Staff

Rev. Sara McKinley serves as the Senior Pastor. Previously she served as the Director of Clergy Excellence of the Florida Conference in Lakeland for 8 years where she oversaw the recruitment, credentialing, formation, continuing education, and support of approximately 600 clergy of the Florida Conference. Prior to this, Sara served as the Senior Pastor of First UMC Gainesville (4 years), and First UMC Coral Springs (5 years) and as Associate Pastor for 9 years at Plantation UMC.

Sara was born in England, raised in Africa, worked in the Far East, traveled extensively throughout the world, and chose to live in the United States. Before her call to ordained ministry, she worked in the juvenile court system in Worcester, MA, for 3 years; international corporate business in the U.S. and the Far East for 9 years; and co-owned a graphic design business in Florida for 12 years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in social psychology from the University of Bristol, England; her Master’s of Business Administration in organizational development and human resource management from Clark University, Worcester, MA; and her Master’s of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where she graduated valedictorian. She is the proud mother of her son, Andrew, who is married to Genevieve (Price), and grandmother to four adorable grandchildren James, Owen, Luke, and Olivia. She has a 13 lb. Yorkie named Pierre — a French name for an English dog, that reflects some of her cultural confusion!

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Scott Ehler is our Associate Pastor. He was born in Bayshore NY and moved to Pennsylvania in the first grade. After graduating high school, he went to Bloomsburg University where he discovered that he was better suited for the military. He entered the Air Force in 1989 and served until 2000. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as well as a Master of Divinity from Luther Rice Seminary. He spent 6 years as a youth minister in Texas and before commissioning into the Army as a Chaplain. He has deployed six times in his military career to war zones in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Bosnia, and Iraq. He retired from the military in 2020 after 25 years of service. He is married to Amy and has a daughter and son-in-law with three grandbabies in San Antonio and a son and daughter-in-law in Fort Worth. He resides in Ave Maria, FL.

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Dr. Karen Click holds degrees in piano performance from Radford University and the University of Miami, and a graduate certificate in choral conducting from Messiah University. She has served on the faculties of Texas Christian University, Messiah University, and Lebanon Valley College. Also an accomplished vocalist, she has performed with numerous choral groups in the Washington D.C., Miami, Lancaster and Harrisburg, PA areas, and was most recently a featured soprano soloist with Choral Artistry in Fort Myers, FL. Aside from music, she studies Italian, and enjoys photography, cooking, wine tasting and travel. Dr. Click and her husband Mark Japak live in Estero with their beloved westie, Sophie.

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Alicia Silvin is Director of Methodist Day School. This is her eighth year at MDS, and she is excited to begin a new school year with you! Alicia has been working with children and families for 20 years and it has been a blessing. She graduated from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics. Alicia started her career working for UBS Financial Services, as she loves the stock market. While working at UBS, she got married and had a son, Alexander. It was after having Alexander that she began her journey working with children. Now, 20 years later she has had the pleasure of getting to know so many wonderful families and feels very fortunate to be at Methodist Day School!

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