Marcus Portis
Senior Pastor

Jan and I became the Parsonage Family on July 2012. I am a graduate of High Point University and Duke Divinity School. Jan recently retired from teaching. We were married on May 30, 2009. I have two daughters, Joanna and Sarah. Joanna is a graduate of Greensboro College and teaches Art in the Forsyth County School System in Winston-Salem. Sarah is a graduate of High Point University and Queens University in Charlotte. She is an OR Nurse at CMC Main in Charlotte. Jan has a son, Jeremy, who lives in California with his wife, Stephanie, and three grandsons. We believe God brought us here to Bethpage. We are excited about what God is doing in our church as we share the journey of faith together.

I became Youth Director and Assistant Pastor at Bethpage United Methodist Church in 2004. I am a graduate of Appalachian State University and I have completed the Duke Divinity School Course of Study program. My wife Valerie and I were high school sweethearts and were married in 1986. We have two children. Our daughter Jordan graduated from Appalachian State University and our son Jonathan attends Concord High School. I was born in Concord and have spent most of my life in Concord and Kannapolis. My ministry at Bethpage has been a blessing to me through serving Christ and the people of the church. I am proud to be a part of such a loving church that reaches out to the community.If you are looking for a church, I would like to personally invite you to worship with us here at Bethpage.

Laura Smith

Director of Music Ministry

I have served as Director of Music Ministries at Bethpage since 2015. I felt the call from God to serve Him through music at a very young age. As an answer to that call, I graduated from Pfeiffer College with a degree in Church Music, and have been involved in music ministries since then. In addition to being the director of all of the music groups at Bethpage, I also serve as Worship and Music Leader during our services. My husband Tommy and I were married in 2012 and are glad to have found such a loving church family that is vibrant and active in the surrounding community.

I've been employed at Bethpage since Jan. 1997 in the most satisfing job I can imagine. Through children's ministries, I experience the joy of sharing Bible stories and watching kids mature and grow into adults. As an adult Christian educator, I share in the excitement as disciples mature in spirit and truth through Bible study. As a Stephen leader, I am awed as I watch ministers use their training to care for hurting adults. As an administrator, I have the satisfaction of watching volunteers leaders experience the joy of success because they have responded to the call of God.

I've been married for 40 years to Mike Kennedy.  Together we raised a precious son and daughter. We currently enjoy 2 grandsons (Ashton, age 13) and (Bryndon, age 7), and a sweet Scottish terrier named Gus.

Life has had plenty of ups, downs and hair-pin turns, but I thank God for a great ride.

Lisa Brown

Pianist

Dorris Holloway

Organist