Church Staff

Doug is originally from High Point, North Carolina. His parents still live there. He was raised in the Methodist Church and has been a lifelong Christian. He was baptized, nurtured and confirmed at First United Methodist Church in downtown High Point. He received his call to ministry as a teenager in that church. Doug attended college at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. He received his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School.

Doug began his pastoral ministry in 1996. Aldersgate is the fifth church that he has served. Each church that he has served has been unique and has brought different gifts to the Kingdom of God. They have helped him to identify some of the common themes that have emerged in his ministerial career. He definitely has a passion for mission work and beyond, and he loves seeing children and youth grow in the faith. Doug enjoys preaching and teaching, and helping individuals find the best ways to serve the Lord in their home, their church and their community.

Doug and his wife Tara have been married for 12 years. Tara pastors two churches on a part-time basis near Louisburg, but will be taking 2009-2010 off from pastoral ministry as the family transitions into their new Durham home. They have three children. Olivia is seven and has completed the first grade at Wendell Elementary. Emily is five and has been attending a church preschool. Everett is two and currently stays at home with mom. The girls enjoy ballet, tap and reading books.  Everett likes playing with toy trucks and being outside. The entire family enjoys gardening.

When Doug is not engaged in the work of the church he is usually with his family. He is an avid sports fan and is actively teaching the importance of ACC basketball to his children. He considers it a treat to be outdoors and his favorite vacations have all been to places where it was easy to admire God's creation.

Updated June 23, 2009

Al grew up in rural Wake/Johnston County.  He has served churches in the Rocky Mount and Sanford Districts.  He graduated from Smithfield-Selma Senior High, Barton College in Wilson with a degree in Religion & Philosophy and a minor in Sociology in 1993, Duke Divinity School with a Masters of Divinity in 1998. 

Al was ordained an Elder in June 2000.  He has served the Hart-Speight Charge, Asbury-Bethlehem Charge, Mt. Pleasant UMC and as Associate Pastor at St. Luke UMC in Sanford.  Al's wife Paula and he will have been married for twenty-seven years. They have two sons Ben and Chris. 

He enjoys fishing and all that North Carolina has to offer from the beaches to the mountains.  As a family the Hocutt's are diehard Duke fans and ACC sports fans.  The most interesting fact about Al is that he comes from a large family; He has eighteen brothers and sisters, ten are still living.  His oldest sister would have been ninety this year!
 

Hey wonderful children of God!  I am Nathan Daniel Arledge and I am originally from Hendersonville, NC.  I obtained my undergrad degree at Western Carolina University in History and Psychology.  I am blessed and honored to be a part of the family here at Aldersgate UMC.  The lord has given me wonderful UTH to work with and I am eternally honored for that!

In the future I hope to return to school to get a Masters in Divinity so that I may become an ordained elder in the UMC.  The Lord has truly called me to the ministry and I have lived great ever since!!!  

GO HEELS!!!

Nan is an ordained Deacon in The United Methodist Church, and has served for 20 years as music minister in UM churches in the Tennessee Conference (Hendersonville and Murfreesboro) before coming to Aldersgate in Durham, to be closer to family.  She has a Masters of Sacred Music from Southern Methodist University – Perkins Seminary (Dallas), as well as a certification in Christian Education.  She loves to sing and to worship, and delights in helping others to experience God through worship and the arts, so she has never had to work a day in her ministry!

Nan and her husband, Bob, both hail from Linthicum, Maryland, and have two grown sons, Luke (married to Emily) and Justice, and a precious daughter, Joanna Pearl (age 4). 

She says, “Investing my whole heart, soul, mind and strength in the service of Christ and his Church has been an awesome privilege, a continually-unfolding adventure and entry into “the joy of the Master.”  I hope and pray that I can effectively help all of Aldersgate grow closer to God and each other, through offering our best in music and worship arts for God’s glory. Please let me know how I can serve you!”

Karen Hicks
Director - Aldersgate Children's Weekday Program
email: Karen Hicks
 
Karen and her husband Steven have been married for 8 years, April 2006.  They have two beautiful girls, Hope, 4 and Hailey, 15 months old. They make their home in Rougemont, NC. Karen has lived in Durham all her life. She graduated from Northern High School and went to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

She graduated from UNC-W in 1996 with a degree in Parks and Recreation management with concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. After college she completed an internship at Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville, specializing in the Acute/Trauma Unit, High Risk Maternity Ward, and Gerontology/Adolescent Psychiatric Units.

Karen is a State and National Licensed Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. After college she worked as Director of Activities and Recreation Therapy at Horizon Rehab Center, Methodist Retirement Center, and Croasdaile Village Retirement Community all in Durham. She became Director of Aldersgate's After-school Program in June of 2000 and in May 2001 became Director of both the Pre-school and After-school.

Karen’s hobbies include reading, working at home, spending time with family and friends, and scrap booking. Quoting Karen, "I feel blessed to be a part of Aldersgate United Methodist Church. It is a privilege to work with a talented and dedicated team ministering to the Durham community."