Meet Our UMYF Staff and Leaders!

Derek Myers - Youth Director

Derek Myers was born and raised in Cuyahoga Falls. He attended Cuyahoga Falls High School, and grew up in the youth group at the Chapel in Akron. In the youth group he went on numerous missions’ trips, retreats, and participated in the worship band as well as a discipleship group.  

After HS graduation he decided to continue his education at Malone College, where he studied Bible, Theology, and youth ministry, receiving his bachelor’s degree in May of 2005. While at Malone, Derek was involved in many different ministry areas, including summer camp ministry for two summers at Camp Carl, the Resident Assistant of Upper Gurney for two years, as well as interned at Canton First Friends Church in the Jr. High for two years, and in the Sr. High for a year and a half. Each year of internship gave him more experiences and responsibilities in youth ministry, including budgeting, teaching, counseling youth, leading a mission’s trip to the Dominican Republic as well as retreats, and working with a team of adult leaders. After three and a half years of interning at First Friends, the senior high youth director resigned and Derek filled the role of the interim director of senior high youth for six months so that the leadership team of the church could search for a full time youth pastor.

Since graduation and the end of his time at First Friends, Derek has been a Barista at Starbucks (which provides great health benefits and free coffee), the retreat host at Camp Carl, and a maintenance man at Hudson Elms Nursing Home.

He is very excited to announce that he is engaged to marry in May 2008, to his Fiancé Kelly Coleridge. They plan on living in North Canton, where Derek currently resides, within bicycling distance to Faith United Methodist.

If you would like to get to know Derek more, feel free to give him a call. He loves coffee and good conversations.

Susan Arnold - Youth Administrator
    Susan has been a member of Faith Church since 1991. She grew up in the Akron/Canton area and graduated from Jackson High School, The University of Akron, and has a Masters of Science degree in Counseling from Gannon University. She is married to John, who works at Goodyear, and they have four very busy kids, Allison and Andrew (currently at OSU), Evan and Graham, who ensure that not a day goes by without their mom spending lots of time in the car driving around town. Be sure to wave if you see her driving up and down Main Street. She also works part time at Kent State University, Stark campus.
    Susan is currently serving as a part time UMYF Administrator, which means she handles Youth Notes, the Youth bulletin boards, the Youth webpage, and anything else Derek asks her to do! She also maintains the FUMC and Youth websites, and has recently also taken on the responsibility of editing and mailing Faith Notes.

Becky Moore - Instruments of Praise Choir director
Steve Moore - Joy Unlimited Choir Director

Our Leaders

Donny - Sunday Night Helper
    Donny was born in Canton, Ohio on July 19, 1979. Donny lives with his twin brother, Philip, in North Canton. Donny graduated from Glen Oak high school in 1998. He graduated from Stark State College of Technology in 2001 with a degree in Telecommunications and Computer Networking.
    Donny has attended Faith UMC since 1991. He became involved in the youth program in 8th grade and has been ever since. Donny says his favorite parts of youth group were choir and mission trips. He believes very strongly that all things are possible as long as you have God in your heart and Jesus by your side. Donny enjoys hanging out with friends and family, playing hockey, listening to music and cleaning his car. He loves to hang out with the youth of the church and hear what they have to say.

Janice  - Sunday Night Helper
    Janice was born many many years ago (ha, ha) and grew up in Barberton, Ohio. She grew up in the Lutheran Church and converted to Methodism after college. She received her degree in Nursing from Kent State and after working and teaching nursing, she went to the Cleveland Clinic School of Nurse Anesthesia. She has been working as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Mercy Medical Center for the past 16 years, and loves it!!! “Everyone is nice to you when they know you are going to put them to sleep!” Her hobbies are reading, scrap booking, and annoying her three children.
    She has a dachshund named Henry with whom she has a love-hate relationship. Janice enjoys working with youth and is looking forward to getting to know the kids at Faith. Her husband’s name is Steve and he’s a little upset that she mentioned the dog before him. Oh, she likes chocolate ice cream, too!

Butch - Youth Mission Coordinator
    Butch, real name Byron, was born in Alliance ,Ohio August 2, 1939, Grew up in Canton and attended Crystal Park UMC as a child and moved to North Canton in 1950. Attended Greenbrier Military School his freshman and sophomore years and graduated from Lehman High School in 1957. Moved to New York City and worked for Chase Manhattan Bank for 10 years and graduated from American Institute of Banking in 1962 with a diploma in Commercial Banking. Also has an advanced degree in Commercial Banking and over 60 semester hours at NYU in business. Married his wife Josephine on May 30, 1964. Has two married sons Sean, wife Faith and Ian, wife Bobbi. Grandson Joshua Thomas or J T (just terrific) was born on June 6, 2003. He has been in youth work for 49 years as well as several other church related activities.
    "My Faith journey has been greatly blessed and enriched by the many youth and adults that have gone on the mission trips the past eighteen years as well as the children that were in Jr Church for 25 years. Everyone should be as blessed and have the life enriching experiences that I have had." Love to help those in need and to play golf. Favorite ice cream butter pecan or moose tracks.

Ron - Sunday Night Helper
Kristen - Sunday Night Helper
Philip - Sunday Night Helper
Anne - Sunday Night Helper