Ministry Admin Team
Rev. James "Woody" Woodin
Following retirement from the United States Navy and a two-and-a-half-year stretch of secular employment, the Lord called me back into service. This time He called me to serve His Kingdom as a United Methodist Minister. I was appointed to my first charge in June of 1998, and I was appointed to the Upper Sand Mountain Parish in June of 2015. There is a tremendous and sometimes overwhelming amount of ministry with the poor here on Sand Mountain and I cherish this worshipful work. I also cherish the many mission partners we have across the Connection such as yourself without whom we could not sustain the level of ministry so desperately needed.
Executive Assistant & Director of Better Way Shoppe Operations
Born and Raised on Sand Mountain, Cyndi has been at the Parish since July of 2007. Prior to being hired at USMP, Cyndi brought with her over a decade of experience in retail management. “I have enjoyed working in the retail environment for thirty years. I felt God was leading me here. The Parish does as God instructs his followers to do in Matthew. I really enjoy taking donations and cleaning, organizing, and displaying them in our thrift stores. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, making our stores look better than just another thrift store. I love the Lord and have been blessed throughout my life. I pray I can use my talents to further God’s kingdom and help those who are hurting and in need.” Supervising about 15 employees that take in donations, sort them, display them in the stores, and driving sales is what takes the majority of her time. We then take those proceeds to help support the different missions at USMP.
Director of Finanical Services
In 2003, right out of high school, Kristi began work at Home Depot as a cashier and then quickly moved to the bookkeeping department counting daily cash drawers and running sales reports. She began volunteering at USMP in 2007 and was hired in 2010 as the executive assistant. That same year, she graduated college with a B.S. degree in Human Resource Management. After a year away with another company as an HR supervisor she returned to USMP in 2015 into her current position. “Everything about the parish just feels like home. The staff and volunteers have become my family and I cannot imagine working anywhere else. This is God’s work, and my heart is devoted to being his servant helping the people of Sand Mountain.” Kristi’s role at USMP is to count and record daily sales from all 4 thrift stores and all monetary donations. With almost 10 years of experience at USMP, she also helps in the front office and serves as backup for any volunteer position.
Operations Manager for Better Way Shoppes
I have been blessed to be part of the USMP since September 2014. I have lived on Sand Mountain my entire life and have raised my family here. I have been on both sides of the doors of the USMP, both as a receiver and giver of services. It has come full circle for me. Each time I see us helping families in need, it makes my job very full-filling. I have worked with the public income form for almost 2 decades. As the On-site manager, for the 3 Better Way Shoppes and sorting room it demands a variety of tasks, that vary from day to day. I find myself balancing sales, in-store promotions, scheduling, semi-annual employee reviews, displays, and helping the warehouse manager oversee proper storage of off-season holiday and clothing items and assist in loading and delivering merchandise to all stores. In the summers, I spend a lot of time with mission service teams. We are always learning and growing with each other while serving our mission.