Pastor’s Message:

I’m grateful to be ministering with the community of faith at Wesleyan Hills UMC.   God called me into the teaching ministry years ago with a school in Memphis.   When I answered the call to follow Christ in the ordained ministry of the church as an Elder, it was the same call I heard when I was led into teaching.  Only, now, the setting had changed.

Why would I want to serve in the United Methodist Church?   I believe John Wesley was a person who was open to all people.   He went outside the church walls to reach those who never entered the church building.   He followed Jesus in seeking the least, the lost, and the lonely.

The United Methodist Church is a church of grace and truth and love.   Are we a perfect church?  No.  Do we think alike?  No.  But as Wesley said, “We can love alike.”   Jesus talked about us having the power that raised him from the dead at the Resurrecftion.   If we believe we have the power of the Spirit and we live that truth,  we can choose to make a difference in the world by sharing our faith with others – one neighbor at a time.

My desire is to help others hear the Good News of the Gospel -
“You are loved by God.”   If we believe the good news, we will choose to live our best life with the power and strength given to us by God’s Holy Spirit.

I hope you will join us in our desire to follow Christ and help others come to know the One who we follow.   We can ALL work to make the world a place of peace, justice, and grace.

                       On the journey with you,

                                  Rev. Dr. Susan M Sharpe

About Our Pastor

Rev. Dr. Susan Sharpe was appointed to Wesleyan Hills in 2009. She received her call into the ministry when she was sixteen years old, feeling God was calling her to preach. However, since she did not know of any women preachers, she decided to fulfill her call through teaching. Twenty years after God’s initial call, the call came again. This time, it was too powerful to ignore. A couple in one of her Bible studies offered to be her “angels” and send her to seminary. Twenty years after her first call! This was at a time when she was working with Dr. Ellsworth Kalas at Church of the Savior in Cleveland, OH.

Susan believes we are all called to be ministers, and that our call from God takes many turns throughout our lives. To fulfill our call, as Jesus did, we are asked to be good listeners, people who respect one another, and people willing to change direction when God leads us somewhere new. And as we live God’s call, we fulfill the need to be servant leaders. We are His hands and feet in the world. When people see the church, they should see Christ’s love demonstrated in our words and actions. Susan’s love for ministry centers around sharing God’s grace with them.

Susan serves for the glory of Christ, hoping that others will be led to follow the Savior as well. She has a deep passion for preaching and sharing God’s ‘amazing grace.’ Her gifts of preaching, teaching, counseling, and loving people of all ages are special in helping those she encounters experience what it means to be God’s children. Everything she hopes to do is with the intent of bringing people in contact with Jesus through God’s spirit. Wesleyan Hills is blessed to have a sister in Christ, such as Susan – one who works diligently to create a setting where people can come, be open to the Spirit, and leave knowing that they have been in the presence of the Lord.

Dr. Susan M. Sharpe – Academic Credentials
Doctor of Ministry Degree, Candler School of Theology at Emory – 1995
Master of Divinity Degree, Candler School of Theology at Emory – 1985
M.A. in Counseling from Memphis State University – 1975
B.A. in Education from University of Mississippi – 1968

Dr. Susan M. Sharpe – Areas of Ministry and Counseling
2009-Present – Minister, Wesleyan Hills UMC, Memphis, TN
2000-2009 – Minister, Forest Heights UMC, Jackson, TN 
1998-2000 – Teaching Minister, Christ UMC, Memphis, TN
1997-1998 – Minister, Underwood UMC, Memphis, TN
1993-1996 – Associate Minister, First UMC, Dyersburg, TN
1989-1992 – Associate Minister, Colonial Park UMC, Memphis, TN
1986-1989 – Part-time Minister, Colonial Park UMC, Memphis, TN
1985-1989 – Chaplain, Hutchison School for Girls, Memphis, TN
1984-1984 – Chaplain in Clinical Pastoral Education, Emory Hospital, Atlanta, GA
1981-1983 – Director of Youth and Singles, Church of the Savior (UM), Cleveland, OH
1970-1981 – Teacher at Presbyterian Day School for Boys, Memphis, TN