To our family at Fairfax UMC, as we begin our shared ministry with all of you, I would like to let you know a bit about myself and Julie. I grew up about 90 miles from Fairfax in southeast Nebraska, just outside of Lincoln. My dad farmed; growing milo, wheat, and hay (alfalfa) as we also had a dairy operation that mainly featured Jersey cows. Along with the cows we had raised hogs at one time. My parents brought us up in a very religious home although not Methodist. I was raised and led into this journey called faith as an Assembly of God member. Upon graduation from high school I entered the U.S. Army spending the next 16-1/2 years traveling the world. I participated in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Julie was not my wife at the time. Julie grew up in Joliet, Illinois. She has 3 brothers and 3 sisters. Julie's dad still resides in Joliet. Her mother passed away at the age of 59 from breast cancer.

Growing up I played some sports with my final year of sports being football at Lincoln Southeast High School under the coaching of Heisman Trophy winner Frank Solich. Yes I do bleed red and cream during college football season.

After my time in the military I spent the next 10 years traveling the country working on cellular phone sites; doing everything from building the towers and installing the lines and antennas to managing the construction of cellular phone sites. At one point Julie and I lived in a 35 foot 5th wheel travel trailer for 5 years. Whenever I was out of work I would go back to driving a semi truck.

After the telecommunications work ended, we (Julie and I) purchased a small farm in the Ozarks (Ripley County) and settled down. We had a team of Percheron draft horses and built a wagon that we used to haul people around with. It was while living in the Ozarks that a couple invited us to a church singing. We became friends and then began attending the small Methodist church with them. This church was 126 years old and still had no running water or bathrooms. Outhouses can be brutally cold in the Ozarks winters. Julie had never made this faith connection and decision for Christ but one night at a singing, the tears poured out and she accepted Jesus Christ as her savior. I renewed my faith and we joined the Tucker United Methodist Church. The pastor of that church, a lay minister, Mrs. Elaine Burrows saw something in me and asked me to bring the message one sunday. At the end I was again told that I had something special and should seriously consider the path of ministry. I prayed and prayed, trying to get out of it, but it was here to stay. I had felt a call to ministry while I was still in high school and still felt that the time to answer the call was not then. My life took many twists and turns, many of which would make people cringe, but which I can see that God used those experiences to prepare me to be relatable to others. Currently I attend United Theological Seminary in a hybrid format (online and short periods of time at campus). This is one of the 13 United Methodist sanctioned seminaries and is an ideal situation for those of us that are in our second, third, or fourth careers. Julie is a stay at home spouse due to recent health problems.

We are looking forward to sharing in all of the challenges and opportunities that you currently enjoy. Remember: God is good-All the time; and all the time-God is good.

Peace and blessings,

Pastor Roger and Julie Cary