Lead Pastor – Pastor Donavon Shoemaker has served at FWC since June 1972. A native of Indiana by birth, he is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary. He is married to Viola (Vi) Mayhle who moved to Jersey City as a teen from Western Pennsylvania and accepted Jesus as her Savior and Lord right here at FWC. Upon high school graduation she enrolled at Marion College (Indiana Wesleyan University) where she met Donavon who was a ministerial student. They married in 1969. Vi taught first grade in the Jersey City Public Schools until retiring in 2012. They have three sons, eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Email: dshoemaker@jcfwc.com
Lay Minister Gracie Cooper -- Lay Minister -- Sick, Shut-ins, Community Outreach, Evangelism, and Helps. She oversees our Saturday food distribution and the soup kitchen as well as reaches out to the sick, shut-ins, seniors, and missing in action. She is mother of two daughters, Tamika and Triese, and four grandchildren, Davon, Maurise, Nirea, and Jordan.
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Pastor of Discipleship Ministries and Preaching – Rev. Melissa Everett has been a part of FWC all her life. She sensed her calling to ministry after graduation from Rutgers University and pursued ministerial studies at Wesley Seminary, graduating in 2015. She was ordained in 2020. She teaches at the Michelle Obama School in Newark, NJ. She is married to Carl Everett and has one son, CJ.
Lay Minister John Robinson -- Minister John co-directs our Youth Ministry and preaches. He is a scientist working in the pharmaceutical field as well as an entrepreneur. He is married to Julia Ewart Robinson and they have two children, Jonathan and Janelle.
Maureen Kamaishah is a lay preacher/teacher, along with prophetic gifting. Maureen came to the U.S. as a young adult from Kenya and began attending FWC while living around the corner from the church. She is married to Moses Mirui and has a daughter, Nelly.
Lay Minister Troy Gibson, Sr. -- Preaching, Worship Leader. Min. Troy began attending FWC as a young man. He is married to Cynthia Green Gibson and they have four children, Troy, Jr., Kristina, Aaron, and Adam along with two grandsons, Troy III and Cairo. He works at 21 Century Fox in NYC.
Pastor of Community Outreach Ministries, Preaching, Teaching – Rev. Phyllis Isaac came to FWC more than twenty years ago. She is a life-long Jersey City native. She was ordained in June, 2022. She has a son, Micah.
Photo coming soon
Lay Minister Rachel Guthman -- Worship Leader, along with prophetic gifting. Min. Rachel has been at FWC her entire life. She is a music instructor in the Jersey City Public Schools.
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Lead Pastor – Pastor Donavon Shoemaker has served at FWC since June 1972. A native of Indiana by birth, he is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary. He is married to Viola (Vi) Mayhle who moved to Jersey City as a teen from Western Pennsylvania and accepted Jesus as her Savior and Lord right here at FWC. Upon high school graduation she enrolled at Marion College (Indiana Wesleyan University) where she met Donavon who was a ministerial student. They married in 1969. Vi taught first grade in the Jersey City Public Schools until retiring in 2012. They have three sons, eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Email: dshoemaker@jcfwc.com
Lay Minister Gracie Cooper -- Lay Minister -- Sick, Shut-ins, Community Outreach, Evangelism, and Helps. She oversees our Saturday food distribution and the soup kitchen as well as reaches out to the sick, shut- ins, seniors, and missing in action. She is mother of two daughters, Tamika and Triese, and four grandchildren, Davon, Maurise, Nirea, and Jordan.
Pastor of Discipleship Ministries and Preaching – Rev. Melissa Everett has been a part of FWC all her life. She sensed her calling to ministry after graduation from Rutgers University and pursued ministerial studies at Wesley Seminary, graduating in 2015. She was ordained in 2020. She teaches at the Michelle Obama School in Newark, NJ. She is married to Carl Everett and has one son, CJ.
Pastor of Community Outreach Ministries, Preaching, Teaching – Rev. Phyllis Isaac came to FWC more than twenty years ago. She is a life-long Jersey City native. She was ordained in June, 2022. She has a son, Micah.
Lay Minister John Robinson -- Minister John co-directs our Youth Ministry and preaches. He is a scientist working in the pharmaceutical field as well as an entrepreneur. He is married to Julia Ewart Robinson and they have two children, Jonathan and Janelle.
Lay Minister Troy Gibson, Sr. -- Preaching, Worship Leader. Min. Troy began attending FWC as a young man. He is married to Cynthia Green Gibson and they have four children, Troy, Jr., Kristina, Aaron, and Adam along with two grandsons, Troy III and Cairo. He works at 21 Century Fox in NYC.
Maureen Kamaishah is a lay preacher/teacher, along with prophetic gifting. Maureen came to the U.S. as a young adult from Kenya and began attending FWC while living around the corner from the church. She is married to Moses Mirui and has a daughter, Nelly.
Photo coming soon
Lay Minister Rachel Guthman -- Worship Leader, along with prophetic gifting. Min. Rachel has been at FWC her entire life. She is a music instructor in the Jersey City Public Schools.