Palo Alto Violence Prevention Strategic Work Plan; A Blue Print for The Beloved Community: A Strategic Plan to Mobilize Community Stakeholders and the California Corporation for Community Services to Address Student of Color Underachievement In the Sequoia Union High School District; The African American Studies Research Project, University of Utah; and Bridging the Gap: A Comparative Analysis of Perceptions of African American Students’ Academic Performance in the East Side Union High School District in San Jose, California.
In addition to his service at Shiloh Reverend Ortega is a Poet and author with a recently published book of poems, We Scare Ourselves. He is a volunteer chess instructor at the South Clayton Rec Center and Dutchtown Elementary School.
Harriett Holley – President Women of Shiloh
Harriet was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. She attended North Carolina A & T State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and her husband John. Harriett matriculated through the Master’s program in Human Resource Management at Golden Gate University. As a military wife, Harriett moved 18 times in 30 years. (It’s a good thing traveling is one of her hobbies). She has 6 states and 2 continents left on her bucket list. She retired from her job at HQ Forces Command as an early childhood education program specialist and was rehired the same day as a flex employee by HQ, Department of the Army as a member of the Center of Excellence team for Child, Youth and School Services. Harriett has been a Kiwanian since 1999. As a Distinguished Lt. Governor of Division 16, she chartered the Decatur Club with 42 members. She has been Kiwanian of the year, Metro Atlanta Kiwanis Club Secretary, and currently the GA. District Builders Club Administrator. Harriett’s Christian life has remained consistent since the family settled in Georgia and currently is a member of the Shiloh United Methodist Church in Lovejoy where she is on the Staff Parish Relations committee, Nominations and Leadership Development committee, Children’s Ministry and President of the Women of Shiloh.
Dr. Bridgett Ortega - Youth Ministry Coordinator
Dr. Bridgett E. Ortega is the Assistant Dean of Experiential Learning at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School and a Sr. Consultant for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals In addition to her responsibilities as Youth Coordinator at Shiloh. She is a lawyer and has spent over 30 years working for criminal and juvenile justice reform. She is a National Trainer on subjects dealing with Juvenile and Adult Drug Courts, Domestic Violence, Equity and Inclusion, Improving Outcomes for Children of the Incarcerated and all things Juvenile Justice. Bridgett was formerly Deputy Director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Reclaiming Futures Initiative, a juvenile justice reform initiative aimed at creating strategies for intervening in the lives of young people with substance abuse and other issues that bring them into the justice system. Bridgett was featured in the ABC Nightline “Kids in Court” series and the Frontline Juvenile Justice documentary.
Larry G. Gordon
Larry is a native of Nashville, Tennessee who left after several years of college and joined the military.
He is currently retired and works diligently with several ministries at Shiloh UMC, and is a member of the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of Kiwanis, and a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
During military service, Larry held various progressively responsible positions in the areas of Training, Personnel Management, Equal Opportunity, and Advisor to major commands while serving in Korea, Germany, Atlanta, Maryland, Indiana, and Ohio and received numerous awards to include Meritorious Service Medals (2), Army Commendation Medals (2), and other achievement and service medals.
Larry achieved the rank of Sergeant Major after serving 23 years of service.
From 2001 – 2004, Larry served as Chairman of the Guide Right Program which received
Regional and National Level prominence and recognized as the Best Program of the Year for two consecutive years. The program:
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Increased the number of young men matriculating to The Piney Woods Enrichment Academy in Mississippi and completing high school.
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Raised the academic status of young men, followed by an increasing number of young men attending college after high school.
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Fostered improved relationships with students and parents.
Deborah Celeste Maddox-Turman
Rev. Deborah C. M. Turman is a full connection elder of the United Methodist Church commissioned in 1999 and ordained in 2000. She has served as an Associate Pastor at Ben Hill UMC in Outreach and Social Concerns as well as in Pastoral Care. Previously, she had served as a Diaconal Minister with a certification in Christian Education in the North Georgia Conference working throughout the church and community, and, with the United Methodist Publishing House through Cokesbury Bookstore prior to commissioning and ordination. Rev. Turman holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Paul Quinn College in Waco, Texas, Master of Religious Education and Master of Divinity degrees from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA, and most recently a doctoral degree as an Education Specialist from Northcentral University with offices in Scottsdale, AZ and San Diego, CA. Currently she serves as Associate Pastor of Pastoral Care, Outreach, Missions and Social Concerns at Shiloh UMC in Lovejoy, GA under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Wayne D. Mims who is the pastor.
Rev. Turman has been married to Smalley Washington Turman, Jr. for 35 years. They have three adult children and two granddaughters. She and her husband reside in Fayetteville, GA.