Pastoral Staff Bios

Senior Pastor
Dr. James Mooneyhan

(click here for bio)

Mari Lane Brooks, Senior Associate Pastor, is an ordained Minister in the United Methodist Church and has a Masters degree in community counseling.  She has been on staff at Sugar Hill UMC for 20+ years.  Her staff duties include all ages program ministry, adult Christian growth, as well as the Haven of Hope Counseling and Prayer Ministry Center.  Mari Lane is married to Dave Brooks and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.

Janet Whittaker, Associate Pastor, has been married for 15 years to Shawn and has two children, Janet and Lauren.  Janet has a bachelors of Science degree in Engineering and spent 11 years in the industry as a Product Manager for an electronics company.  She was called into ministry five years ago and has since received her Local Pastor Certification and enrolled in Gordon Cornwell Theological Seminary to pursue Masters of Divinity.  Janet has been with Sugar Hill UMC since July 2000. Her staff duties include working with women and missions.  Janet's passion is to help families learn how to experience God and grow in His word together as a family.  This ministry could not happen without the support of volunteers who are so dedicated to working with the families and especially the women and children of this community.

Vani Pino, originally from Venezuela, is the Hispanic Minister here at Sugar Hill UMC.  He served as both a Christian evangelist and pastor for ten years in his home country.  He is a local pastor in the United Methodist Church with a passion for bringing people to Christ and forming new congregations.  He has service weekly in the chapel on Sunday mornings. Vani is married to Enjoli and they are the proud parents of Elijah who was born in November of 2004. They are expecting their second child, due in March 2009.