Rev. Dr. Victor Gómez was born in Mexico and raised in a Christian home with strong Wesleyan roots.  In 1991 Victor and his future wife, Heather, were both youth members of the Voices of Youth of the Virginia Conference when the group travelled to the World Methodist Conference in Singapore.

In 1993, Rev. Dr. Gómez came to Shenandoah University to study music.  He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition and fell in love with the Shenandoah Valley.  Right after he graduated, he married Heather who became his soul mate and partner in ministry.  Together they are raising one beautiful daughter. 

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They moved to Atlanta where he attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University and received a Master of Divinity.  He continued his studies and attended Columbia Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Theology.

He served the Virginia Council of Churches as the Executive Director of Rural Family Development, a ministry with over 180 employees, serving farm workers and their families through five migrant and seasonal head start centers, including one in Winchester.  He also worked with the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association as the interim executive director in Washington, D.C.  He is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and currently serves the Shenandoah River District as District Superintendent.

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Since 2011, he served and became an active part of the Winchester area as pastor, chaplain, and advocate.  He volunteered as chaplain for the Fire and Police Departments of Frederick County and the City of Winchester.  He was elected as the first President of the Latino Clergy Caucus in the Virginia Conference.  He is a faculty member of the Methodist Seminary in Cuba where he has already taught to more than 200 pastors.  He serves boards and agencies at Conference and District levels.  He holds a Doctor of Ministry in Public Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston.  He comes with strong Wesleyan theological roots and believes that Missions is vital for ministry and looks for opportunities to serve God and expand as far as possible.

Chad started working in the former Winchester District Office in August of 2017. He is a Licensed Local Pastor and has served churches of all sizes in the Virginia Conference as well as the Chaplain at Randolph-Macon Academy. Chad currently serves as the pastor of the Old Bethel-Welltown Cooperative Parish.

Chad graduated from James Madison University with a BBA in Hospitality and Tourism Management and Union Presbyterian Seminary with an M.Div and M.A. in Christian Education. Chad worked at Camp Overlook during the summers when he was in college. Chad serves on the Camp Overlook Board of Directors, the Conference Board of Higher Education, and the Conference Council on Youth Ministries. Chad has gone on and led several mission trips with local churches and the district. As a youth he participated in Voices of Youth and as an adult has gone as a
chaperone as well as led the team for 2 years.

Chad enjoys helping churches organize to make better use of their time and resources as well as connecting local churches to opportunities throughout the United Methodist connection. He is a Certified SAS Coach and UM Volunteer In Mission Team Leader. Chad lives in Winchester, VA.

Debbie began working as the Administrator for the former Harrisonburg District office in July, 2020 after serving as Support Staff for 16 years. She was the secretary for the Shenandoah Charge for 17+ years. Before moving to the Shenandoah Valley in 1999, she lived in Rocky Mount, VA and was the Accounting and Credit Manager for a hardwood flooring distributor.

Debbie is married to Rev. Stephen Creech, pastor at Manor Memorial UMC in New Market.  They have 3 children: Shaun Foley, Boston, Mass., Ashley Fink (Mike), Broadway, VA, and Timothy Creech (Amanda), Rocky Mount, VA; 4 grandchildren. The Creeches reside in Bridgewater.
 
Debbie and Stephen have served three churches on the Harrisonburg District; Shenandoah Charge, Bridgewater and Manor Memorial.  Debbie has written and directed Christmas and Easter Dinner/Dramas for 20 years and has a passion for drama and music and finding different avenues of worship for the people of God to show love to the community.

Rev. Jim Joyner is in his second year in the Shenandoah River District Office, now serving as a Director of Connectional Ministries.  Prior to that, he pastored two churches in Rockingham County starting in 2010. Jim and his wife Courtney currently live in Bridgewater with two sons Zach and Seth, two dogs Sunflower and Maple, and two cats Piper and Jinx.  Jim enjoys spending time in the woods, coaching his sons’ soccer teams, and gardening.