Our Team

John, his wife, Judy, and their two sons, Ryan and Brandon, began attending Good Shepherd UMC in 1992. During a Disciple One Bible Study, John responded to God’s call for pastoral ministry and became a Licensed Local Pastor in the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church on July 1, 1997. He graduated from the Course of Study at Duke Divinity School in July 2002 and became an Associate Member of the Virginia Conference on July 1, 2005.

He began serving at Discovery UMC as an interim Lead Pastor January 1, 2025.

Prior, he served at Brookland UMC, Bethel UMC (22 years), and Centenary UMC (Chesterfield) before retiring and returning to worship at Good Shepherd. He served on several district and conference boards, including the Virginia Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, as the chair from 2016-2020. He was trained as a Stephen Minister (Good Shepherd) and a Spiritual Director (RUAH #11, Richmond Hill, Richmond, VA).

Before entering the ministry, John’s career included broadcasting (disc jockey at several Richmond radio stations for nearly twenty-five years) and operator of an advertising agency/marketing firm serving primarily non-profit organizations.

A graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School, Pai is passionate about community and the transformation of self, others, and the world. He grew up in Bangkok, Thailand, and has spent many years in the southern United States. Consequently, he loves corn pudding, biscuits and gravy, and sweet tea as much as Thai food. Pai has a background in restorative justice, community organizing, and recovery counseling. His vision for the church lies in the Marks of Discovery: excellence, authenticity, and innovation. As a Seven on the Enneagram, his interests span from architecture to cooking, long-distance running, badminton, to rock and roll.

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.

McKenzie joins the team as the Ministry & Vision Associate. In this role, she will continue to foster a safe and nurturing environment, alongside the Children’s Gathering staff, for our children to learn and grow in their faith. Additionally, she will support communications and social media platforms for the church community with outreach to encourage membership growth. McKenzie received her Masters Degree in Elementary Education from James Madison University. She has a background in instruction, event planning, and operations management. Most recently, she has been teaching at KIDS in Discovery Preschool and is looking forward to joining the church community. McKenzie enjoys painting and spending time at the beach with her family.