Stephen attended Rappahannock Community College in Glenns, VA and then transferred to James Madison University where he received a B/A degree in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Religion.  He then attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, where he received a Master of Divinity Degree.  Stephen became a Deacon, (they no longer use this term) in 1987 and took his first appointment in 1988.  While in seminary, he served as the youth minister for Louisburg UMC in Louisburg, NC. He has served the Buchanan Charge – 6 years, Gogginsville – 2 years, Shenandoah Charge – 19 years, Bridgewater – 4 years and has served at Manor Memorial UMC since July, 2020.

Stephen is one of fifteen siblings born to Kirkman and Edna Creech, both who died in 1993. He married Debbie in 1999 and together they have 3 children; Shaun, Ashley (Mike) and Timothy (Amanda).  They have 6 grandchildren; Bella, Tucker, Caroline, Granger, Elorie and Cecilia.

I have been working at Manor as Administrative Assistant since 2016. I feel blessed for I love working at Manor! It is a joy to engage with church members as well as those that contact us for help and information.

I am a retired high school math teacher. I love decorating, music and singing. My greatest joy is spending time with my two daughters, Amber and Melody, and their families.

I found New Market when my family and I stopped here on a family vacation, which was about 2006. I continued visiting in the area and soon decided that I would move here, from NC, after I retired from teaching. I moved to New Market in 2014. The mountains and history are what have drawn me to this beautiful area. I have been richly blessed with attending MMUMC and meeting my best friends that are in my Covenant group.

Church has always been a huge part of Gillian’s life as she has participated in VBS, youth groups, and many other church activities. This is what she recently said about her sixth birthday, “On my sixth birthday, after attending my church’s VBS, I decided to start organizing food drives for my local food bank. We learned about giving up earthly possessions and helping our community. That year I asked for canned food donations, rather than birthday presents from friends and family members.”

Gillian is excited about serving as our Director of Youth Ministries here at Manor Memorial United Methodist Church.

Rachel Tan graduated from James Madison University in 2024 with a degree in Music and a concentration in Violin Performance.    She has been involved in providing church music since she was very young. At her home church, Christ Church Episcopal in Richmond, Rachel grew up singing in the choirs and playing violin for special services.

During her 4 years as a JMU student, she played piano and sang for Canterbury Episcopal Campus Ministries. She has            performed for a variety of churches in the Shenandoah area, including Asbury UMC and Otterbein UMC, as well as with        orchestras including the Rockbridge Symphony and Charlottesville Symphony. Rachel has also performed programs              combining her passions for violin, piano, voice, and guitar at retirement homes including Sunnyside Communities                              and The Phoenix.

Gillian Saunders recently graduated from James Madison University, where she studied media, arts and design, and music industry. She took a special interest in conducting at JMU and had the pleasure of assisting in conducting JMU’s UCSA choir in Spring 2024.

Gillian is the recipient of the 2019 Youth Philanthropist Award and the 2023 Entrepreneurial Arts Scholarship from Valley Business Keynote.

She is very excited to be extending her stay in the valley and conducting again!

Bob Schmidt has been the bookkeeper at Manor Memorial since 2013. He and his wife Linda were both born in New York City.Their families migrated to the New York suburbs. They left New York in 1980 and moved to Vermont.They have two daughters, Debra and Robin. Bob was a certified public accountant until he retired in 2010 and moved to Virginia. Bob and Linda live in Woodstock.