I am very excited about serving Spirit Song. When I was a teenage girl a friend of mine loved her church so much that she wanted to share it with her friends. She invited me to her church, Trinity Heights UMC in Flagstaff, which was a new church start meeting in a school gymnasium. The people were very welcoming and they included me in this extended family. It is through the people of that church that I came to know and love Jesus.

As you can imagine, that experience gives me a heart for new church starts. It is exciting that I have an opportunity to serve Spirit Song, a church that has been, and continues, to welcome new people who discover fellowship in this church family and have the opportunity to grow to know, love and serve Jesus.

I am blessed to be married to John Fairchild who is also a United Methodist pastor. We have two grown children who are both married to wonderful spouses.

Our son Richard and wife, Janel, live here in the valley. Richard is a high school teacher of English and theater at Arcadia HS and Janel is a counselor with Breathe Again Counseling. They have blessed us with our first grandchild, little Shannon Marie.

Our daughter Jeannette and husband, Ben, live in Fairbanks, Alaska where Jeannette just transitioned from active duty with the army as an OBGYN nurse to reserves. She is teaching health sciences and nursing at a local high school where husband Ben teaches media and technology.

I was a teacher in my first career teaching special education, emotionally handicapped, learning disabled, and elementary classroom. God interrupted that career with a wonderful call to ministry.

I attended Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena before my first appointment at Tempe First UMC. I find great joy in being a pastor and having daily opportunities to share the love of Jesus.

If you would like to be a part of a friendly, community oriented church with a warm casual environment with people who are interested in serving in their communities as a means of spreading the love of Christ, then this church is for you. Come and join us in making a difference.