Pastor Ken, our Senior Minister, came to John Wesley UMC in July, 2020, marking his 38th year serving churches in the SC Annual Conference. A native of Graniteville, SC, he graduated from the University of South Carolina. Prior to his current appointment, Ken was pastor of the Lexington United Methodist Church.
Meet the Team
They help put the Faith and Love into Action


Rev. Ken Timmerman


Rev. Stephen Gaither
Pastor Steve came to John Wesley UMC in July 2020 as Associate Pastor following his retirement as an Elder in the United Methodist Church. A native of Jacksonville, FL, he first spent time in Charleston while serving as a submariner here and in the Norfolk area with the United States Navy.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Limestone College. His first appointment with the United Methodist Church was a three-point charge in the Marion District while he attended Lutheran Southern Seminary in Columbia and Erskine Seminary in Due West. He received his Master of Divinity from Erskine in 1999 while he was pastor of Friendship UMC in Cross, SC.
In the ensuing years, Pastor Steve has served in various appointments in the Charleston, Rock Hill, Columbia and Hartsville Districts. By the time of his retirement as an Elder, he had served the UMC for 25 years.
Pastor Steve is married to the Reverend Sara White who is currently the pastor of Hibben UMC in Mt. Pleasant and a former senior pastor of John Wesley.
He has three daughters who live in Louisiana and Washington, D.C.
Pastor Steve’s hobbies including playing golf and watching movies, especially those concerning history. He also connects to his roots with the U.S. Navy by serving as a volunteer at the U.S.S. Yorktown where he assists at the Information Desk and sometimes as an impromptu historian.


Margaret Downs
Margaret Downs, our Director of Music Ministries, is a native of Charleston. She graduated from Middleton High School in 1986 and then pursued a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
After earning a Bachelor of Music Education degree, Margaret returned to Charleston to teach chorus in the county school district for 8 years before joining the John Wesley team as organist and in 1993 she became Director of Music. Margaret directs the Chancel Choir, 4 handbell choirs, 2 youth choirs, and 3 children’s choirs in addition to the Ladies’, Men’s and Senior Adult Ensembles.
Margaret and her husband, John Upshaw Downs, Jr., have a son, Johnny, born in 1998, and a daughter, Charlotte, born in 2000.


David Boudolf
Director of Youth Ministries David Boudolf grew up in John Wesley UMC. After graduating from Clemson University, David relocated to Atlanta as the Director of Activities Ministry. In 2002 David followed God’s call to St. Andrew By-The-Sea UMC on Hilton Head Island as Director of Youth and Relational Ministry.


Hope Murphy
Our Director of Children’s Ministries Hope Murphy is a lifelong Methodist, raised in Hampton, SC. Having graduated from College of Charleston with a BA in English, Hope taught in Charleston County Schools for ten years.
Hope and her husband, Michael, have two sons, Sam, born in 1997, and Andrew, born in 2000.
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Judy Morast-Morin
Judy Morast-Morin, SHRM-CP, joined the John Wesley staff in March, 2020 as Financial Services Administrator. Her professional experience includes work with churches, non-profits and financial organizations with a focus on accounting, human resources and payroll.
Judy and her husband David attend Seacoast Church.


Cindy Covington
Office Administrator Cindy Covington, who joined the staff in 2020, came to us from Atlanta, GA. She is the smiling face you will see upon entering our office suite. In addition to Cindy’s recent experience as an office administrator with a Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, she taught elementary school for 15 years in both Georgia and South Carolina.


Magdelene Maclin
Nursery Supervisor Magdalene Maclin, a Charleston native, has been a part of John Wesley since 1995. The mother of two with four grandchildren, Magdalene has spent her life working with children. She recently retired as a human resources supervisor in children/family/adult protective services.


Jocelyn Lawton
Jocelyn Lawton joined the John Wesley staff in 2019 and has tackled the tough job of keeping the church clean during the pandemic. “You’ve got to be careful in cleaning,” she says. She regularly puts on a backpack and sprayer to sanitize the classrooms, bathrooms and other areas, paying special attention to the places where children stay.
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