About Us
The Thriving Rural Communities initiative brings together a group of gifted and well-formed leaders who see rural ministry as a life-giving vocation.
Pastors at our Partner Churches
Grace Hackney
Since 2003, Grace has served in ministry with Cedar Grove UMC in Cedar Grove, N.C. She began her current assignment directly after completing her M.Div. from Duke Divinity School. Her husband, Tony, is assistant chair of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill., and they have two grown children, Sarah and Zac. Her parents are retired ministers in the Church of the Brethren, and she grew up deeply formed by their servant leadership in rural communities. Rather than a stepping stone, Grace sees the rural church as the best place to live out the ministries of reconciliation, justice, and shalom.
Kirk Hatherly
Kirk serves in ministry with First UMC in Hayesville, N.C., and was formerly appointed to Mt. Carmel UMC in Rockingham County. He studied economics and religion at Ripon College in Ripon, Wis., and received his M.Div. at Duke Divinity School in 1995. He has been married to his wife Darleen since 1986, and they have three children, Rebekah, Seth, and Leah. Through his appointments in the rural church, he has found that he deeply appreciates the faithfulness, sense of community, and love of neighbor found there.
Matt Locklear
In June 2005, Matt was appointed to Sandy Plains United Methodist Church in Pembroke, N.C., and he previously served at Triad Native American United Methodist Church in Greensboro as a student pastor. He received his M.Div. from Duke Divinity School in 2005 and was a 2001 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he studied Religion and History. He is married to Louisa Oxendine Locklear, and he enjoys jogging, reading, and singing.
Brad Thie
For the last four years, Brad has served at Friendship UMC in Catawba County. His prior appointments were at New Hope UMC near Asheboro, and Morningstar UMC, a new church in the Steele Creek area of Charlotte. He completed his M.Div. from Duke Divinity School in 1998, and previously received an M.B.A. from Jacksonville University in 1989, as well as a B.A. in Psychology from Bowling Green State University in 1982. A native of Dayton, Ohio, he has lived in North Carolina since 1992. Matt says that he grew to love the rural church while serving at New Hope UMC. He particularly enjoys the regular contact with the people of the community and the church that is unique to rural life.
Gil Wise
Gil serves as pastor for Solid Rock UMC in Cameron, N.C. Ordained in the North Carolina Conference as an Elder in 1997, he has also served at Fayetteville Community Church, Parkton/Buie UMC, and Zion UMC. He received his M.Div. from Duke Divinity School and his B.A. from Methodist University. Gil and his wife, Linda, have three teenage children. Having grown up in Godwin, a rural community near Dunn, he reflects that ordained ministry has allowed him to give back what he received as a youth in the rural church.
Fellows
From the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church:
Ismael Ruiz-Millan, Class of 2010
Originally from Sonora, Mexico, Ismael has lived in North Carolina since 2003. In April of 2004, he responded to God’s call by serving Unidos por Cristo UMC in Greenville, N.C., which eventually led him to Duke. He says that his experience as a fellow in this program has taught him how God uses small congregations to an impact on the community as a whole.
Leah Skaggs, Class of 2009
Leah is a former N.C. public school history teacher. She has lived in the state for nearly 30 years. As a fellow in this program, she feels joy that she is now able to fulfill her life’s calling by teaching the people of rural North Carolina about the love of God.
Jonathan Mills, Class of 2010
Jonathan was born in New Bern and raised in Aurora, a small town on the N.C. coast. He received his B.A. from North Carolina State University in interpersonal and public communication. He enjoys the close relational ministry found in the rural church. He likes getting to know people’s stories to see how the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
Jane Almon, Class of 2011
Jane is from Wilmington, N.C. She has a B.S. in biology from Wake Forest University and an M.S. in forestry from N.C. State University. Her clinical research and work in ecological restoration took her to rural communities in Colombia, South America for five years, as well as across the southeastern United States. As a fellow in this program, she hopes to help heal the broken relationships between creatures, creation, and the Creator through a ministry that shares and strengthens the gifts of rural communities.
Dustin Sprouse, Class of 2012
Dusty was raised in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, Va., where he was baptized and confirmed at Salem UMC. He worked in sales until he was 30, when he became a student pastor. He served several churches in the Elizabeth City District in N.C. while he went to Elizabeth City State University. He graduated in May 2008, and he currently serves Mt. Tirzah UMC in Person County. He has been married for fifteen years to his wife, Kimberlee, and they have four children.
From the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church:
Emily Kroeger, Class of 2010
Emily earned a B.S. in sociology from Appalachian State University in 1999, with minors in political science, sustainable development, and business. She served as a volunteer in Boone, and then worked and volunteered in New York, N.Y. and Charlotte, N.C. before taking the time to raise two young sons. She now says that as a budding preacher, long rows of baby plants fill her with God’s peace.
Nicole Jones, Class of 2010
Nicole is originally from Charlotte, N.C. Prior to coming to Duke Divinity School, she studied sociology at Appalachian State University and then worked at Jefferson UMC as the director of Christian education. Her time in Jefferson fueled her passion for rural ministry, and she feels blessed with each opportunity to participate in the story of the rural church.
Duncan Martin, Class of 2009
Duncan grew up in Newton, N.C. and studied government and religion at Wofford College. Since enrolling at Duke Divinity School, he has served at First UMC in Hayesville and Cedar Grove UMC. He has also had the opportunity to spend a summer in Guatemala and El Salvador learning Spanish and working with the Evangelical Methodist Church of El Salvador. He believes that rural communities have a specific set of needs and gifts to share with the rest of the church.
Laura Beach, Class of 2011
Laura grew up in Ferrum, Va. and studied international development at Davidson College, focusing on sustainable agricultural development in Africa. She has served as a ministerial intern at Maggie Valley UMC, Cherokee/Olivet UMC, and Cedar Grove UMC/Anathoth Garden. She says that these experiences helped her grow into her calling. Through ministry, she wants to follow Jesus’ radical teachings about how to live together justly, honor creation, and love God.
Rachel Brock, Class of 2011
Rachel is from Waynesville, N.C. and she grew up attending First UMC there. In 2008 she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where she studied French and Spanish. It was there that her call to ministry began to take shape, drawing her to the Hispanic community in Western North Carolina. She says that God has blessed her in many ways on this journey and she is very excited for what the future holds.
Ken Spencer, Class of 2011
Ken is from Charlotte, N.C. where he is a member of University City UMC. He received his B.A. in history from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He looks forward to building strong relationships and investing in the lives of the members of the congregations he will serve.
Clifford Wall, Class of 2012
Cliff is a graduate of East Carolina University, and prior to coming to Duke Divinity School, he served for six months as an associate pastor part-time on a three-point charge in the Pilot Mountain area of the Western N.C. conference of the United Methodist Church. Currently he is a student pastor at Banks UMC in Granville County. He says that being in rural ministry has been a tremendous blessing, bringing him closer to the people he prays with when he delivers firewood to them, and while they make Brunswick stew together.