• Senior pastor                                                         ken sharpe

    Senior Pastor, Ken Sharpe came to Emanuel United Methodist Church in June 2020. Immediately prior to arriving at Emanuel, he was the Associate Pastor for White Bluff United Methodist Church in Savannah, Georgia. He also has many years of serving the Lord in full-time, part-time and chaplain ministry which have given him a wide range of experiences. These experiences have come from pastoring churches averaging 40 to 325 in Sunday School attendance. He pastored churches with no staff and those with multi-staff and support staff positions. He has been involved with numerous building and renovation projects that included purchasing property, stewardship campaigns and paying off debt.


    His experience also includes Sunday School growth programs, 40 Days of Purpose, Experiencing God, and Master Life discipleship programs. His Hospice Chaplain experience taught him to better deal with death and dying. As a Prison Chaplain for 1,400 inmates and 300 staff he learned to minister to individuals and families with extreme hurt and helplessness. He is a firm believer in loving God and loving God’s people and ministering to people by personally getting to know them.


    He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion from Gardner-Webb College, Boiling Springs, North Carolina, a Master of Divinity Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and a Clinical Pastoral Education (A.C.P.E.) from Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (Hospital), Spartanburg, South Carolina.


    Pastor Ken is single with two adult children, Bridget Sharpe Howard - a Public-School Teacher who works with Special Needs Children, and Kenneth Richard Sharpe, Jr. – who is Career Military.

  • Executive assistant                         jenelle dillon

    Jenelle graduated from Suwannee High School in Live Oak, FL. She recently moved to Brunswick, GA from Atlantic Beach, FL. Jenelle has been married to her wonderful husband, Reece, Dillon for 11 years. She has three awesome children, Tonya Bell, Keith Markham, and Chad Markham who is married to his wife Ashley. She has five wonderful grandchildren, Kearstin & Bill Bennett, Peyton Maxwell, Carlie & Caylin Markham. Jenelle also works from home in the Health & Wellness Field where she helps others. She loves being a wife, mom, and nana to her family.

  • LAY LEADER                                            RANDY WATSON

    My name is Randy Watson. I've served as Lay Leader at Emanuel for the last 10 years. I grew up worshiping at Emanuel, it's my family church. I have many great memories including several pastors that took me under their wing and held me accountable. There was a time where I slipped away from the church, but about 15 years ago I came back to Emanuel. Since that time, I have had two excellent mentors who helped me to grow in my faith, Pastors Carl Barnhardt, Eddie Morrison, and Donna Avera. I believe my role as the Lay Leader is to assist Pastor Sharpe in making Disciples of Jesus Christ. I would like to personally invite you to come worship with us at Emanuel.

  • Nursery staff

    My name is Angel Conway. I'm the newest member of Emanuel. As the nursery worker, I will work with infants and toddlers for Wednesday night Bible study and the Sunday Worship Services.

  • Worship LEADER                                 Gary Chris Hale

    My name is Gary “Chris” Hale. I was introduced to Emanuel when I was in grade school, and I am proud to call Emanuel my church. I am also on the Trustee Committee and I serve coffee and doughnuts with the Coffee Ministry Team on Monday mornings. My religious beliefs have been influenced by many Pastors, including Martin Loyley, Carl Barnhardt, Eddie Morrison, Donna Avera and Ken Sharpe. They have all seen gifts in my character that I did not see. One of the most memorable roles that I am known for is as the Cake Auctioneer at the Annual Joe Hale Fish Fry, named in honor of my late brother. I am proud to be your Worship Leader and take great pride in presenting hymns – past and present - to our congregation. Please come join us on Sunday mornings as we sing ‘loud and proud’ making a joyful praise.

  • TECH BOOTH                                        ROSS PITTMAN

    Ross was born in Brunswick and raised at Emanuel. After college in Atlanta and working in Rincon, he recently moved back to Brunswick to continue his work as a Consulting Engineer in the pulp and paper industry. Ross enjoys sailing, and has been working on restoring an old sailboat in his free time. 

  • Music ministry                                   Paula livingston

    PAULA LIVINGSTON   

    Paula is a retired church secretary and financial secretary. She has served on various committees in ministry and has led previous congregational singing and directed choirs. She has been a member of Emanuel UMC for over 20 years and has enjoyed 'going back to our roots' in worship as a soloist and pianist. Paula and her husband Sonny have 5 children, 16 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren. She loves rural farm life and raising cattle. Church family and close friends are Paula's greatest assets in life.