Kay has blessed the ministry of First United Methodist Church for many years. She is presently our Financial Secretary. She will be sending out quarterly statements of your giving to FUMC. If you have any questions about your giving records or how to give online or by texting please call her at the church office on Monday mornings or contact her by email or at home at 580-380-0097.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Lisa Thomas as the new Director of Music at FUMC-Durant. Lisa has been active in church music from a very early age as the daughter of a Minister of Music father in the Baptist church, and a children’s choir leader mother. Originally from Tulsa, OK, she attended Ouachita Baptist University, majoring in choral music education, and Southern Methodist University, majoring in piano performance. She received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of North Texas in 2010.

Dr. Thomas served as the music director at Wesley UMC in McKinney for nine years as well as in other denominations during her career. Most recently, she has served as the organist, pianist, and bell choir director for Covenant Presbyterian Church in Sherman, and is currently the Organist for Austin College.

Throughout her career, Dr. Thomas has given lecture-recitals and performances across the globe. She has received numerous awards and honors in the music field. She has a special interest in North American indigenous music and culture and continues giving presentations, and performances of solo piano and chamber music. She also enjoys water skiing, snow skiing and riding her horses.

Lisa currently resides in Van Alstyne, TX. She has two sons; Orion, who lives with his wife in Maine, and Hearth, who lives in Dallas. 

I am Ms. Mardi, your new Children’s Ministry Director. My husband Brandon and I have 2 daughters, AJ and Orlena. We have 2 poodles, Daisy and Tina. We love camping and going to the lake. My favorite thing about camping is hiking and building campfires. I love coffee, movies, antiques, frogs, books, and plants.

I am so very excited to start this new journey with all of you. Working with children and helping them with their journey through Christ will be such a blessing in so many ways.

Hi, I am Shelby the new Youth Director. Some of you I already know and the ones I don’t know I look forward to getting to know soon. I have been in Youth/Children’s Ministry since I graduated high school in 2014. I previously served as the Assistant Youth Director here at FUMC prior to serving as the Children’s Ministry Director in Whitesboro, Texas where I grew up. While I attended SOSU I enjoyed serving this church and living in Durant. It is exciting to be back and I look forward to working with our youth and our parents again. In my spare time I love picking vintage items. It is another passion of mine and I have two antique booths at the Main Street Mall in Denison. I love Jesus, my family, my pup Otis-Cash and road trips with a lot of picking involved. Thank you for the opportunity to work with our Youth again!