William
B. Meekins, Jr
Passionate
about mission work and ministry to those in need, he has traveled extensively
to learn, grow and share God’s love. He served eight years as pastor of the
multi-ethnic Garden City UMC in Monroeville.
Pastor
Meekins also served as a full-time chaplain for the Veterans’ Administration
health care system for nearly 10 years, and earlier served at Calvary and Buena
Vista UMCs on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
In
Western PA, he is part of the Conference Connectional Network and previously
chaired the Board of Ordained Ministry. He has been a leader in the
Commission on Religion and Race and worked with the Ethnic Local Church
Concerns committee.
The
son of a pastor, he has always been involved in the church. But growing up in
urban areas around Pittsburgh, he rejected people’s suggestions that he too
would become a pastor.
“I
thought I would never do that,” he explained. “They work long hours and at
times, when they stand for justice, they stand alone. It was dangerous. I saw
that as a PK.”
It
wasn’t until he was working on a paper about the role of the church in the U.S.
political system and read Jerry Falwell’s book Listen, America that
he sought God’s direction for his life and received a distinct call to
ministry.
Michele
A. Nagle
Pastor Michele A. Nagle joined the McKeesport Area Shared
Ministry, UMC, in October 2017. She is a
graduate of Messiah College, where she received her BA in Christian Ministries,
and she has a Master of Divinity Degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Pastor Michele received her call to ministry while pursuing an undergraduate
degree in teaching. She utilizes her
love of teaching in her preaching style and has a passion for encouraging a
love for the Word. Her approach to
ministry is pragmatic. She says, “It is important for the love of God in Jesus
Christ to be relatable and relevant in today’s world. Therefore, I like to incorporate stories,
some of them humorous, as well as actual life experiences into my sermons and
lessons. Everyone can understand the
Bible. My goal is to bring the scripture alive and make God tangible and real in
the lives of people today.”
Additionally,
Pastor Michele enjoys helping persons discover ways they can serve the church
and live in community. She believes we
are not called to live in isolation from God or each other. She believes
scripture teaches God through Christ has a purpose and a calling for every
person. Jeremiah 29.11 is one of her favorites, “For I know the plans I have
for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future.”
Pastor
Michele served as an elder in the Free Methodist Church for a total of eight
years; seven years at the Aliquippa Free Methodist Church, and one year as a
youth pastor in the Rochester Free Methodist Church in Beaver County. She is now an Ordained Elder in the United
Methodist Church. She lives in
Pittsburgh, has been married since 1999 and has three children, one boy and two
girls.