Join us for worship on Sundays
9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
About Us
Welcome, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are glad you are taking the time to learn more about our church. At Hockessin UMC, we strive to create a welcoming environment where visitors find belonging, togetherness, and spiritual fulfillment. We hope you will join us as we continue to grow a fruitful and vibrant ministry here in Hockessin. Though we come from diverse backgrounds with various gifts and graces, we are united in our mission to show the love of Jesus within our congregation and share the good news of the Gospel with the world.
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Romans 15:7
Who We Are
OUR MISSION: To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the World.
OUR PURPOSE: Sharing the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ with our Community.
OUR CORE PRINCIPLES
- We, as individuals and as a church, are called to serve.
- When we serve, we grow in our faith and as a church.
- We need to give generously of our time and our resources to make this happen.
Hockessin Church envisions becoming the place of worship where Hockessin and the surrounding communities come to celebrate and serve one another. As we build relationships and serve those who need help, we hope to become a valued place in the community while earning the opportunity to invite our neighbors to join us on our faith walk.
We bring our vision to fruition each time we host an event that invites our neighbors to celebrate with us, and every time we work with neighbors to serve those who need help. We honor God by serving others, seeking to establish connections that naturally foster stronger relationships and growth within our church community.
Rev. Dr. Vern Bryant
Lead Pastor
Michele Godwin
Office/Systems Admin
Dawn Deckman
Director of Youth and Family Ministry
Rev. Dr. Vern Bryant
Pastor Vernon M. Bryant is a native son of the city of Wilmington and Ezion-Mount Carmel United Methodist Church. Pastor Vern received his call to ministry at an early age and he received his early training in ministry at Ezion-Mount Carmel UMC which is his home church. Pastor Vern’s first appointment was Centennial United Methodist Church in Smyrna, Delaware where he served for two years. Rev. Bryant’s next appointment was Buttonwood United Methodist Church in New Castle, Delaware where he served for 10 years. In 2004 Pastor Vern made history as the first black pastor appointed to St. Georges United Methodist Church in St. Georges, Delaware. It was his and the church’s first Cross-Racial appointment. He served there for 9 years. He served as the Senior Pastor of Ezion-Mount Carmel UMC for seven years. Pastor Vern has been the Pastor of Hockessin United Methodist Church since 2017. He considers it an honor to serve the people and community of Hockessin. In addition to the pastoral ministry, Pastor Vern also serves as a mentor to several candidates who are going through the ministry process in the United Methodist Church. He teaches the Candidacy Class for new candidates entering ministry. He served as the Chair of The Wilmington District Committee on Ordained Ministry, and is the former Chair of The Order of Elders. He also served two years as the Chair of The Methodist Action Program. Pastor Vern credits his success in ministry to God and his wife Ann who is his best friend. He states, “She is always there serving and working with me on this journey….from hospital visits, to funerals and weddings, she is always there and I’ve never heard her complain once. She has taught me the real meaning of what it means to be a servant leader.” A graduate of Trinity College and Lancaster Theological Seminary, Pastor Vern holds a D. Min in Pastoral Ministry, a Masters of Divinity, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Pastoral Ministry.
Michele Godwin
Michele, born and raised in New Castle, Delaware, brings over 38 years of administrative experience,
As a self-starter adept at working independently or as part of a team, Michele thrives in fast-paced environments and is accustomed to multi-tasking. Tech-savvy, she is always eager to learn new technology.
Michele enjoys spending her “spare” time with family and friends at the movies, concerts, restaurants, and her favorite place, Chincoteague, VA.
An avid animal lover, Michele adores her three rescue dogs: Bean, Remi, and King.
As a credentialed coach for Special Olympics, she actively advocates for her daughter Mikayla, who has Down Syndrome, and networks with other parents and organizations to empower children to live their best lives.
Michele has a heart for the Lord and prayer and is excited to be part of the Hockessin Church family.
Dawn Deckman
Dawn Deckman was born in Wilmington, DE and spent much of her childhood moving around which is how she became a Chicago Bears fan and why she and her husband, Mark, made the decision to raise their children in the small town of Rising Sun, MD. It was in Rising Sun that they began attending Janes UMC in 1997 and Dawn received her calling to youth ministry a few years later. She began working with the youth at Janes in 2001.
Dawn has also been on staff and served on the Northern Maryland and Cecil County Board of Directors for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Her work with FCA included serving at middle and high school campus huddles, helping to lead Power Camp, a multi-sport summer camp program, and Character Coaching high school girls field hockey and lacrosse teams.
Dawn has planned and led local, domestic, and international mission trips including trips to Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, West Virginia, the Bahamas, Guatemala, and others. She has led trips with a focus on evangelism, disaster relief, community service, social justice, and teaching youth to lead children’s ministries.
Dawn helped develop and facilitate meetings of the CCYLA, a network of youth leaders in Cecil County, MD and is a member of the Coalition Network in Delaware.
She is a graduate of The Youth Worker Academy through the Peninsula Delaware and Eastern PA United Methodist Conferences and is in the process of completing a Degree in Religious Studies from Liberty University. She is certified in Mental Health First Aid and is a Certified Life Skills Instructor.
Dawn loves spending time with her large, blended family that includes 5 adult children, 8 grandchildren, and 1 great granddaughter.
She states, “My personal theology comes from Matthew 22 and can be summed up by this statement, ‘Love God and Love People’.”
Michael Shoremount
Director of Choirs
Deborah Ryan
Organist
Alan Johnson
Co-Team Leader
Praise and Worship
Praise and Worship
Michael Shoremount
Michael Shoremount is a talented musician and music educator with experience conducting choirs, handbell choirs, and instrumental ensembles in churches and schools. He is a gifted vocalist who has been engaged as a professional vocalist by churches (and periodically sings for the Phillies). In addition to leading our Chancel, youth, children’s, and handbell choirs at Hockessin UMC, Mike is also Director of Bands at West Chester Bayard Rustin High School. Mike and his wife Terisa, have two children, Maggie and John, both of whom serve as Acolytes at Hockessin UMC.
Deborah Ryan
Debbie has been Hockessin Church’s organist since November 2002. Besides playing for our Sunday services, she also accompanies the Chancel Choir, Heavenly Angels and Joyful Noise choirs, along with other soloists and groups that sing or play during various services.
Prior to coming to Hockessin Church, Debbie was the organist at Bethel Baptist Church for 35 years, having started there as a teenager. In addition to the organ, Debbie also plays piano, keyboards, hand bells, and wishes she knew how to play drums.
Debbie recently retired from Calvert Mechanical Systems, Inc. but continues to remain very active. When not volunteering her time or working at Hockessin Church, you may find her on her boat “Sea Sharp” or on the golf course.
Alan Johnson
Alan is a seasoned leader in contemporary worship, having served in this capacity at several churches. With a background in music business, he leverages his expertise in music equipment to help artists and houses of worship achieve exceptional sound quality.
Laura Baltrusaitis
Co-Team Leader
Praise and Worship
Praise and Worship
HOCKESSIN UMC
PAST AND FUTURE
In the spring of 1881, a small group of people led by Alban Dalton cleaned out an abandoned blacksmith shop on the Brackenville farm located on the corner of the Old Lancaster Pike and Brackenville Road. They established there the first Methodist society in the area. With the onset of winter, they moved across the street to the Peace and Plenty Inn. Although the smithy has long disappeared, the inn is now a private residence.