Here's some of the faces you'll see around the Bellevue First United Methodist Church community. If you have any questions, or would like to speak with a staff member or leader, please call the church office or send us an email!
Staff & Leaders
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Lead Pastor
Rev. Richard Fuss joined our church in the summer of 2022 after serving congregations in Georgia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Rich has a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA and a degree in Anthropology. A former collegiate soccer player, Rich likes to coach youth soccer and will happily accept any invitation to watch a game at any time. He has a fondness for coffee mugs, minor league baseball hats and always roots for the underdog. He was a zookeeper before becoming a pastor and loves all things furred, feathered and scaled. Rich has devoted his career to helping churches and individuals discover a sense of joy and passion and stubbornly believes that our best days are ahead of us.
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Worship Leader
Abby grew up at Bellevue First UMC where she began leading worship at age 12. She has a BFA in musical theatre and directing, performed in New York and Seattle, teaches acting/singing/piano lessons, and directs or music directs theatre. She went back to school to receive her BS and then Master's in Medical Speech Language Pathology. Abby loves to bring together all aspects of her life; using music, singing and theatre to connect God to our daily life and find ways to create communication for all. Abby also loves cooking vegan, working in the wine industry, laughing, and Harry Potter.
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Lauren was raised in Tijuana, Mexico until the age of 10. She has also lived in California, Nevada, and in 2017 she moved to Seattle with her husband. She has an A.A. in Digital Marketing and Business Administration. She is passionate about the fine arts and has a graphic design certification. Lauren is a community organizer; through grassroots campaigning, she and a team of lobbyist accomplished a minimum wage increase in Berkeley, California. Lauren loves spending time outdoors with her family, cooking authentic Mexican dishes, volunteering, reading, or going to live music events.
