Allen Webner, native of Bethany, is a graduate of MacMurray College, in Jacksonville, Illinois. He was consecrated a Diaconal Minister in 1977. He was then ordained as a Deacon in 1997.
Besides serving at the Mattoon First United Methodist Church in different capacities over the past several years, Allen has served as Minister of Music/Organist in the following churches: Wesley United Methodist Church in Canton; First United Methodist Church in Decatur; First American Baptist in Jacksonville; First United Methodist Church in Ashland, Kentucky; Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church, in Galveston,Texas; Asbury United Methodist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Polk Street United Methodist Church, Amarillo,Texas.
He now serves the Mattoon FUMC as Parish Visitor pastor. He often goes to the area's nursing homes to offer a friendship to older members, on behalf of our church. He also visits church members or their family members in hospitals or their residences.
He arranges monthly communion services at Brookstone North and Brookstone South and sometimes solicits help from Pastor Todd Krost and Volunteer Mona Buckley.
Marilyn is a graduate of Indiana State University with a bachelor's degree in music education and a master's degree in education from Eastern Illinois University.
She retired from the Mattoon School District after 24 years of service. During her career she taught choir at Mattoon High School and general music as an itinerant teacher at various grade schools in Mattoon.
Later she taught language arts, reading, and 6th grade before returning to her first love: teaching music. She and her husband, David, have two grown sons, Craig and Aaron, three grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
Serving the church while her children were growing up, she led Sunday school singing, directed youth and bell choirs, and taught Bible school.
Phyllis was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Church and school were her favorite places to be. She knew from preschool that she wanted to teachschool and become a minister's wife, and she became both. Her careers were dual in that sense and she loved both pursuits.
She also learned to play the piano, which enabled her to be more supportive over the years in churches - singing in music groups, ringing and directing for bell choirs, playing for various things, leading children's choirs and just generally loving music overall.
This is why she has chosen to lead the adult bell choir at Mattoon First UMC. Phyllis is married to Ron Dickinson, and Colby and Markus are their two grown sons.
Melissa graduated from Millikin University in Decatur with a degree in instrumental music education. She taught instrumental, vocal, and general music in the public school system for 36 years, 31 of which were in Mattoon.
She and her husband, Steve, were married in 1982 and have two children -- Tyler and Audra -- and four grandchildren -- Jack, Charlie, William and Vera.
Thomas is currently a student at Eastern Illinois University where he is majoring in Vocal Performance and minoring in Music Technology.
He has played piano since a young age and began taking voice lessons during high school. His goals are to achieve a career in either the performing industry or head more down the music production path.
His parents are Michael Karunas and Amy Ziettlow and has two younger siblings, Isabella and Luke.
Jim is a life-long resident of Mattoon and he has served in his current position of property manager since 2016.
Jim worked for many years as a local contractor and is now semi-retired. He is very involved in keeping the church as well maintained as possible both inside and out.
He also acts as a security person for certain events at the church. Jim is married to Cheryl Johns and has three grown children and four grandchildren.