Our Vision
We wanted it to be more than a simple slogan. In the process of creating a statement to describe our understanding of what we do and who we are, we also wanted a constant reminder of where we believe God is leading us.
OUR MISSION: We will grow disciples of Jesus Christ who love God and others. We will share our faith, reach out to our neighbors, and walk in His steps to represent Him in the world.
Our Staff
Pastor: Rev. Mary Fortner
Church Office: Shirley Moxley
Director of Youth: Wendy Coleman
Director of Music: Allison Ward
Associate Minister of Music: Hans Grim
Children's Ministries Director: Angela Branch
Director of Mother's Day Out: Andrea Haas
Rev. Mary Fortner
Pastor
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Rev. Mary Fortner has been pastor of Ridglea UMC since November 2011. She is the mother of three adult children. Sons, Jon and Paul, live in Arizona and daughter Katie, a graduate of LD Bell High School and Oklahoma City University, lives in North Fort Worth. Mary and her schnauzer, Oliver, enjoy taking walks and watching football. Mary enjoys reading, writing, and quilting in her spare time.
Mary Fortner served four years as pastor of Dido United Methodist Church, before that she served three years as senior pastor at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Arlington Texas and eight years as executive pastor of Wm. C. Martin United Methodist Church in Bedford and as associate pastor at FUMC Colleyville for four years. Mary graduated from W.Va. Wesleyan with a B.S.in Library Science and earned an M.A. in Communications from Marshall University. She earned her M. Div. in 1995 from Perkins School of Theology at SMU.
Allison Whetsel Ward
Director of Music
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Allison Ward has been a member of our church staff since December 2004. In May 2006, Allison earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Texas Christian University. Along with conducting the RUMC Chancel Choir, Allison teaches private voice in the H.E.B. Independent School District. In 2005, Allison was selected to sing in the Schlern International Music Festival in Northern Italy. In the summer of 2006, Allison sang at the American Institue of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Allison has won numerous vocal competitions and has performed with the Ft. Worth Opera and Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She has been featured in recitals and concerts around the metroplex. In her spare time, Allison enjoys listening to music, spoiling her nephews, and spending time with her wonderful family.
Hans Grim
Associate Director of Music
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Hans is a professional musician based in Fort Worth, Texas. He began playing piano for his neighborhood church while still in high-school and has continued to serve as a Methodist church musician for the past 15 years. He has directed music productions at theatres including Texas Christian University, WaterTower Theatre, Theatre Arlington, Granbury Opera House and Casa Mañana. He has also produced 5 musicals for Aledo Musicals and was the originating musical director for the national tour of the Three Redneck Tenors.
You can visit Hans on the web at HansGrim.com
As a pianist he played for the national tour of Mamma Mia as well as appearing with the Dallas Wind Symphony and Irving Symphony Orchestra. He appeared on stage at Bass Hall with Casa Mañana and in Addison with WaterTower Theatre as a member of the quartet in the Music Man. He recently completed his 3rd year at All Saints’ Episcopal School as a Fine Arts Faculty member and has returned to Texas Wesleyan to finish a degree begun in 1994. His senior concert will be presented on March 6th.
In his spare time he enjoys Sunday afternoons lounging at home with his beautiful wife, Mary and 3 children, Max, Rose and Madeleine.
Angela Branch
Children's Ministries Director
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Angela Branch joined our staff in 2004 as Children’s Ministries Director and oversees our programs for 4 year olds to 5th grade students. She was born in Houston, but has lived most of her life in Fort Worth. Angela received her Bachelors degree from the University of North Texas in Communication Design and has always had a passion for teaching children. “What a blessing to be able to teach and lead our children in their journey to understand the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Our Children’s Ministry provides opportunities for children of all ages to learn more about their faith through opportunities which include our Children’s Sunday school, Children’s Church, Nursery, Wednesday evening classes, Vacation Bible School, and all of our various summer programs.
Angela was married at Ridglea United Methodist Church over 10 years ago and has been a member since 2000. Her daughter, Sarah Alice, was born and baptized into the Ridglea United Methodist Church family. Ridglea is and always will be her “Church Family”.
Greg Baish
Custodian
Greg joined the staff in 2011 and is tasked with the upkeep and setup responsibilities around our campus. In his spare time he cares for his beautiful little daughter.
Janice Culpepper
Wedding Coordinator
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Janice Culpepper is the wedding "hostess with the most-est". Janice has been a member at RUMC since age 3 and she knows just about anything there is to know about RUMC. She is the proud mother of two and "Gran" of four. Janice works at another church by day and we are blessed to have her as our Wedding Coordinator, even if she has to work "by appointment."
Shirley Moxley
Secretary
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Shirley joined the staff of RUMC in November 2007. She served on staff at another United Methodist church for five years prior to coming to Ridglea. Her duties at the church include producing the weekly worship bulletin and the biweekly church newsletter, The Highlighter.
Shirley is the mother of three grown children and the grandmother of four. She holds a BA from the University of North Texas in Denton, two Master's degrees from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, and is a Ph.D. (all but dissertation) at B.H Carroll Theological Institute in Christian Psychology. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas and a Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor.
Wendy Coleman
Director of Youth
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Andrea Hass
Director of Early Childhood Learning Center
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Andrea Haas has been on the church staff since February of 2010. Originally from Big Spring,
Texas, Andrea attended Texas Tech University. She earned her B.A. in English, with a minor in
Education in 1992. She continued at Tech in their graduate program, receiving her M.A. in 1995.
After graduation, she moved to the Fort Worth area and began teaching high school. She married her
husband, Hud, in 1998 and they settled here in the Ridglea neighborhood and became members of
Ridglea UMC.
Andrea’s two sons, Luke and Nicholas, both attended the Early Childhood Learning Center here and she
is proud to now be a part of a program that has meant so much to her and her family. Andrea is
committed to providing a safe, educational, Christian environment for young children here at Ridglea
UMC.
