Rev. Tim Machtel announced as Pastor at First Methodist Ocala Starting July 1

Reverend Tim Machtel and wife, Debbie [Supplied]

The Staff Parish Relations Committee of Ocala First United Methodist Church announced on Sunday, April 23 that Bishop Tom Berlin of The Florida Conference had appointed the Reverend Tim Machtel to serve as their new senior pastor starting July 1. 

Pastors Anne and David Fuquay, who have served as co-pastors since July 2016, will be moving to Champagne-Urbana, Illinois to begin their new appointments. Pastor David Fuquay will be serving as Senior Pastor/Director of Wesley United Methodist Church and The Wesley

Foundation at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Pastor Anne Fuquay will be serving as Chaplain of Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana, IL. The Children’s Home is a mission and ministry of the United Women in Faith of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Ocala First United Methodist Church [Supplied]

Rev. Tim Machtel was born in Marshall, Michigan and moved to southeast Florida when he was 12. He is married to his wife of 26 years, Debbie, and they have two daughters. Debbie is the Owner/Operator of the Chick-fil-A franchise located inside The Paddock Mall here in Ocala. Tim received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and Theology from Asbury College (now Asbury University) in Wilmore, Kentucky. He went on to receive his Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary as a part of the first graduating class of the Orlando campus. Through the years he has also completed The Institute of Preaching, the Reynolds Program for Church Leadership, and is certified in The 6 Types of Working Genius through The Table Group.

Tim was Commissioned as a Provisional Elder in The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church in May of 2003 and Ordained as an Elder in Full Connection in June of 2006. Tim has served as Student Local Pastor at Boyd United Methodist Church in Boyd, Kentucky, Pastor of Trilby United Methodist Church in Trilby and Community United Methodist Church in San Antonio as a two-point Charge, the Executive Pastor at Beach United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Dunedin, and Senior Pastor at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Brandon. Over the last three and a half years, Tim has been on Personal Leave from The Florida Conference while serving as the Executive Director of The Chick-fil-A Paddock Mall helping Debbie grow her business.

There will be a welcome reception for Pastor Tim on Sunday, July 9. For more information about Ocala First United Methodist Church, please visit fumcocala.org.