Loving God. Loving Others.
First UMC Mount Dora is a passionate community of believers that grows the faith of individuals, worships with purpose, and loves extravagantly. Our tagline represents the impact we strive to have on our community through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness.
Our Services
We hold two styles of service: a contemporary style and a traditional style. Both can be attended in-person and online.
Contemporary Service: 9:30am
A modern approach to worship, with creative presentations and music you might hear on Christian radio. Worship is led by our Praise Team, a live band of drums, guitar, piano, and vocals.
Traditional Service: 8:00am and 11:00am
Features traditional liturgy, affirmations of faith, and hymns from the United Methodist Hymnal. Worship is led by our Celebration Choir and our pipe organ played by church organist Mary Ann Hallowell.
Meet Our Staff
Rev. Dr. David Averill
Senior Pastor
david@mtdorafumc.org
A Florida native, David has served for 11 years in pastoral ministry, and before that, 5 years in program ministry. He holds several degrees, including a doctorate from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He also serves as a Florida Army National Guard chaplain at Camp Blanding in Starke, Florida. He and Alesia, a native of Belarus, have been married since 2012. They have two young children, Daniel and Amelia.
Janet Westlake
Minister of Discipleship
janet@mtdorafumc.org
With over 30 years in ministry, Janet has served in a variety of churches and mission fields. She was consecrated as a Diaconal Minister and certified as a Minister of Christian Education and Youth Ministry in 1997. She is a graduate of Taylor University and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Bob McLeary
Director of Music & Worship
music@mtdorafumc.org
Growing up in the United Methodist Church, Bob has served in local church ministry for over 25 years. Music has always been a strong component on his faith journey, and he has been blessed by God’s leadership in various choral and instrumental ensembles around the Southeast. Originally from Tennessee, Bob is happy to credit his musical heritage to his family, his Sunday School teachers, and his music mentors that always used the same phrase, “Let’s sing another song!”
Amanda Green
Director of Children & Family Ministries
family@mtdorafumc.org
Amanda’s journey in ministry began as a teenager in the church nursery and evolved into a deep calling in Preschool Ministry and Children’s Ministry. She has a degree in Early Childhood and Management and continues studying Pastoral Ministry at Emory University. Along with her husband and her two adult sons, Amanda eager to make a lasting impact on the lives of others.
Joshua Collins
Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries
youth@mtdorafumc.org
Josh Collins has served in student ministry and worship leadership in several churches around the state of Florida. Josh shares these words about his call to ministry: “My passion is to see the ‘Great Commission’ come to life. No matter where God calls me, He calls me to make disciples. My skills in music and my joy for spending time with students have been the ‘looking glass’ through which the ‘Great Commission’ has been visible in my life of ministry.”
Church Staff
Meria Echavaria
Office Administrator
office@mtdorafumc.org
Debbie Sprague
Treasurer
office@mtdorafumc.org
Kathy Tanner
Financial Secretary
Tracey Nichols
Maintenance Manager
Mary Ann Hallowell
Organist
Joshua Bonner
Praise Team Leader
Peyton Hyland
Lead Nursery Attendant
Rheya Tanner
Website Coordinator