Meet the staff

Rev. John Haney,
Senior Pastor

Rev. John Haney has served extensively in Georgia since 1978. Rev. Haney was Ordained Elder in the South Georgia Conference in June of 1984. Rev. Haney has a B.A. in Religion from LaGrange College and a Masters of Divinity from Emory University, Candler School of Theology. He has served as Chaplin for the Jones County Sherriff’s Office, the Gray Police Department, Jones County Fire and Rescue, and Homeland Security, appointed by Governor Perdue. He was named Jones County Deputy of the Year, and received the Harry Denman Award for Evangelism. He has traveled to Israel, England, the Holy Land and Egypt. Rev. Haney is joined by his wife, Gale. They have two children, Beth, 22, and Matthew, 18.

Email John at revjohnhaney@bellsouth.net.

Rev. Jeanette Purvis,
Associate Pastor

We welcome our new Associate Pastor, Jeanette Purvis. She and her husband Richard have four children and seven grandchildren. Jeanette has been a member of the North Georgia Conference since 2000. The past two years she has been serving as Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Warrenton, Georgia.

Ronn Alford,
Director of Music Ministries

Our Director of Music Ministries, Ronn Alford, joins us from Tallahassee where he was involved in doctoral work at the school of music at Florida State University. Ronn has two Masters degrees, one in Church Music from Christian Theological Seminary and one in Choral Conducting from Butler University and received a Bachelors in Sacred Music from Florida Southern College. He has served churches in Florida, Indiana and Texas and is glad to return to Georgia (as a native of Valdosta) to strive for excellence in the pursuit of music in worship for White Bluff United Methodist Church.

You can e-mail Ronn at ronnalford@bellsouth.net

Ed Young, Director of Older Adult Ministries

Ed came to WBUMC in October of 1989 and has been very active in the life and leadership of White Bluff. He has served as Conference and District Driector of Lay Speaking and has filled the pulpit in numerous local churches. He aslo served on the Bishop's Initiative in East Africa working on the Humble Place project. Ed continues to serve on the District Lay Speaking Committee and is a member of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry. In December 2006, Ed successfully completed the requirements and was appointed Certified Lay Minister.

Ed, a.k.a. "Mr. Ed" has one daughter, Christine and a granddaughter, Stacy. Email Ed at edy1@bellsouth.net.

Suzanne Woodrum, Organist

Suzanne has been serving as organist at WBUMC since May 1986. Prior to then, she served as organist/choir director for Cokesbury UMC from Feb. 1968-April 1986. She has also played the organ at Spivey Hall for the special Chancel Choir tour. She accompanies all choirs and assists wherever needed with the music program. She has been on all Youth choir tours as accompanist. Suzanne also enjoys music with the preschool program at White Bluff.

She is a member of Georgia Music Educators Association (just completing two years as state president). She is also a member of the Savannah Chapter Georgia Music Teachers Association (having served two terms as president) and a member of the National Guild of Student Musicians as well as the American Guild of Organists.

Her husband is David Woodrum and they have three daughters and son-in-laws, Vicki and Earl Rogers, Michelle and Bryant Dunn, and Melanie and Chuck Montford and six grandchildren Zachary, Anna Grace and Matthew Montford and Madeline, Bryce, and Ross Dunn.

You can e-mail Suzanne at srwoodrum@aol.com.

Chip Barabas, Director of Youth & Young Adults

Linda Jackson , Church Secretary