Staff

Youth and Children’s Ministry Coordinator

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.

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.