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 John
Wolfe
Currently Rev. John Wolfe is
president of Methodist Hour International. He has served in this
role for the past 20 years. In addition to this ministry he has
also served as a pastor in the local church for 40 years. John
officially retired in July 2008 after serving the Birmingham
United Methodist Church for 15 years.
MHI radio broadcast reaches thousands of persons across the US
each week. Each 30 minute program includes a personal witness of
faith, an Upper Room Devotion, two selections of music and a
message of hope and encouragement from the Scriptures. Methodist
Hour is both international and interdenominational.
In 1996 Methodist Hour International became part of a project
called Reconciliation 97. In 1999 John was asked to be
co-director of RNOW (Reconciliation Networks of Our World).
Since its first international reconciliation event in Coventry
England, RNOW has held events in Louisville, Kentucky and in
Boston Massachusetts, and in Atlanta GA. In 2003 RNOW was
presented with official membership in the international ministry
of “The Cross of Nails” based in Coventry, England. The fifth
international event was held in Louisville KY, October, 2005.
RNOW is a faith based, story-driven ministry that seeks to bring
together people from every continent and background to share
their stories of reconciliation. The power of these personal
stories breaks down the walls of race, denomination, culture,
gender, and other issues that separate us not only as
individuals, and in families, but in the very body of Christ.
Today RNOW is restructuring and developing new models for
conferences; the current focus in on local churches. Some very
exciting things are in process. At the present time John Wolfe
is working with Dr. Ben Johnson and a number of community
leaders in the Atlanta area creating effective interfaith
dialogue and understanding. Dr. Johnson is the heartbeat of this
project.
In June of 1993 the Rev. John L. Wolfe was appointed as pastor
of the Birmingham United Methodist Church, Alpharetta, Georgia.
At that time the Birmingham United Methodist Church was
celebrating its 163rd year as a church. Birmingham’s average
Sunday attendance was fourteen and had a membership of 22. Today
the average attendance is nearly 800 and membership has grown to
1300. Easter 2008 attendance reached 2500 persons. In October
2001 BUMC purchased 5 additional tracts of land totaling 61
additional acres contiguous to its present campus. This is a
miracle story that captured the imagination and hearts of a
handful of faithful members and became a reality when very few
thought it could happen.
Birmingham’s new worship center and educational buildings were
completed in September 2005. Now called The Sanctuary at
Birmingham UMC, this 63 acre track is dedicated to provide a
safe place for all who would seek sanctuary from the stress and
chaos of life. It is a place to walk in the woods and listen to
birds and flowing streams. It is a place of quiet and solace. It
is a place to draw closer to God.
BUMC has a strong mission focus. Its members participate in
numerous mission projects (local, national, and international)
and have assisted in completing several Habitat for Humanity
homes in Roswell. On Sunday mornings worshippers gather to
experience a blend of traditional and contemporary worship.
Powerful educational and mission ministries are woven into this
place of excitement and peace. In 1995 John received the coveted
Foundation for Evangelism Denman Award for Evangelism at the
North Georgia Annual Conference.
After high school John played football for one year in college
and 3 years in semi-pro football. With little college and a new
wife he began a career as a builder. This plan was interrupted.
He was drafted in the US Army. When his duty was complete he
returned to Fort Lauderdale and began a career as a real estate
and insurance broker. When it began to look like success was
realized, he responded to his call to ministry, which he
occurred at age 16 and resurfaced while a member of the Pompano
Beach First United Methodist Church. With his wife Judy and
their 3 children he returned to college and spent the next 8
years in school and serving student appointments. Wolfe says
that the first Sunday he was to preach at his student
appointment (Bethel UMC in Tallahassee Florida) he had the deep
assurance that he was on the very place on the planet where God
wanted him to be and it has never changed…even a little!
John’s wife, The Reverend Judy C. Wolfe, M Div., BCC, served for
10 years as Oncology Chaplain, at Scottish Rite Children’s
Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia. In 1998 Judy established a
program of grief counseling and wrote and taught two courses on
grief, which are approved by Georgia State University for
professionals in their continuing education credit needs. These
courses called “Helping Yourself and Others Who Grieve” and
“Children, the Forgotten Griever” have been taught in numerous
places including local churches and at the conference level to
pastors. In addition to speaking, counseling, and leading
workshops all across the Southeast, Judy played a key role in
the remarkable growth of BUMC. She served as the Associate
Minister for 10 years. The Wolfe’s have three married children
and eight world-class grandchildren. 2009 they celebrated their
52nd wedding anniversary. They live in Canton, GA.
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M.Div. |
Candler School of Theology, Emory
University 1974
D.Min Studies ’74-77 |
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Elder |
Served in N Georgia Conference
since 1971(Full Connection 1980) |
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BA |
Florida State University 1971 |
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1993-2008 |
Senior Pastor, Birmingham United
Methodist Church |
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1990-present |
President of Methodist Hour
International |
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1977-1990 |
Senior associate pastor, Roswell
United Methodist Church, Roswell, Georgia. While serving
at Roswell, staff grew from three to 50 and membership
grew from 1,776 to 5,000. |
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1974-1976 |
Missions Director, Institute of
Church Renewal, Atlanta, Georgia and D-Min. Emory
University |
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1971-1974 |
New Hope UMC, Palmetto, Georgia
(Pastor) |
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1969-1971 |
Bethel UMC, Tallahassee, Florida
(Pastor) |
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1961-1969 |
Real Estate and Insurance Broker,
Pompano Beach, Florida |
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1960-1961 |
U. S. Army |
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 Judy
Wolfe
Judy Colyer Wolfe, MDiv., CT, BCC, ACC earned a B.A. in Psychology
and Religion from Mercer University ('84) and a Masters in
Theology from Emory University Candler School of Theology ('88).
Judy was ordained an Elder in Full Connection in the North
Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in ’91.
She served as the Associate Pastor of the Birmingham United
Methodist Church from 1998-2008. Before that, Judy completed
units in Basic and Advanced Clinical Pastoral Education at the
Tri-Hospital CPE Center. Subsequently, she served ten years
(1988-1998) as the Oncology Staff Chaplain at Children's
Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite (a special appointment by
the United Methodist Church). She completed her graduate grief
education and counseling through ADEC (Association for Death
Education and Counseling) and became a Certified Thanatologist
and Bereavement Facilitator. She has developed and taught grief
and loss education programs for the past 15 years in which
professionals are given continuing education credit by Georgia
State University. She is a Board Certified Chaplain in the
Academy of Certified Chaplains and an Academy Certified Master
Chaplain III in the American Psychotherapy Association. Before
this Judy served as Director of Youth Ministries at the Roswell
United Methodist Church and is a Certified Laboratory Trainer in
Youth Ministries for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United
Methodist Church.
Judy has extensive experience in pastoral care and counseling
specifically in the field of change, grief and loss. She
provides counseling for children, youth, and adults on how
changes that are not properly grieved impact one's life. Anxiety
issues, anger, stress, guilt, marital issues, divorce, learning
problems, depression, addictions and emotional problems are some
of the ways grief manifests itself. "Any change that impacts the
way one makes meaning in his/her life....calls for grieving."
Judy also has written two and teaches two courses approved by
Georgia State University for continuing education credit for
professionals. The courses are open to everyone who wants to
learn. “How to Help Yourself and Others Who Grieve” and “Children
the Forgotten Grievers”.
 Judy lives with her husband in an 1850 farm house in Canton,
Georgia. The Wolfe’s have three married children and 8
grandchildren.
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 Whitney
Dough
There is a river, tell them...
The Gospel is not a demand; it is an offer. It is Good
News. For years Whitney Dough has been telling Good News
about God's offer of grace in Jesus Christ. While a
soldier and bandsman at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, he conducted
a weekly radio broadcast for three years on WFNC, Fayetteville,
organized and led Youth For Christ rallies there, plus street
meetings at the Old Slave Market. Prior to military
service, Whit played in Percy Crawford's brass quartet on The
Young Peoples' Church of the Air on a network of over 800 radio
outlets. Efforts continued to "TELL THEM" during college
and seminary years. Whitney Dough organized a marvelous
male quartet and traveled all over the United States and the
Caribbean sharing Good News as he sang and preached.
During this six-year period Mr. Dough and the quartet produced a
spiritual radio broadcast called "Melodytime" heard on several
radio stations. Then came 19 years of pastoral preaching
in Florida. Whitney Dough was chosen by the Metropolitan
Fellowship of Churches in Miami to produce "The Protestant
Worship Hour", a color telecast on Channel 10. For five
years Mr. Dough was the proclaimer of the Gospel as the speaker
on this program. Dr. Herbert L. Bowdoin invited Whit to
join him in creating "Methodist Hour", an international radio
broadcast now heard by millions of people every week. Mr.
Dough also served for several years as Music Director of the
national Congress of Evangelism of the United Methodist Church.
Truly, Whitney Dough has tried to reach the multitudes with Good
News. What a joy to TELL THEM about Jesus!
"Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let
him take the free gift of the water of life". (REV.22:17)
YES, THERE IS A
RIVER!
On February 11,
2011 Whitney went home to be with the Lord. His ministry reached
millions of persons across his 41 years as producer of more than
4000 Methodist Hour program. He is deeply missed!
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