PastorS & Staff

Chokma (Hello),

I want to take a moment to formally introduce myself. My name is Rev. Chad T. Johnson. I was born and raised in Bridgeport Texas and was active in the band during my middle and high-school years. After graduating high school, I accepted a music scholarship to Texas A&M University-Commerce where I studied for several years before transferring and finishing my bachelors degree in Business and Sociology at Texas Women’s University. I have served Rhome United Methodist Church for the last five+ years while attending seminary at Southern Methodist University working on my Masters in Divinity. I graduated with my masters in May of 2019 and began working on my Doctor of Ministry degree that June. I am currently a Provisional Elder in the United Methodist Church and am only a few months away, God willing, from being fully ordained as an Elder. I also plan to graduate with my doctorates this May. I am proud citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and my Native American heritage undergirds every aspect of my life.

 I was raised hearing all my life, “If you need anything at all, just holler,” and so I say to you as your pastor, I am here for you and, “If you need anything at all, just holler.”

Rev. Laura Rothe began her ministry career along with her husband Rev. Eric Rothe together and later retired together. In between, there’s been music, moves, Cowboy Church and a passion for the Irish.

They met while both were music composition majors at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). They married in 1984 while serving as music ministers at Genesis UMC in Fort Worth. While they served as diaconal ministers at White Rock UMC in Dallas, son William entered their lives.

Eventually, Laura was ordained as a deacon — in fact, she was in the first class of deacons. “I’ve been a deacon since there have been deacons,” says Rev. Rothe.

Her husband's appointments took them to Spring Valley UMC in Dallas, First UMC Jacksboro, Lakewood in Dallas, Whitewright/Marvin and Quinlan. She was the first full-time music minister at First UMC Coppell, overseeing multiple choirs, and also served at Munger Place, Cochran Chapel and First UMC Terrell. After the Christmas that they had five services at each of their churches, she scaled back to part time and often found roles where Eric was appointed.

At two of his churches, the music directors became ill and she stepped into that position. In others, she created successful programs for children, including a community children’s choir in Jacksboro and a Lakewood after-school program helping teach English to children who spoke only Spanish at home. “They were so smart — they just became little scholars right in front of you,” Laura said.

One of Rev. Rothes' most life-changing events took place while Eric was at Spring Valley. Rev. Ray Hennigh, then the senior pastor, organized a Wesley tour of the British Isles. That’s when Eric and Laura fell in love with Ireland, its people and its music. They were struck by the segregation of Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. Curbs marked neighborhoods as Catholic or Protestant, and schools, hospitals, ambulances and taxis operated separately. A wall divided the Protestant part of town from the Catholic. But a Methodist church stood within the wall, and people could enter on one side and exit on the other, Eric said.

That inspired Pastor Laura to get involved as hosts in the Children’s Friendship Project, a peace initiative pairing Catholic and Protestant teenagers for a stay at U.S. homes. Today, Eric keeps up with many of the teens who stayed with the Rothes.

Pastor Laura's trips to Ireland also reverberated in her music. The Rothes have performed as the duo Celtic or Not, playing at churches, nursing homes, restaurants and pubs. Eric even did a Celtic Spirituality Bible study at a pub when they were at Lakewood.

Hello!
My name is Ann McCarty. I am 71 years young! I have been in church as long as I can remember. I accepted Christ at the age of 22 and ever since my heart has been with the little ones!! I have been blessed to serve as children's ministry coordinator of both Rhome UMC and FUMC Boyd while my grandson pastored there. I began serving Rhome UMC in 2016 and both Rhome and Boyd in 2019. This was one of the most blessed times in my life. When you tell these little ones the Bible’s stories you can just see Jesus on their faces, you can see the excitement in their eyes of what is going to happen next. To see this and to feel the excitement in my heart is a blessing every single time! Every time I teach, I have a deep sense of peace and I love to be the one that’s blessed to be their teacher! I am passionate about watching these young ones grow in Christ! In Matthew 19:14 Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these!”
God Bless,
Ann McCarty