Greetings from Pastor Bob Vale.

Let me tell you a bit about Nancy and myself.  We have been in Methodist ministry for 28 years. My favorite bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge God, and the Lord will direct your paths.”  We have found in our 38 years of marriage together, that the Lord has guided our steps in life and ministry.

Both of us were born into military families.  I was born on the east coast as a child of a Marine and Nancy was born on the west coast as a child of an Airforce military family.   We both met at Fort Wayne Bible College.  She studied to become a schoolteacher and I to become a youth pastor.    

I joined the U.S. Army and served as a helicopter mechanic and served in Stuttgart, Germany, and the First Gulf War.   Following my service with the military, we ended up in Savannah, Georgia, where I started in youth ministry with the Methodist Church in a small town called Springfield, Georgia.   I then started and completed my seminary master’s degree in divinity at Erskine Theological Seminary.   

Our next stop was with the United Methodist Church in South Bend, Indiana, where I served at the Clay UMC as the youth pastor and Praise and worship leader.  Nancy started teaching in the South Bend School system.   My first senior pastor position was at Argos UMC, Osceola UMC, and La Porte FUMC.   Now the Indiana Bishop has called me to serve at the Middlebury FUMC.  We are delighted and excited to join and partner with you in ministry. 

We have two children and their spouses.  Rebecca is a Purdue University graduate and is currently working in civil engineering in the Washington D.C. area, while her husband Will, is also a Purdue University graduate and is working on the staff of a congressman on capitol hill.  Will is also going through law school at Syracuse University.   Our son Joshua is a Bethel College graduate and is working in the insurance field.  His wife, Phun Quinn, just completed Physician Assistant school and they are both working in the Wilmington, North Carolina area. We are so proud of all four of them. 

My hobbies include fishing, kayaking, camping in the boundary waters, singing and playing guitar and playing racquetball. Nancy’s hobbies include gardening, caring for our dog and two cats, reading a good book, and playing the piano.  We both enjoy riding our bikes.

We look forward to getting to know you and learning your story/journey in life.   Blessings to you and your family as we journey this Christian life together.

Pastor Bob & Nancy Vale

Hello, my name is Nancy Vale and I am the Hand Bell music director.   My husband is pastor Bob. My full-time job: I am a full-time 4th grade elementary school teacher. We have two wonderful adult children who are married and live on the East Coast.  My hobbies include gardening, playing piano, bugs & animals of all kinds, and working with the children here at the church.  The handbell choir generally performs on the third Sunday of the month and takes the summer months off.  If you would like to join the handbell ministry, we would love to have you.  We practice in the choir room on Wednesday evenings for an hour at 6 p.m.  (Directly after the Wednesday church fellowship meal at 5:30 p.m.)   Please email me to let me know if you wish to join us. My email is n63vale@gmail.com You can also contact me at 574-339-8143.

email: admin@fumcmiddlebury.org

Hi, I'm Jeanne Weaver.  I have been the administrative assistant at Middlebury First United Methodist Church since June 2013.  Before working at the church I stayed at home to homeschool my daughter and before that I worked in a corporate office in Elkhart as a computer programmer and network administrator.  My interests are music, computers, boating, and dogs! I live in Middlebury with my husband and we have a daughter who is married and has 2 children.  We also have a very high-spirited dog named Phineas!  If you have any questions about FUMC Middlebury, don't hesitate to email or call the church office.  

Joshua graduated from Mendon High School in 2014 and Bethel College in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian ministries, emphasizing youth ministries and adolescent studies. He previously served as Youth Pastor at Jamestown and Faith United UMC.  currently serves as Street Outreach Case Manager and Safe Place Coordinator for the Youth Service Bureau of Saint Joseph County. Josh looks forward to building and establishing relationships with the youth!

Hi!  My name is Kortnee Singer and I am serving as the Children’s Ministry Director.  I grew up in Wabash, IN but have lived in the Elkhart Co. area since 2015.  I am in my 8^th year of working as a pediatric speech therapist for Goshen Hospital.  As an SLP, my passions include working with children who have developmental disabilities, are deaf/hard-of-hearing, and helping non-verbal children communicate through ASL/communication devices.  I live in Goshen with my dog, Ella, and my cat, Minnie.  My hobbies include road biking, teaching special needs dance classes, clogging, kayaking, and doing LEGOs/puzzles with friends. I have been involved in children’s/youth ministry for several years, especially within the camping ministry.  I have served as a camp director with Camp Lakewood for the last several summers, and I also serve on the INUMC Board of Camps and Retreats.  We welcome your children to join us each Sunday for Children’s Church Connect from 10:10-10:50 and again for Children’s Church Remix during our 11:00 Praise and Worship Service.  We also have a staffed nursery for your infants/toddlers during both services. I can be reached by email at speechie.1991@gmail.com or by phone at (260) 571-9009.