Rev. Donna Banks (she/her) ______________
Senior Pastor
Upon graduation from Duke Divinity School, she joined the staff as the Associate Pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill. She also served appointments as the senior pastor at Saint Francis United Methodist Church in Cary, NC and Evergreen United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, NC, as well as District Superintendent for the Corridor District of the North Carolina Conference and Director of Student Life at Duke Divinity School. Prior to her call to ministry, Donna has previous experience from her 16-year career in the chemical industry, which afforded her the opportunity to have a succession of roles as a research chemist and in corporate sales, marketing and management. Donna is married with two daughters.
Rev. Eric Prenshaw (he/him) ______________
Associate Pastor
Eric began his ministry at Epworth in July 2024. He has served in full-time ministry for over 13 years in settings ranging from urban to suburban to rural. Most recently he served as lead pastor at Mt. Bethel UMC in Bahama and before that as associate pastor at Aldersgate UMC in Durham. Eric is passionate about nurturing the worship life of the congregation, growing young disciples through children and youth ministry, and connecting with the local community through mission. He also enjoys using music and the arts as an avenue to spiritual formation and fostering opportunities to care for creation.
Eric is married to his wife Carley and the have two young daughters. A native of Knoxville, TN, he continues to cheer for the Tennessee volunteers. He is an avid runner, loves the outdoors, and enjoys playing guitar and drinking good coffee. Eric loves Jesus Christ and loves helping others grow in their faith. His favorite scripture verse is Ephesians 3:16-19.
Rev. Amanda Fleishman Wilson (she/her)
Coordinator of Children’s Ministries
Amanda came to Epworth in November 2016 as Coordinator of Children’s Ministries. She is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, an ordained United Methodist Deacon, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a small counseling practice serving low-income individuals and families. Amanda grew up in Maryland and Virginia but is blessed to have married a lifelong Tar Heel, J.D. They have two children. Amanda is passionate about building cross-cultural relationships, seeking both personal and social transformation by God’s grace, and helping kids grow in God’s love through the stories of the Bible and through their daily lives
Rita Bennett
(she/her) ______________
Traditional worship director
Rita joined Epworth in April 2024 as the Director of Music Ministry. She was raised on gospel music in the southern part of Ohio and earned her first degree in Music Education from Marshall University. There she gained experience in conducting and choral music. She pursued a Masters in Music in piano performance from Bowling Green State University, and later entered Duke Divinity School to earn a Master Degree in Church Ministry concentrating on courses in Spirituality. Over her years in music ministry she has served several area churches, including Orange UMC, Swepsonville UMC, St. Paul UMC and an extended internship at Union Grove UMC. For the past fifteen years she has served at Bethel UMC in Bethel, NC. Rita has concurrently taught band, chorus, and/or general music in the public schools, served as Music Director for several theater productions at Barton College, and also served as an adjunct professor at Nash Community College teaching Introduction to Jazz, Music Appreciation, and Drama 101/201. Rita has a passion for musical theater and traveling. She has been a part of over 40 musical productions and is on a quest to visit all 63 of the U.S. National Parks.
Everett Gardner
(he/him) ______________
Contemporary worship director
Everett is the contemporary music director at Epworth United Methodist Church and has been serving since September 2023. Growing up in Upstate New York, music has always been a large part of Everett’s life. He loves leading worship with his singing and plays multiple instruments including guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, and drums. While studying psychology and religion-philosophy at both the undergraduate and graduate level at Roberts Wesleyan College, Everett has followed a call to spread God’s love to others through word, service, and music. Everett was a founding member of the Christian Rock group Index Patient and acted as a worship leader in numerous college ministries and local churches in Upstate NY prior to moving to North Carolina in 2006. After working as a school psychologist and worship minister in Person County for several years, Everett felt a call to vocational ministry. Everett served as a student pastor at Duke’s Chapel UMC from 2014 to 2018 while attending Duke Divinity School and then as a full-time licensed local pastor at New Brook UMC from 2018 through 2020. Feeling called back into bi-vocational ministry, Everett currently works for Durham Public Schools as a school psychologist in addition to his work at Epworth UMC.
Everett lives with his wife of 20 years, Amanda, and his two high school boys (who refuse to stop growing). In his free time, Everett enjoys collecting, restoring, and selling guitars for new musicians. He loves traveling, playing video games, and working out with his family. In addition to his musical passions, Everett is an avid Duke fan and has been a Patriots fan since before the Brady era. He and Amanda enjoy opening their home so their friends and church can enjoy fellowship together.
Eileen Snyder
(she/her) ______________
Organist/Pianist
Eileen grew up making music in the church in her hometown of Raleigh, NC. While getting a piano performance degree at East Carolina University, she began filling in as an interim pianist at churches in eastern NC. Through this, she discovered a passion for sacred music and eventually settled at Red Oak Christian Church in 2018. After three years of graduate school in the cold north state of Michigan, where she studied organ with Prof. Hae Won Jang at Michigan State and served as choir director and staff pianist at First Presbyterian Church of Dimondale, she returned to the Triangle in 2024. She values representing as many voices as possible in the repertoire she prepares for service.
Eileen also teaches composition at Bradley University and writes music for video games. In her (blessedly few) free moments, she enjoys running, reading sci-fi novels, and singing karaoke a little too seriously.
Dona Gamble
Administrative Secretary
Dona Gamble was born in Fitzgerald, Georgia. After graduating from The University of Georgia, teaching 5th grade, and marrying Don, she began working as a church secretary at First UMC, Myrtle Beach, S.C. After moving to Durham, she began working at Epworth and enjoys working on the newsletter and bulletins each week, supporting other staff members in their ministries, and helping those who call, email, or stop by the office. She enjoys her children and grandchildren, traveling, watching football (Go Dawgs), and basketball (Go Duke).
Meg Hemingway Bass
Financial Manager
Meg was born in Elizabethtown, NC to long-time Epworth members, Pat and John (Alden) Hemingway. She attended Epworth Kindergarten in 1964 and was taught by Hilda Moone. She grew up overseas in Mexico City, Mexico; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Brussels, Belgium as her dad worked in the International Division of Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company. She graduated from Duke University in 1981 with a BA in Psychology. She has two children, Lewis IV and Emily who are both life-long members of Epworth. Meg loves to read, pull for her Blue Devils and stays busy caring for her dogs, Elmo and Edsel.
Hailey Reed
(she/her)
Communications and AV Coordinator
Hailey grew up in a small town in South Carolina and at eighteen she started working at her home church as a youth minister and social media manager. After graduating from Francis Marion University with a degree in political science in 2021, she moved to Durham. She started attending Epworth in July of 2023 and became the communications and AV coordinator in July of 2024. Her goal is to go to seminary and become a chaplain. In her spare time, she loves playing video games, spending time with her friends, watching and making TikToks, and taking care of her cat Millie. An avid sports fan, she loves supporting the Gamecocks in literally every sport possible. The thing Hailey enjoys most about her job at Epworth is the ability to explore her creativity and design graphics for social media and announcements.
Leigh Furman
Epworth Preschool Director
Leigh joined us as Preschool Director in July 2017. She moved to Durham in 2002 and started at Epworth Preschool as a parent in 2003. Leigh began teaching in the preschool in 2008. She graduated from UNC-CH in 1996 with a BA in Psychology. While her husband, Jeff, was in the Navy, Leigh received her Masters in Leadership of Teaching in 2001.
Leigh is Tar Heel born but spent most of her childhood in New Bern, NC. She and Jeff were thrilled to settle in the Durham/Chapel Hill area to raise their three children, Abby, Molly, and Will. When Leigh is not at Epworth, she enjoys spending time with her family. They love to go for family hikes but more often you can find Leigh on the sidelines of soccer games, watching tennis matches, on deck at swim meets, and cheering for the Tar Heels.
Theresa Shebalin
Nursery Coordinator
Theresa grew up in Florida but considers Durham “home.” She moved to the Triangle area in 2001 to pursue a PhD in archaeology at UNC, which she completed in 2011. Theresa now works as a 5th grade science teacher and swim coach at Durham Academy, runs archaeology summer camps in Morganton, NC, and of course cares for Epworth’s youngest members on Sunday mornings. She rarely has “spare” time, but when she does, you’ll find her playing with her son, Stefan.