Rev. Dr. Hammett Evans came to Asbury UMC in July of 2021. A third-generation Methodist pastor and double-preachers’-kid, Bro. Hammett grew up in parsonages in Dallas, Texas and Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Dumas, and Jonesboro, Arkansas. He responded to the call to ministry while a student at Hendrix College by serving as youth minister at FUMC Maumelle and as student local pastor of the Quitman, Damascus, and Enders Charge. After earning his B.A. from Hendrix in 1992, Hammett served as a youth pastor at FUMC Batesville and FUMC Crossett, where he also led the music ministry.
Hammett pastored Mount Zion UMC while he was a student at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. At Candler he served as a chaplain intern at Metro State Prison, a correctional institution for female offenders in south Atlanta. After graduating from Candler in 2002, Hammett served as a minister of the Wymondham-Attleborough-Watton Circuit in Norfolk, England. Since then, Hammett has served United Methodist Congregations in Bryant, Fordyce, and Monticello Arkansas.
Bro. Hammett received a Doctor of Ministry from Candler in 2020, with an emphasis on Church Leadership and Community Witness. He is passionate about bringing congregations of diverse people together around a common vision that makes a positive difference in their community.
In 2002, Hammett married Michelle Pounds, a native of Hamburg, Arkansas. Michelle works for AState Childhood Services, where she does professional development for early childhood educators and trainers across Arkansas. Together they enjoy traveling, spending time with family and friends, music, movies and TV, and riding their bikes on the Arkansas River Trail.
Pastor Nick grew up in Kansas City, Mo., but has called Arkansas home since 2009. Nick was raised Lutheran but became a Methodist a little over a decade ago. Nick and his wife Jennifer have been blessed with three beautiful, wild children: Tristan, Liam, and Hadley. They currently reside in Cabot, where they were members of Cabot UMC before coming to Asbury. Nick led the Adult Discipleship at Cabot and Jennifer regularly served in the children’s ministry and sang in contemporary worship. Nick’s passion in ministry continues to center around Adult Discipleship (Small groups and Bible Study) and looks forward to bringing his passion and enthusiasm for disciple making to Asbury. His favorite books of the Bible to both read and teach are Mark, Romans, Ephesians, and Esther. Nick is currently in his second year of seminary at Asbury Theological where he is working on his Master of Divinity and earned his Pastoral License in 2019.
Jennifer and Nick are blessed and honored to be part of the Asbury community and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this wonderful church!
Ordained in 1966, Rev. Tom Weir served for 44 years as an elder in the United Methodist Church. He was first assigned to Asbury in 1993. After retiring in 2005, he returned to Asbury and was officially bestowed the honor of Pastor Emeritus in 2008. He is married to his lovely wife Marion and has two adult children, Priscilla and Melissa, as well as two grandchildren, Thomas and Elizabeth. He loves the people of Asbury and it is because of them he has been glad to serve here for almost 20 years.