OUR CHURCH LAY LEADERSHIP

Saint Mark thrives due to the combined efforts of hardworking staff, experienced clergy, and dedicated lay leadership. These are the dedicated laity that lend their time and talents to help Saint Mark succeed in our goals of loving, accepting, and serving.

Click here to learn more about our staff and clergy.

Saint Mark UMC Church Bylaws

Our Church Lay Leadership Structure | Model

At Saint Mark, we use the Simplified Accountable Structure (SAS) model and we have one Church Council. Below explains the SAS model, a video of why it was developed, and who are our current Church Council members.

Simplified Accountable Structure (SAS)

Simplified, Accountable structure (previously referred to as the single board model or one board model) moves churches from four administrative committees (trustees, finance, staff-parish relations, and church council) to one Leadership Board encapsulating all responsibilities and authority of the previous four separate administrative committees in compliance with the UMC Book of Discipline in Paragraph 247.2.

2024 Church Council Leadership Board

Have a question, comment, or concern for our Church Council, click the button below to send an email to the entire council. We look forward to hearing from you.

Email Church Council

Noey Barrera-Disler

Church Council Chairperson

After graduating from high school in Southern Texas, Noey (she/her) started her career first by joining the US Army in 1977, then moved on to receive her Bachelors in Accounting from Fayetteville State University in 1985. She continued her journey in Atlanta after graduation where she met her wife, Sheri and together raised their son, Todd. Todd was baptized and confirmed at Saint Mark. Noey and Sheri have been together for 33 years and held their 4th wedding at Saint Mark in 2014. They have been St Mark members for over 25 years. Noey and her family continue to be a part of Saint Mark because there is something reverent about simply being inside Saint Mark. It gives them a physical space to connect and draw closer to God and to realize that there is something out there bigger than themselves. Saint Mark offers many opportunities to donate time to causes Noey believes in. Noey has served as Finance Chairperson and on the Administrative Council. Upon retiring from more than 33 years of Federal service, Noey worked with Supper Club. She has also participated in several mission trips to Honduras and Costa Rica. Noey spends her time traveling - domestic and international - and enjoys being behind camera.

Michelle Levan

Church Council Vice Chairperson

Michelle Levan is the vice-chair of church council, member of the Foundations Sunday School, and active mid-week retreat attending. She joined St. Mark in 2018 after attending for a while but has been a life-long United Methodist. She works for the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church as the Assistant Director in the Center for Clergy Excellence. Michelle has a passion for good coffee, loves to garden and cook, and lives in Douglasville with her wife Rebecca.

Robert Gilleo

Church Council Secretary

Robert is no stranger to the United Methodist Church. He joined Saint Mark back in 2003. Since that time, Robert has been actively involved in the North Georgia United Methodist Church. He has served as the Producer of Annual Conference since 2007. In that role, Robert coordinates all the activities on the ground in Athens, Georgia each year. Robert was also the Associate Lay Leader and the Lay Leader of the former Atlanta-Emory District. Robert currently serves on the Superintendency Committee for the Central North District. If the doors are open at Saint Mark, chances are, Robert is around.

Joel Black

Church Treasurer

Joel Black, CPA, FLMI, is a product of the Northeast Georgia Mountains. Educated at North Georgia College and State University and Brenau University, Joel has been a CPA since 1991. Joel moved to the Atlanta Area in 1984 to work with what is now known as Preplanning Solutions, a company that markets small face whole life and annuity insurance products to pre-fund funerals. As a manager in the finance organization, Joel primarily spends his time preparing and analyzing financial statements and budgets. A member of Saint Mark since 2011, Joel has served on the Finance and Endurability Committees, Administrative Council and is part of the Interactions Sunday School class, 3rd Saturday Breakfast Club volunteer group, and enjoys hosting the Saturday morning Open Doors ministry. Joel served as Assistant Treasurer for several years prior to becoming Treasurer.

Mitch Foster II

Lay Leader & Lay Delegate to Annual Conference

Mitch began his journey as a United Methodist, right here at Peachtree and Fifth. After college, Mitch moved to Atlanta for work, came to find Saint Mark shortly thereafter, and has loved his church home ever since. Over the years, Mitch has served on the Trustees, Finance, and as the SPRC Chair. Mitch’s favorite outreach at Saint Mark is the Breakfast Club - a weekly offering of food for those who are food insecure and often ‘under-housed' as well. He has been an active member of the 4th Saturday team (serving several terms as the week’s captain) since 2006.

Currently, Mitch is serving as the Church Council Lay Leader. Mitch is delighted to serve the church in this way, and covets your prayers for his discerning when making decisions for Saint Mark.

Mary Abbott Waite

Church Story Keeper

A member of Saint Mark since the late eighties, Mary Abbott has enjoyed participating in many ministries of the church. She has sung in the choir and volunteered for Breakfast Club from the week she joined. The joy of singing together and serving in love and acceptance are the foundation of "doing church" for her. She has also served in many leadership roles, including member and chair of the Administrative Council, lay leader, small group facilitator, and lay member to annual conference. Striving together to embody the beloved community by accepting and loving all God's children, no exceptions, is the heart of Saint Mark's ministry and witness for Mary Abbott and "why Saint Mark must Stay Strong." Mary Abbott has deep Methodist roots--her father and both grandfathers were Methodist ministers, her mother was a church historian, and she went to Methodist colleges for undergraduate and graduate education (Wesleyan College and Duke University). Professionally she works as a writer and consulting editor.

Hayden McArthur

Youth Ministry Representative

Hayden McArthur is 17, and a junior at Decatur High School. He loves hanging out with friends, watching movies, studying film, and spending time with the St. Mark youth group. Hayden was baptized and has been active in St. Mark since he was born. He loves all the amazing people and memories the church holds. Hayden is the youth representative on the church’s council.

Anna Rader

Young Adult Ministry Representative

Anna Rader is a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Georgia State University. She and her fiancee Aaron Groves moved to Atlanta in 2020 and have loved making a home at St Mark! Anna serves with the A/V ministry and is part of the young adult Sunday School class. She loves volunteering with the children’s ministry, the ATL Free Fridge, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Greg Washington

Finance Chairperson

Saint Mark UMC and the Visions Sunday School class have been spiritual homes for Greg Washington since 2014. The sense of acceptance, diversity, and genuine welcome that is a hallmark of the Saint Mark community have been critically important to Greg and his family; Gary, Daniela, and Gabriela. While the Washington family sees itself as city dwellers, they actually split their time between Midtown and the suburban Gwinnett county.

Professionally, Greg is a retired Army officer with over 24 years of service. Following military service, Greg, who holds a doctorate in Management, became a senior executive in higher education management, serving several colleges and universities. Greg currently owns and operates a premium, education-based childcare center and serves as a contributing faculty member in Walden University’s Doctor of Business Administration Program.

Aside from being active in the church community and spending time with his daughters, Greg enjoys hiking, camping, traveling, and exploring local breweries and wineries.

Susan Spencer

Finance Vice Chairperson

Susan and her husband Paul (then her boyfriend) joined Saint Mark UMC in the late 1980s and were married here in 1990. They have 2 sons--Logan who graduated from KSU and is a R&D Test Engineer, and Reid who is earning a masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Georgia Tech. Both boys were baptized and confirmed at Saint Mark and were active in the Youth Group. Professionally, Susan is a graphic designer, launching her own design business before Logan was born so she could work from home. Clients include Siemens, The Alliance Theatre, The Junior League of Atlanta, Jones Lang LaSalle, Baker Audio Visual, Ferst Center for the Arts at Ga Tech and Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theater. Over the years, Paul and Susan volunteered at the Breakfast Club and with the children’s ministry, stayed many nights at the original women and children’s shelter, and were handing out fliers at the first pride parade when Saint Mark declared “Everyone is welcome here”.

Viveca Richards

Ministries Chairperson

An Atlanta, GA native, Viveca graduated from Georgia Baptist School of Nursing and Georgia State University. She continued her education in nurse anesthesia at Richland Memorial School of Nurse Anesthesia graduating in 1988. Viveca had the honor of serving in the US Army from 1990-1997, including a deployment to Germany during Desert Storm.
Viveca retired in 2016 and returned to Atlanta. She has been a member of St. Mark for __ years. Viveca has been a volunteer with Supper Club for 7 years and coordinates our Outreach Closet.
In her free time, Viveca enjoys yoga in Piedmont Park and bicycling the Atlanta Rail Trails.

Karen Hannula

Ministries Vice Chairperson

Karen was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and was adopted as an infant and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. She attended Auburn University and spent most of her career working in law firms, for the US DOJ, and large corporations in the risk management/legal arena. She has two daughters, both of whom are married and live in California and North Carolina. She is the proud grandmother of two fabulous grandchildren. She has attended St. Mark UMC for almost 30 years, has served in many capacities in leadership, and has seen many changes over the years. She is excited about the new opportunities at St. Mark and can't wait to see how Saint Mark moves forward as a stronger church.

Eric Steverson

Staff Parish Relations Chairperson

Eric Steverson is the Secretary of our 2022 Church Council.

Jill Lee-Barber

Staff Parish Relations Vice Chairperson

Jill Lee-Barber has been a member of Saint Mark since 2003. She and her wife, Trudy have a daughter, Jordan who is a sophomore at Georgia State University. Jill and Trudy are members of the Foundations Sunday School Class and have served at Saint Mark as Vacation Bible School volunteers and with various other ministries when the need arises. Jill retired in 2023 after thirty years with the University System of Georgia including appointments at the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and most recently as Associate Vice-President for Health & Wellness at Georgia State University. After earning her PhD in Counseling Psychology, Jill spent the majority of her career in university health settings and as a faculty member. She currently maintains a small private practice and serves as a senior consultant in higher education.

Tracy McArthur

Board of Trustees Chairperson

Tracy McArthur has been a member of St. Mark since 2003. She and her wife, Melissa, have three children together. Their daughter, Kailyn, will graduate from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia in May 2025. Their twins, Hayden and Ryan, will graduate from high school that same month. Tracy has been with Equifax for the past eleven years and currently is the VP, Customer Success Sales Leader. After getting her BS in Accounting and working as a CPA for a number of years, she has spent the majority of her career in sales for data and analytic companies.

Christi Elliott-Earby

Board of Trustees Vice Chairperson

Deana Hilton

Church Executive Director

Deana is in charge of financial records and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds. Deana can answer your questions about your giving record, memorial gifts, and other building or finance related issues.

2024 Ministries & Committees

Johnny Sims

Communications and Technology

Johnny is originally from Alabama and a graduate of The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He has been working in the Information Technology industry since 1984. In 2010, he started his own consulting firm Techiebud, LLC. Since the pandemic, Johnny has branched out into the multimedia field and has been instrumental in helping create and maintain the live-stream broadcast of the church's weekly worship service.
One of Johnny's favorite pastime activities is playing frisbee with his two Border Collies. He also enjoys taking vacation cruises when he can.

Pam Davis

Connectivity (Hospitality)

Hi, I am originally from Pennsylvania and moved to Georgia when I was 10 yrs. old and went to Stone Mountain High School. I had a successful career as a property manager and accounting assistant. I raised two children in Dacula, GA and I'm married to Andy Davis. I took classes at Georgia Gwinnett College before moving to Midtown in 2019. As empty nesters Andy and I are loving the city life and especially the fact that we can walk to Saint Mark! I am fortunate to be retired early and look forward to my husband retiring in one year! Let's Travel!
Andy and I love to go hiking and camping. We love river rafting and everything Colorado where our son lives with his fiancee. We love to travel and try new things. Our daughter lives close by with her husband and our first grandchild. We are very blessed.
I love being a member of Saint Mark and volunteering fills my soul with meaning, purpose, and love.

Phil Crumbly

Fine Arts

Eric Steverson

Special Events

Laura Butler

Spiritual Formation

A native of Decatur, Laura has attended Saint Mark for almost twenty years and joined in January 2006. A former middle school teacher, Laura retired after a 30+ year career in educational publishing and began Candler’s inaugural hybrid MDiv program in Fall 2023. Having served on varied committees, Laura looks forward to new opportunities in which to learn and serve at Saint Mark UMC. Laura’s passions include travel and her pups, including her “retirement puppy”, a white lab named Cora Faith. After years of extensive work travel, Laura is looking forward to more time at her favorite places – home, the mountains, and Saint Mark.

Carolyn Bibb

Stewardship

Carolyn Bibb is a native of Birmingham, AL and graduate of UMC institute of higher education, Millsaps College, and The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She has called Atlanta home since 1992 and made St. Mark her church home in 2001. She has been active in church life having served on the Trustees, Staff-Parish Relations Committee, and the Stewardship Committee. Most Tuesday afternoons, you will find her volunteering at St. Mark’s Supper Club ministry, preparing meals for the food insecure in our community. She lives in the Northlake neighborhood in northeast Atlanta with her wife, Susan Yandel, their two dogs, and several cats. In addition to her church activities, Carolyn enjoys hiking, running/walking, cycling, kayaking, and travel.

Amy Holloway

Worship

Amy Holloway is originally from Knoxville. She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a major in music education and a minor in theatre. She was the staff accompanist at Northside School of the Arts and worked at 11Alive as an executive assistant. Amy sings and plays the piano with Sentimental Journey Orchestra. As a member of Saint Mark, she has sung in the choir, played in the bell choir, and has been an active member of the drama ministry.

Mike Smith

Solidarity (Social Justice)

Mike U. Smith, PhD. is Emeritus Professor of Mercer University School of Medicine where he taught human genetics for 32 years and served as the Director of AIDS Education. In the latter role he provided AIDS prevention education in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Kenya and was the lead scientist with a CDC effort to develop a nationwide program of sexual risk reduction for Native Americans.
Mike has been a member of Saint Mark and the chancel choir since 2001 and served in our Breakfast Club ministry and helped prepare Wednesday night dinners for the church for many years as well. He currently serves as the Chair of the Social Justice Committee. Mike is also a writer and is currently seeking to publish his first novel, Do the Angels Weep: A Story of Gay Lives in Nazi Germany.

Frank Wrenn

Missions and Outreach

Frank is a life-long United Methodist who grew up in North Carolina, 30 miles from his undergraduate alma mater of Duke University (historically, a good Methodist school.) After graduating with an MBA from Yale, he moved from Connecticut to Atlanta in 1999 and joined Saint Mark in 2000. Frank has served as a "First Monday" leader (back in the day) and on the Saint Mark Board of Trustees. Currently, Frank is Director of Corporate Partnerships at Habitat for Humanity International.

Mary Murray

Nursey and Children

Bob Brown

Saint Mark Prime

Lily Berrios

Endurability

Lily Berrios, Principal and President of Sizemore Group, is a recognized leader in Architecture and Planning with nationally recognized expertise in Design and Advanced Planning for Institutional clients. She has consistently exhibited her ability to articulate a client’s goals through design and frequently does seminars on planning and design. Lily has been an active member of Saint Mark UMC since 1988, and has represented Laity in the North Georgia Conference and the 2016 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. At Saint Mark UMC, Lily has chaired various committees: Board Trustees, Buildings & Ground, Restoration Phase 1 and 2, and is an active volunteer in Saturday Breakfast Club and the Chancel Choir. Born in San Juan, PR, she is married to Walter Miller and has two daughters, Marie and Margaret.

2024 Lay Leadership Development and Nominations Committee

Lily Berrios

Class of 2024

Lily Berrios, Principal and President of Sizemore Group, is a recognized leader in Architecture and Planning with nationally recognized expertise in Design and Advanced Planning for Institutional clients. She has consistently exhibited her ability to articulate a client’s goals through design and frequently does seminars on planning and design. Lily has been an active member of Saint Mark UMC since 1988, and has represented Laity in the North Georgia Conference and the 2016 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. At Saint Mark UMC, Lily has chaired various committees: Board Trustees, Buildings & Ground, Restoration Phase 1 and 2, and is an active volunteer in Saturday Breakfast Club and the Chancel Choir. Born in San Juan, PR, she is married to Walter Miller and has two daughters, Marie and Margaret.

John Harr

Class of 2024

Frank Atkinson

Class of 2025

Sherrie Graham

Class of 2025

Sherrie is a native of Louisville, Kentucky where she graduated from the University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering. After working for Colgate Palmolive, Sherrie moved to Atlanta which she has called home ever since. Sherrie has worked in IT and Logistics throughout her career. Currently she is employed at Oldcastle APG, an outdoor living company, as a Logistics Project manager. Sherrie joined Saint Mark in the mid-90's where she participated on the Administrative Council and Staff Parish Relations committees, been a youth sponsor, taught children's Sunday school, as well as being a part of the Foundations Class. Currently she is a member of the Lay Leadership Development and Nominations Committee.

Jeff Bradley

Class of 2026

Calvin Johnson

Class of 2026

2024 Council Meeting Dates

What is the purpose of the Church Council?

Per Paragraph 252 of the 2016 Book of Discipline, the church council shall provide for planning and implementing a program of nurture, outreach, witness, and resources in the local church. It shall also provide for the administration of its organization and temporal life. It shall envision, plan, implement, and annually evaluate the mission and ministry of the church.

Who can attend a Church Council meeting?

Anyone, you do not need to be a member of the Church Council to attend the meeting. Church Council Meetings are OPEN TO ALL.

Time and Location: