A native of Kingsport, Tennessee., Morris was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran tradition. An Eagle Scout, he graduated from Radford University (Bachelor of Arts, 1989) and Virginia Union University School of Theology in Richmond (Valedictorian, Master of Divinity, 2001). He completed a full unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond (1999). Prior to entering full-time ministry, he worked in radio broadcasting at 98.5 WTFM (Kingsport); The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (Richmond); Marketing Director at Chesterfield Towne Center (Midlothian); and part-time in-game operations for the Richmond Renegades Hockey Club (East Coast Hockey League) at the Richmond Coliseum.
He connected with The United Methodist Church at River Road UMC in Richmond and served as Youth Pastor at Skipwith UMC, also in Richmond, while moving through the candidacy process for ministry. He was licensed a full-time Local Pastor in the Virginia Conference in June of 1997. His appointments have included the Prospect Charge [Prospect/Olive Branch/Smyrna—Farmville District, 1997-99], the Pamplin Charge [Pamplin/Centenary/Piney Ridge/Evergreen—Farmville District, 1999-2000], Pleasant Grove [Danville District, 2000-2005], Blacksburg (Associate Pastor, 2005-08), and Newport-Mt. Olivet (Giles County-Valley Ridge District) since 2008. He is currently serving on the Virginia Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and has previously served on The United Methodist Board of Church & Society at both Conference and District levels. In 2018, he completed EarthKeepers training at The United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries in Atlanta.
Morris is one of the founding members of the To Our House winter/thermal shelter for homeless adults in New River Valley and has served as an officer on the board of To Our House since its inception in 2008. In 2018, he was the recipient of the New River Valley Leading Lights award for volunteerism and service to the Giles community. His interests include ice hockey (avid Washington Capitals fan), college football (especially the University of Tennessee), and military history. He has a deep love and appreciation for music from Classical to Classic Rock.
He has provided leadership for over a decade as a part of the board of the Giles County Christian Service Mission, a non-profit organization located in Pearisburg that serves the neediest families/individuals in Giles County (food, clothing, diapers, utility assistance, etc.). Since 2012, he has also been a member of the board for the Giles County Emergency Shelter (a.k.a., The Hope House) located in Narrows. He is also a part of the Giles County Local Board for the Federal Emergency Food & Shelter Program and the NRV Thrive: Food Access Network. He and his wife of 35 years, Marcie, reside in Christiansburg. He and Marcie have two adult children: Matthew (30) who is a math teacher at War Hill H.S. in Williamsburg, and Melanie (23) who is in her second year at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond.
Some of his favorite Christian authors include Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Barbara Brown Taylor, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Richard Rohr, Brian Zahnd, and Frederick Buechner.
A native of Richmond, Anne started singing in church at four years old and later studied piano with their church organist and choir director. She sang in public school choruses beginning in fifth grade through college, including auditioned choruses, community choruses, three professional opera choruses, and the Virginia Symphony Chorus.
Piano lessons began in sixth grade and organ in high school. She earned a B.M.Ed. and M.M.Ed. from JMU, followed by postgraduate studies in principal leadership. She taught public school music, all grades, for 32 years. Her solo students and choruses were consistently awarded superior ratings at many festivals.
Currently serving our church as Interim Choir Director/Music Director, Anne and her husband, Bryant are blessed to worship and serve in such a welcoming, spirit-filled fellowship of loving servants.
Alyssa embraces the many facets of her musical career. Representing the United States, she appeared as a soloist in the Palm Beach International Piano Festival, with international performances in Salzburg, Austria; Cremona, Italy; and the InterHarmony Music Festival in Arcidosso, Tuscany. Other highlights include a performance of Debussy Préludes at Roosevelt University’s PianoFest in honor of the composer’s centenary, and a two piano performance of Rudolph Ganz’s Konzertstück alongside Valdone Arffa, presented by the Swiss Benevolent Society of Chicago. As a collaborative artist, she works extensively with various musicians in a wide range of repertoire, including Schubert’s Winterreise with Grammy Award-winning baritone, Kevin McMillan. Alyssa has taught at the Chicago School of Music, Project 88 Music Academy of Illinois, James Madison University and maintains a thriving home studio. Her commitment to community and arts education has been recognized by her hometown with the Key to the City of Sunrise, Florida.
In addition to her work as a performer and educator, Alyssa is committed to ongoing personal and artistic growth. She continues her study of the Alexander Technique and participates in workshops including the Golandsky Institute Symposium in Portland, Oregon, with a primary focus on the Taubman Approach. Her interests extend to meditative disciplines and philosophical inquiry—particularly in the areas of sound, consciousness, and the human experience. Central to her work is the understanding that music is a form of communication beyond words. This sense of self-expression and human connection fuels continued exploration and lies at the heart her dedication to music.
Alyssa has studied under Sandra Feraco, Dr. Irena Kofman, and Professor Emerita, Ludmila Lazar. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Florida Atlantic University, completed her Master’s and Artist Diploma at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at James Madison University, studying with Dr. Gabriel Dobner.
Alyssa is grateful for the opportunity to support worship at Main Street United Methodist, creating space for meaningful reflection and spiritual connection through sound.
Bettie Dollins Tindall grew up in Waynesboro, VA, and has been a member of Main Street her whole life. She began taking piano lessons in early elementary school from her mother, Edith Dollins, former organist and handbell director at Main Street. She went on to get her BA in music, concentrating on flute and voice, at Mary Washington College. She has worked in church music since the late 1980s. While serving as the music director at Westminster Presbyterian Church in the early 2000s, she added organ to her keyboard skills, studying under Eastern Mennonite University professor, John Fast. She has attended countless worship and music conferences, singing, ringing, and studying under prominent conductors, composers and leaders in the church music world. She and her husband, John, reside in New Hope and are the proud parents of two children, Mattie and Sam.
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