Ministerial Team
David Emery, Senior Minister
demery@middletownchristian.org
David was called to the Senior Minister's position at Middletown Christian Church in March, 2003. He came to MCC from The Woodlands Christian Church near Houston, Texas. He's a graduate of Texas Christian University and Vanderbilt Divinity School. Ordained in 1987, David has led three congregations in very different settings through dramatic change. He is best described as spirit-led and passionate leader who is believes the church is at its best when it’s externally focused and empowering disciples to be the Kingdom now. David and his wife, Teresa, have two children: Rebecca (a new mom and kindergarten teacher in JCPS) and Alex (a seventh-grader at Crosby Middle School) and one grand-daughter. David enjoys running, reading, and coffee at Starbucks.
Tomara Brown, Associate Minister
tbrown@middletownchristian.org
Tomara joined our team in 2011. Tomara is a native of Western Kentucky and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. In 2004 she obtained her Master of Divinity from The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She has a passion for social justice, global missions and nurturing people in their faith development. Tomara loves spending time with family & friends and enjoys the outdoors, cycling, traveling, reading books, hanging out at Panera and watching college football! Before coming to Middletown, Tomara served congregations in Texas and Kentucky for nearly 14 years. Tomara and her husband Wally have two children: Elliott & Max Tomara provides leadership in our Children, Youth and College Ministries, Congregational Care and Missions.
Dolly Mills, Belong Minister
dmills@middletownchristian.org
Dolly initially joined MCC’s staff in October 2005, following a 10-year career in public accounting. She’s a graduate of the University of Kentucky and became a Commissioned Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in October 2010. A lifelong Disciple, Dolly was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. She is an energetic and spirited leader who is passionate about our vision and focused on engaging people in service (both on our campus and in the community). She provides leadership to our Welcome Ministry Teams, External Missions, and champions our commitment to Team Ministry. Dolly and her husband Steve have two children: Austin (a sophomore at Eastern High School) and Peyton (a seventh- grader at Crosby). She enjoys being with family & friends, loves to water ski & hang out at the lake, and spends much time on the baseball and softball fields!
Dave Seely, Worship Minister
dseely@middletownchristian.org
Dave was called to our Ministerial Team in 1993 after serving congregations in Kansas City, Missouri and served for many faithful years as Youth Minister. Dave is our longest-term staff member, currently in his 18th year of ministry at MCC. Dave attended Culver-Stockton College, Disciples of Christ in Missouri and Nazarene Seminary in Kansas City. In 2009, Dave was called to a new role and continues to serve as Worship Minister, responsible for planning and coordinating all weekend services and providing leadership to our music staff and our many Praise Bands. Dave and his wife Karen have three grown children: April, Zach, and Joe (who ALL share his passion for music!). Dave loves being with his family and enjoys running, song-writing, and gigging with one of his many groups of musician friends.
Gary Straub, Interim Minister of Spiritual Care
gstraub@middletownchristian.org
Dr. Straub joined our staff in September 2012 as the Interim Minister of Spiritual Care and will work with our Stephen Ministers, Elders, Seminary Interns and Pastoral Staff to deliver this important ministry of our church for those in crisis or spiritual need. A graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School and Princeton Theological Seminary, Gary has served as associate minister, senior minister and interim senior minister at more than a half-dozen DOC churches in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana over the past four decades. Gary also has extensive professional experience in counseling and spiritual development. Gary and his wife Geneva are members of Middletown Christian Church, along with daughter Jessica Finewood, her husband Keith and their three children. Another daughter, Jennifer, also lives in Louisville.
Michael Swartzentruber, Youth Minister
mswartzentruber@middletownchristian.org
Michael joined the Middletown Christian Church team in January 2013. He is a graduate of Centre College and the University of Chicago Divinity School. He is passionate about youth and their adventures in faith. Michael is married to Rebecca, and together they enjoy biking, animated games of canasta, the rich aroma of local coffee shops, and making a complete mess in the kitchen. Michael spends time dressed as Batman, tweeting random thoughts, and reading obscure theology books.
Jamie Pillsbury, Director of Church Administration
jpillsbury@middletownchristian.org
Jamie joined our staff as the Director of Church Administration in July 2012. She came to MCC from the Jewish Community of Louisville where she served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Previously, she served as the CFO of the YMCA of Southern Indiana, and prior to that, she was a senior accountant of the Presbyterian Church, USA. Jamie has an MBA from Indiana University and a BA from Asbury University with a double major in accounting and business management. Jamie and her husband Larry have two teenage children, Grant and Grace. Jamie is presently an active member of Walnut Street Baptist Church.