Dustin Wilhite
Head Pastor
Dustin came to Aldersgate Abilene after serving as the pastor at Grace Methodist Church in Alamogordo, NM. Dustin has a BA in Literature and History from East Central University and a MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary. Dustin is passionate about preaching and teaching. He enjoys getting to know people and forming relationships. The relational part of ministry brings him a deep sense of joy and connectedness with his brothers and sisters in Christ. Dustin is married to Myranda and has four daughters - Mykaylee, Addyson, EmmaLee, and Palynn. Dustin loves working in the yard and has a collector's heart. Ask him about his collections and he will never stop talking!
Samantha Spencer
Church Administration
Samantha has been a member of Aldersgate Abilene Methodist Church for several years and accepted the position as Church Administrator in early 2023. Samantha previously worked in the grocery retail industry with United Supermarkets, closing 15 years of service as the Talent Relations Manager at Market Street. She earned the Career and Technical Association of Texas award for Abilene ISD in the Spring of 2022 through her mentoring with the local high schools and the AISD Career and Technical Education programs. Samantha is passionate that people come first. Keeping people first enable her to serve the congregation, staff, and those who visit the Academy and Aldersgate to the best of her abilities. Her role has many different focuses, but each comes with building new connections and problem solving, which she truly enjoys. Samantha is married to Jay and they have a daughter named Aspen. In her spare time. She enjoys painting (mixed media), gardening, and mystery puzzles.
Leah Holamon
Office Ministry
Leah has been at Aldersgate since August of 2021. Leah loves people and truly sees her position as a ministry, not just a run of the mill job. Leah has an Associates in Data Processing and a background in IT, having previously served as the Help Desk Manager at a local university. Later, she became a stay at home mom as well as a community volunteer and helped run two successful businesses. Leah has a heart of peace and loves to help and serve. She enjoys being a mother to her four daughters (Larrah, Korie, Salem, and Raina) and Lolly to her granddaughter Sadie. Leah is an avid reader, loves to write, and hopes to publish a book one day. In her free time, Leah loves to spend time with family and loved ones, playing games, and going to concerts.
Cheri Bates
Family Ministry
Cheri came to Aldersgate in July 2021 after previously being the Director of Abilene Learning Academy. She has an Associates in Child Development and loves watching the eyes of children light up and hearing them tell their parents what they've learned in Children's Church and Sunday School. Cheri and her partner Kenny love their church home. Cheri is the mother to two children - Breck (26) and Maggie (22) who attends Tarleton. In her spare time Cheri loves to cook, bake, and shop. Cheri has a creative spirit and loves planning family events at Aldersgate. She also loves watching the family ministry children and teens doing the things they love. You can often find her watching them playing basketball and baseball as well as participating in other activities.
Jon Hayden
College and Media Ministry
Jon is passionate about reaching out and ministering to people digitally. Covid changed many ways the world interacted and furthered the digital age. This has allowed ministry to be done via digital media in a multitude of ways. Jon has a Bachelors in Digital Entertainment from Abilene Christian University and has started working towards a Masters of Christian Arts and Ministry. Previously Jon was the Senior Sound Technician at Abilene Christian University and University Church of Christ. Jon is close with his family, as well as his wife and her parents, sister, niece, and grandmother. In his downtime, Jon enjoys playing games with his wife, spending time with friends, and going to the gym.