First United Methodist Church-New Albany Welcomes New Pastor

New Albany, MS– June 20, 2016

First United Methodist Church is pleased to announce and welcome Dr. Tim Prather as the church’s new Senior Pastor.  June 26 will be Dr. Prather’s first Sunday at First Methodist Church.

Dr. Prather graduated from McNairy Central High School in Selmer, Tennessee.   He earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 1996 from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.  He earned a Master of Science in Speech Communication from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg in 1997.  In 2015, he earned a Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary.  This past spring, Dr. Prather earned his Doctor of Ministry from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Tim Prather, his wife Cheryl and their children, Jack and Caroline

Dr. Prather has more than 12 years of successful ministry experience, serving as pastor of churches in Avon and Glen Allan in the Mississippi Delta region (2008-2011) and Purvis and Talowah in south Mississippi (2011-2016).  He also served as associate pastor of First United Methodist Church-Tupelo from 2004-2008,

Dr. Prather and his wife Cheryl have two children:  Jack and Caroline.  He enjoys tennis, biking, and reading and is excited about being a part of the New Albany tennis community.

“Our family is very excited about the opportunity to come to New Albany,” Prather said.  “First United Methodist Church has a long history of being a place where God is worshipped and disciples are made, and I’ve heard so many stories about how the church has a heart for mission.”  Prather added that his family is looking forward to meeting everyone and getting involved in the community.