Learn about our church team.
Patrick McPherson
Senior Pastor
We want you to get to know Patrick!
(AND there is so much more to know about him than what is shared below)
It has been a very BUSY time for Patrick and his wife April as they
relocate from Norman, OK. Until mid-February, they had no plans to move
until the opportunity to serve at Lincoln First UMC was presented to Patrick. They decided together it was a win-win, as the move also allows him to live
closer to his family in NE than he had in many years.
A big THANK YOU to St Stephens from which the information
below was borrowed. We will have Patrick and April update us soon!
Patrick was born in Oklahoma but raised in Nebraska, Colorado and Oklahoma.
He is the son of United Methodist clergy and a life-long United Methodist.
Patrick attended the University of Nebraska for a time but eventually graduated from Oklahoma City University with a BA in Political Science and History.
After graduating in 1992, he served with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in mission work in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war
in the Balkans. He returned to Oklahoma and in the Fall of 1994 enrolled
at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado.
While in seminary, he served in a number of urban ministry settings, including DenUM (a United Methodist urban ministry) and Urban Peak, where he was
the director of the overnight shelter for homeless youth in the Denver area.
Finishing seminary, he returned to Oklahoma in 1999, was commissioned in 2002 and ordained in 2005. During his time in Oklahoma he served
the Geary UMC, Cameron Campus Ministry, Snyder UMC, Indiahoma UMC, Kingfisher UMC, and most recently, St Stephens UMC in Norman, OK.
In his ministry, he loves doing mission work and working with youth.
He also loves to travel, play golf, and study history.
Alicia Opoku
and
Malcolm Opoku
Alicia is our Music Director
Her son Malcolm is our Percussionist & Sound Technician
The information shared below is from Alicia’s profile on the
Blue Raven Music website, a company which Alicia is associated with as an instructor for piano and voice students.
Alicia is also a frequent collaborator in productions with
Lincoln’s Tada Theatre, and various area bands.
Read further to be introduced to Alicia; then check back
for updates and to learn about her very talented son Malcolm.
A Nebraska native, Alicia Opoku, has 45 years of
global musical experience.
She began playing for worship services at age 12
in her country church, outside of Central City, Nebraska.
After graduation she went to UNL for 2 years before heading out
to San Diego, CA. There she worked the local nightclub scene
for 11 years by playing keyboards and singing with
an eclectic variety of jazz musicians and bands.
She was commissioned to sing at the opening a of new club in Seinajoki, Finland, in 1991. Since returning home she held
Director of Contemporary Music at Saint Paul UMC
for 15+ years, and has been our Director of Music
at Lincoln First UMC since 2022.
She is a proud mom of Malcolm
Leila Zila
Choir Director
Over the summer, we hope to have Leila update us
about what keeps her busy outside of Calvert Elementary,
and her plans for First’s Chancel Choir after summer break.
Meanwhile, enjoy learning about Leila from her online post
on Calvert’s website…
In my home country Azerbaijan, Elementary, Middle, and High school students were housed in the same building, grades 1 through 10.
Each grade had approximately 110 – 120 students.
Simple math with these numbers shows that the number of students
in the building was pretty high… and our school had only one
music teacher, whose workload was immense.
One day, when I was in 6th grade, I told her,
“When I grow up, I will become a music teacher,
come back to this school and help you carry the load.”
She looked at me, smiled, and simply thanked me for wanting to help.
What we plan doesn’t always work out…
I was dealt different cards by my fate.
My family immigrated to the United States,
where we had to start our lives over.
My promise worked out halfway.
I did become a music teacher, but on a different continent.
I am really excited to share my knowledge and passion
with the young musicians! My goal is for the students
to be actively engaged in fun music making,
to discover the world and understand selves through this process,
and to become music consumers,
who will always, always, always support the arts.
