Led by Pastor Stephen Poore, Welborne United Methodist Church is celebrating 70 years of ministry in our community. Our church is a proud member of the United Methodist Denomination and to find out what we believe click here!
Welborne worships on Sundays at 10 am and has a modern feel in a traditional setting with different generations combining in a service that includes traditional and contemporary music.
Welborne United Methodist Church believes that everyone is a child of God. We welcome and affirm all persons without regard to gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, national origin, faith tradition, age, diverse ability, marital status, economic condition, or anything else which threatens to divide God’s family.
Meet our Team
Rev. Stephen Poore
Pastor
Bio Here
Stephen Poore is a pastor whose diverse experiences have cultivated a unique and effective approach to ministry. Following his Bachelor’s degree, Stephen toured with a band before pursuing his Master of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary. His early ministry involved the successful development of a thriving college program and the pastoral leadership of a large student ministry.
Driven by a passion for creating new faith communities, Stephen planted a church in Richmond that quickly established itself as a welcoming and engaged congregation, growing from its initial meetings in his living room into a large, sustainable community. More recently, he demonstrated his commitment to re-missioning by skillfully guiding the merger of two churches, resulting in the flourishing of Common Table Church. Stephen’s leadership, informed by his varied life experiences and theological education, is characterized by an ability to connect with people, foster collaboration, and inspire growth in various contexts.
Bio Here
Valerie Pineda moved to Richmond in 2017 and is thrilled to share her love of all styles of music with the community at Welborne. In New Jersey she was co-founder and Director of the Pineda Conservatory and Executive Director of the Pineda Lyric Opera Company. She has been honored in Union County NJ with the Women’s Business Leader award. With these nonprofits, over 1,000 teens participated in a tuition free opera program and youth from throughout NJ participated in theater classes and performances with professional area artists. She has been acknowledged by the NJ State Council for the Arts for her outstanding contributions to music in arts education. With the NJ Workshop for the Arts, Ms. Pineda worked as musical director and conductor for numerous musicals and taught at the Union County Performing Arts High School for 7 years. She has directed, produced, musical-directed, and taught voice throughout New York and New Jersey. As a soprano, Ms. Pineda is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and also studied at the Boston Conservatory. She has soloed in Boston Symphony Hall, and PNC Arts Center and appeared with many regional opera companies. Ms. Pineda is a registered NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) voice instructor.
Bio Here
Mel (she/her) is our Director of Children and Youth Ministries here at Welborne UMC. She is a second-year MDIV/MACE dual degree student at Union Presbyterian Seminary (Richmond Campus). Mel is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College and a candidate for ordained ministry in the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Halloween is her favorite holiday, so she loves hosting trunk or treats and hanging with youth at Fall retreats!
Heather Gibrall
Preschool Director
Courtney Coyle
Preschool Admin
Eddie Janssen
Buildings & Grounds Asst.