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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Rev. Phil Antilla joined our church in the summer of 2017. Ordained in 2014, he previously served as the Lead Pastor for Ashland First UMC in Ashland, Oregon and as the Pastor for Young Adults at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Phil has a Master of Divinity, a B.A. in Christian Theology, and a Graduate Certificate in Christian Spiritual Formation. When he's not at church, you can find him watching soccer or basketball, in a local coffee shop reading poetry, or cooking up a mess in the kitchen.
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Laurie Edwards (She/Her)
Director of catalyst Ministries
A lifelong Methodist, except for a brief teenage Presbyterian rebellion, Laurie has been on staff at Bellevue United since 2011. Before that she had a varied career as an ESL teacher and higher education administrator. When she's not at church you can find her hiking, behind a sewing machine, or traveling far and wide. Three awesome daughters and a wonderful husband, and dog Keeva, keep her busy, too!
Click here to schedule a video meeting with Laurie
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Aya Sato
Office ADMINISTRATOR
Pronouns: SHE/HER/HERS
Thriving on checklists and planning, Aya enjoys having a diversity of tasks to work on throughout her day. Her prior experience has been in project management and customer relations management. Aya holds a BFA in Graphic Design and Multimedia and has been running her own photography and design business for the past 14 years. Aya loves looking at cat and red panda photos, coordinating the Seattle chapter for Progressive Asian American Christians, and planning her next trip.
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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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Missional Community Intern
Vanessa recently relocated to Seattle from rural Illinois. She graduated from Greenville University with a Bachelors in Theology and is currently pursuing an M. Div at Seattle Pacific Seminary. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys going for walks, getting lost in bookstores, and laughing with friends and family.
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MISSIONAL COMMUNITY INTERN
Chris Curia (he/him/his) is originally from the Midwest and moved to Washington last year to study in the Master of Divinity program at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. Chris is also a filmmaker, a barista, and an avid reader and writer. He’d love to connect with you to hear more about your life and unfolding story!
