Senior Pastor
Rev. John Hill
Rev. John Hill was born and raised in Ashland, Kentucky. He grew up a United Methodist and as a youth was highly involved in the local church, district, and conference youth ministries. While working at Aldersgate Camp in Kentucky during summers in college, he felt God’s call to vocational ministry. He earned his B.A. in Religion with minors in Philosophy and Leadership Studies from the University of Richmond in Virginia. He then attended Emory University and earned his M.Div. from the Candler School of Theology. Prior to coming to Blakemore, John has served as a youth minister at Northside UMC in Atlanta, associate pastor at Christ UMC in Louisville, pastor at Bethpage UMC in Sumner County, and associate pastor at Christ UMC in Franklin. He has two children, Becca (9) and James (5). He is a true blue Kentucky basketball fan, loves strategy games and science fiction, and enjoys traveling and trying new things.
Music Director
Matthew Pyles
Matthew graduated summa cum laude from Middle Tennessee State University where he received his vocal/general music education degree with honors and was recognized with an Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music Education award. While at MTSU he was the chapter president of ACDA and sang in their top choirs. He currently directs the middle school choirs, conducts the school musical and provides private lessons at Harpeth Hall in Nashville. He is also a freelance musician in the greater Nashville area.
Youth Coordinator
Julia Crone
Julia grew up in Columbus, Ohio, with her parents, two older sisters, and dogs. She is currently a Christian Leadership major at Belmont University, where she is also a sister of Alpha Gamma Delta and a student leader for InterVarsity, a Christian outreach ministry to the Greek community. She spent the past summer as an intern at Riverside United Methodist Church in Upper Arlington, Ohio, and joined our staff in the Fall of 2015. In her free time, she enjoys drinking coffee, reading Narnia books, and making crafts. Julia is currently studying abroad in Scotland but will rejoin us in the summer of 2017.
Children’s Ministry Coordinator
Erin Floyd
Erin Floyd holds a B.A. in Religious Education from Oklahoma City University, and is pursuing an M.A. of Christian Education from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Before coming to Blakemore UMC, Erin worked for eight years in the local church, serving as the Director of Children’s Ministries and as the Director of Educational Ministries at St. Stephen’s UMC in Norman, Oklahoma. Erin is now the writer and editor of the Deep Blue Middle Elementary resources at The United Methodist Publishing House. Erin is passionate about child and faith development and is looking forward to being a part of the staff at Blakemore. In her free time, she enjoys journaling, taking walks, volunteering, and trying new coffee shops.
Pastoral Intern
Nate Partee
Nate grew up in Brentwood, TN with Nashville in his backyard. With the love and guidance of his Youth Ministers, Nate developed a love for God and knowledge, specifically how to use that knowledge in his journey with others. In 2013, he graduated from The College of Wooster with a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Philosophy. After graduating, he worked at several churches as Youth Minister, often taking the dual roles with College and Outreach positions. At his last position at Trinity UMC in Murfreesboro, Nate felt God’s call to go into ordained ministry. As a result, Nate is currently getting his Masters of Divinity at Vanderbilt Divinity School and is a Certified Candidate of the United Methodist Church with the goal of becoming an Elder. His adventures in learning include objective morality, existentialism, neuroscience, and social psychology. With his ample free time, he enjoys sarcasm, video games, board games, and is learning to play the piano.
Music Intern
Sarah Bronchetti
Sarah Bronchetti is currently a junior at Vanderbilt University majoring in Voice Performance and Choral/General Music Education. She is originally from Dallas, TX, where she started playing piano at age 7, and singing in choirs at 10 years old. At Vanderbilt, she’s involved in Sigma Alpha Iota, a women’s music fraternity, the Blair Children’s Chorus, and a music outreach group called Harmonies for the Elderly. When she’s not doing something musical, you can find her hanging out with friends or hiking. She is thrilled to be at Blakemore UMC as our music intern from February to May 2018.
Maintenance
David Hardy
David has been with Blakemore for over 40 years, working hard and taking good care of the church building and the congregation.