Pastoral Bios for TUMC

Senior Pastor : Rev. Joe Lay, Jr.

Rev. Joseph "Joe" S. Lay, Jr. was born in Arlington, Virginia, and grew up mainly in Tennessee. Joe is married to the former Laura Schaerer of Tracy City, Tennessee, and they have two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine.

Joe graduated from Warren County High School in McMinnville, Tennessee. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy from Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, in May 1981. He then received his Master of Divinity Degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, in 1984. He was ordained a Deacon in the United Methodist Church in 1983, and ordained an Elder in 1986.

Joe became Senior Pastor of the Trinity family in June of 2006, after serving Navarre United Methodist Church in Navarre, Florida, for 20 years. Joe loves to spend time with his family, but he also loves establishing and nurturing relationships with the people at Trinity and in the community where Opelika has become home.

Executive Pastor: Rev. Earl Ballard

Earl Ballard serves as the Executive Pastor at Trinity. In this role, he has responsibility for directing the staff in their various responsibilities, and serves as a catalyst for evaluating all the ministries of our church.

In consultation with our Senior Pastor, Earl helps to insure that our church remains faithful to the Great Commission of Jesus to make disciples. In addition to his duties as Executive Pastor, Earl also shares in the pastoral work of visitation, shepherding, teaching, counseling, and administration of the church.

Earl is a 1980 graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Susan, have four children: Amy, Anna, Mark and Kate. They have served the Trinity family for twenty-eight years and thoroughly serving the Lord among this church family.