The Rev. Margaret Rountree has been serving as the Lead Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Plant City since January 1, 2025. She grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), where she first felt the Holy Spirit calling her to full-time, ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church. She attended the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she received her Master of Divinity degree. While in seminary, she served as the Pastoral Intern at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church as well as at the Madison Youth Ranch of the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, now Residing Hope. From July 2021 to December 2024, she served as the Associate Pastor of St. Petersburg First United Methodist Church in downtown St. Petersburg, FL. She is a fully ordained elder in the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Margaret is married to Chris, and they are the proud dog parents to their three-year-old, mischievous beagle named Marty McFly. Chris is employed at Global Payments Inc. and is the Manager of Applications System Development. Outside her pastoral duties, Margaret finds joy in family time, pickleball, running, the gym, and spending as much time as possible in God’s beautiful creation.

Pastor Margaret is committed to building a welcoming and vibrant church family, where individuals are encouraged to grow in their faith and to serve others. She believes in the power of prayer, the importance of Biblical teaching and preaching, the calling of the church to spread the Good News of the Gospel, and to be a light in the world. She is looking forward to all that God has in store for the people of First UMC of Plant City in this new season of ministry.

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Pastor Dennis was hired as Associate Pastor in 2014 after retirement where he served as Senior Pastor for sixteen years at the Thonotosassa United Methodist Church.

Pastor Dennis has a BA in Psychology from the University of South Florida and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. He served four years in the United States Air Force. He served on the District Leadership Council for fifteen years representing small church ministries and four years as chairperson of the committee for small church ministries for the Florida Conference.

Pastor believes the purpose of the Church is the Great Commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28:19.

Pastor Dennis is married to Virginia (Ginny) Roebuck and they have five adult children and eight grandchildren.

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Connie has the sometimes daunting task of keeping the administrative functions humming while also ensuring that important information is pushed out via social media, our weekly newsletter, and other means.

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Susan Daniels began as Director of Music Ministries in September 2022.  Prior to September, Susan was the Assistant Director of Music Ministries for the past year along with being the keyboard/vocalist for the contemporary service for the past twelve years.

Susan was raised in the United Methodist Church while growing up in New York.  After graduating from high school, she moved to Florida.  She earned a BA in Biblical Studies from Trinity College of Florida on a full music scholarship.  

In addition to the church music ministry, Susan has been a piano teacher for over twenty-five years, a piano accompanist for many schools, instrumentalists, choirs and various music venues. She also earned her Real Estate license and is currently a realtor with Keller Williams.

Susan embraces the importance of knowing the difference between performance and worship. Performance is for man’s entertainment and enjoyment.  In worship, man takes action to show love, loyalty and adoration to our precious Heavenly Father.

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Richard came to First United Methodist Church of Plant City as the organist in July of 1998. Prior to this, he served as the organist at First United Methodist Church of Tampa from 1973-1998. Prior to that, he was the pianist/organist at his home church, Grace United Methodist Church, Tampa from 1948-1973. Richard studied the pipe organ with Norma Dobson at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Tampa, with Murdoch Beaton at First United Methodist Church of Tampa, and with Margaret McAlister at First Presbyterian Church, Tampa. 

We are certainly blessed to have such a talented and experienced organist as part of our staff here at First United Methodist Church of Plant City. 

Jason “J” Nesvacil is a passionate visual arts educator, multimedia technician, and community servant whose life has been shaped by creativity, faith, and a deep commitment to helping others grow. J brings over a decade of experience in art education, having taught middle school, high school, and college-level courses in both traditional and virtual settings. He holds a Master of Education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he also founded the Art Education Student Organization and earned multiple academic honors, and has just finished his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Tampa.

Beyond the classroom, J has served for the past four years as the livestream technician for First United Methodist Church, where he ensures the seamless broadcast of worship services and special events. His work in this role reflects not only his technical expertise but also his dedication to faith and community. J was baptized and confirmed at his local Lutheran church in Illinois as a child, and his spiritual foundation continues to guide his personal and professional life.

Whether guiding students through the creative process, supporting his church’s digital ministry, or engaging in community service, J brings heart, vision, and a steadfast commitment to everything he does.

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Larry has been following Jesus since early childhood—his journey beginning when he was placed on the church’s cradle roll at just 26 days old. Around the age of five, a conversation with his mother about the brokenness of the world sparked a life-changing realization: that God had come down to save sinners. That moment marked the true beginning of his personal faith journey. 

Larry graduated from Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University) with a BA in Theology. He also served in resort ministries and continued his theological studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he met his wife, Diana. They have been married since 1988 and are the proud parents of two adult children.

Larry began attending First United Methodist Church in 2018 and became a member the following year. He now serves as a sound technician for all church services. His hope is that through worship and sound ministry, others will experience the presence of God and be drawn into a deeper relationship with Christ.

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Sandra serves as our Facilities Manager, helping ensure that our church campus is clean, safe, and welcoming for all who enter. She oversees the day-to-day care of the buildings, coordinates with outside vendors and contractors, and reports any facility issues that need attention. Her work supports the ministries of our church by creating a space where people can worship, serve, and grow together in faith.