Our Church Lay Leadership 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.

2026 Church Council Leadership Board

Susan Spencer (she/her)

Finance Chairperson

  • Susan and her husband Paul (then her boyfriend) joined St. 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 graduated from Georgia Tech and works at GE Aerospace in Grand Rapids, MI. Both boys were baptized and confirmed at St 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, Susan and Paul 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 water at the first pride parade when St Mark declared “Everyone is welcome here”.

Megan Sheppard (she/her)

Church Council Secretary

Mary Abbott Waite.

Mary Abbott Waite (she/her)

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.

Noey Barrera-Disler (she/her)

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.

Joel Black (he/him)

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 prefund 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 Open Doors ministry. Joel served as Assistant Treasurer for several years prior to becoming Treasurer.

Katie Long (she/her)

Lay Leader & Lay Delegate to Annual Conference

Nancy Alderman (she/her)

Ministries Committees Chairperson

Eric Steverson (he/him)

Staff Parish Relations Chairperson

Jill Lee-Barber (she/her)

Staff Parish Relations Vice Chairperson

  • Jill Lee-Barber has been a member of St. Mark since 2003. Jill serves as vice-chair of Staff Parish Relations.   She and her wife, Trudy have a daughter, Jordan who is a junior at Georgia State University. Jill and Trudy are members of the Foundations Sunday School Class and have served at St 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 professor and senior consultant in higher education.

Tracy McArthur (she/her)

Board of Trustees Chairperson

Mark Woods (he/him)

Board of Trustees Vice Chairperson

Robbie Cundiff (he/him)

Youth Representative