Rev. Dr. Adam Sowder

Lead Pastor
Adam and his wife Sandy grew up in Blacksburg, VA.  They have two teenagers, Teddy and Henry, and an adult daughter, Samantha. Adam is a graduate of Radford University and Wesley Theological Seminary.  He also  studied in Cambridge, England for his doctorate. Adam serves as the Cluster Leader for the West End Cluster of United Methodist Churches on the Three Notch’d District. He likes a good book, walks with his dog, bodyboarding and video games.  He’s also the founder and co-host of Methodist Gaming a digital ministry of presence on Twitch and throughout social media with the tagline “The World is Our Stream.”
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Rev. Hannah Bryn

Associate Pastor
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Hannah was appointed to Discovery in July of 2020. She and her husband, Hunter, grew up in Wilmington, NC and they enjoy exploring Richmond. They have a son, Harper. Hannah graduated from Duke Divinity School in 2019. She seeks to create safe spaces for students to grow in their faith. She also hopes to bridge the church into the local community through mission and service.

Lorrie Zampetti

Preschool Director
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Prior to becoming director, Lorrie taught at KIDS for two decades. Before moving to Virginia, she was the director of a senior center for adults with intellectual disabilities in Rhode Island. Born in NYC, Lorrie grew up in northern NJ where she met her husband, Patrick, in a drum corps. She is a graduate of Ohio University with degrees in Music Therapy and Psychology, has a master’s degree in Education from Averett University, and is working towards her doctorate in Early Childhood Education. Lorrie and Patrick enjoy spending time with their four children, son-in-law, and two grandbabies. She looks forward to working closely with families, staff, and the church community to further develop our play-based preschool program in a safe, loving, and Christian environment.

Cathleen Smith

Financial Secretary
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Justin Ott

Music

LeKeisha Ward

Nursery Director

I am originally from Richmond, VA and grew up here most of my life. I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Virginia State University in 2008. Since that time, I have received experience working with children by working in daycares, group homes, schools and most currently as a special education teacher in an elementary school in Henrico. I have two wonderful children of my own. I am looking forward to working as the Nursery Director at Discovery UMC and working with the children and families of the church.