Our Church Staff:
Pastor
Rev. Bruce Nettleton
Bruce Nettleton was appointed to First United Methodist Church in June of 2011. Bruce is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Architecture and Asbury Theological Seminary. He began preaching in the Methodist Church in 1989, and is committed to sound Biblical teaching and fostering healthy ministries in the church.
Associate Pastor / Wesley Foundation Director
Rev. Eliza Love
Eliza Love joined Richmond First United Methodist Church as Associate Pastor and Director of the Wesley Foundation at Eastern Kentucky University in July 2024. A native Kentuckian, Eliza graduated from Birmingham-Southern College before earning her Master of Divinity from Duke University. She also received a certificate in Ecumenical Studies from the World Council of Churches Bossey Ecumenical Institute and the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
Eliza first felt called to ministry as a camper and summer staff member at Aldersgate Camp and Retreat Center, where she fostered a deep passion for faith formation and community building. She can be found cheering on her favorite sports teams, playing basketball, needlepointing, curating Spotify playlists, traveling, getting lost in a good book, or golfing. Eliza would love the
opportunity to get to know you over a cup of coffee!
Youth and Children’s Minister
Amanda Bonner
Amanda grew up in Alabama before moving to Kentucky in 2007 to attend Asbury Theological Seminary, completing a Masters of Arts in Youth Ministry in 2010. Before she started serving as the Children’s Coordinator at Richmond First UMC in 2021, Amanda served, along with her husband, over a decade in the Christian camping industry, including UMC Camp Tekoa in Hendersonville, NC, and Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center in Ravenna, KY. Amanda and her husband are also licensed foster parents through the State of Kentucky, and in 2021 adopted their first son. She loves seeing children grow, flourish, and know that they are loved, adored, and welcomed by the Creator of the universe. Don’t be too surprised if she greets you with a “War Eagle” or starts talking college football as she is very passionate about the Auburn Tigers. When she has the opportunity, Amanda enjoys traveling and capturing the beauty of the world through lens of her camera.
Financial Officer / Office Manager
Jane Yerace
Jane has called Kentucky home since 2007. Prior to that, she lived in Northern Virginia and worked for the Department of Defense for more than 35 years. Richmond FUMC has been her church home since 2007 and she loves that she is able to support the church in this position. Jane is an avid University of Louisville football fan and a St. Louis Cardinal Baseball fan. She is a mom to three adult children and two grandsons. She is a quilting enthusiast and is learning to machine embroidery.
Music Ministries Coordinator
John Stegner
John Stegner hails from New Carlisle, Ohio. His Bachelors and Masters degrees are from Eastern Kentucky University, in Richmond, accompanied by a year at Wichita State University. He also holds a Rank I certificate in Education, from the University of Kentucky and has participated in numerous, other educational pursuits, including performing with Maestro, Robert Shaw, at the Westminster Choir College for three consecutive summers.
As a music educator for over 40 years in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, his choirs were featured at the Kentucky Music Educators Association In-Service Conferences, the American Choral Directors Association Conferences; they performed throughout Central and Eastern US, and were selected as “Best in Class” at several National and International Choral Festivals.
After retirement, John taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Kentucky. He currently teaches at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, where he initiated the choral music program, and at the University of the Cumberlands, in Williamsburg, where he teaches choral methods and voice.
His music ministry at the First United Methodist Church, in Richmond, is preceded by similar stints throughout his years in Kentucky, which include the First Baptist Church, in Mt. Sterling, the First Christian Church, in Mt. Sterling, Centenary United Methodist Church, in Lexington, Broadway Christian Church, in Lexington, and First Christian Church, in Richmond.
Mr. Stegner enjoys hobbies, such as photography, riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, boating on Lake Cumberland, and flying a powered parachute.