Sharon United Methodist Church

Full name: Lory Beth Huffman

But Please Call Me:  Lory Beth

Position:  Senior Pastor

Born where and when:  June 30, Asheboro, N.C.

Family Facts:  My husband, Greg Huffman, and I were married November 21, 1998.  We have 4 cats (I know!!) which are like our children.  Their names are Jezebel, Porkchop, Sunflower, and Hippity Hop.  Greg is an attorney in Newton.

Education:  B.S. in Health Behavior Health Education from the School of Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1992.  Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in 1997. 

How I became a Christian:  I couldn't tell you when I wasn't a Christian.  I have always sensed God's presence in my life and growing up had a close relationship with God.  My family experienced a tragedy a few days before my 5th birthday.  My father and grandfather drowned the same day at Myrtle Beach.  My grandmother was a model of faith.  She helped me explore this loss with God and so from early on I sensed God was with me.  It wasn't until college that I finally officially answered a call into ordained ministry.

How I ended up at Sharon:  I received a phone call in April of 2010 to meet with my District Superintendent and was told I was being appointed to Sharon UMC in Charlotte.  "The one with the ski slope steeple"!  2 1/2 months later we packed up our belongings and moved to the big city thankful for this wonderful appointment. 

The most important thing I do around here is:  Worship--both leading it and experiencing it.

Favorites:

Music:  Top 40--something with a beat and a melody!

Movie:  The Breakfast Club

TV Show:  Ok, it's true--Dancing with the Stars

Food:  Hmm, where to start--pizza, homemade vanilla ice-cream, a good steak, fried okra, corn on the cob

Place to vacation:  Florence, Italy or Antarctica

Place to eat:  California Pizza Kitchen--but ask me again after I've had time to explore!

How I spend my free time:  running, watching movies, traveling

Best books I've read recently:  Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Abraham Lincoln) and Unchristian--What a New Generation Thinks About Christianity--and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman

Nobody knows that I... have spent the night on the continent of Antarctica with a fur seal and some gentoo penguins sleeping in a bivy sack!

Hero I'd most like to meet:  Abraham Lincoln

My vision for the future of Sharon Church is:  To be a vital community of faith reaching out to those in the world who are searching for something more meaningful in their life.  We've got something to share, something valuable.  That we would be known as a place where something special was going on and others wanted to be a part of it.

One way folks can pray for me is:  Pray I learn your names and faces and that I learn my way around Charlotte!