Meet our Team
Rev. Patty Walker
Prairie Campus Minister
pattyw@fumc-cs.org, 719-471-8522, x204
Patty has midwestern roots, hailing from Indiana, and then serving churches in Cleveland for 11 years, before moving to Colorado Springs in 2007. In the Springs, she served as a Pikes Peak Hospice chaplain for 5 years, and then came on the ministerial staff at First United Methodist Church (FUMC) Downtown in 2012. In 2019, God called her to this crazy and holy adventure of planting the Prairie Campus out on the eastern plains. She is excited to be reaching new folks with the message of God’s extravagant love in Jesus Christ. Patty is married to Roger, and they have three kids, Sam, Maggie, and Luke. They decided to get a puppy (Theo) at the same time as planting this new church because what’s a little more chaos and a lot more love!
Patty was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1996, after graduating from Yale Divinity School that same year. In 2022, she transferred her ordination credentials (a four year process!) to the United Methodist Church by becoming an elder and full member of the Mountain Sky Conference.
Justin Anderson
Director of Music
Justin played in a rock band, toured America for almost a decade, then became a worship leader for various churches, and is now working in sales & estimating, in addition to directing the music ministry at the Prairie Campus. He is married to his beautiful wife Holly, and they delight in their twin daughters Sadie & Olive and their son, Henry. His faith journey is all about realizing unity with God and others: we are not separate; we are never alone. He prays that music and worship at FUMC Prairie will be an invitation to recognize God within ourselves and each other – “a space in which we celebrate the holiness of our ordinary lives, experience the beauty of God, and wake up to our interdependence through uniting our voices in song.”
Margaret Scott
Pastor of Parish Life: Volunteer Coordination
Margaret has worked as a hospital chaplain and as an associate pastor of a small church in Kalama, Washington. She has also worked as a mental health therapist and clinical director. She keeps trying to retire. (She has tried 3 times). She is married to her wonderful husband, Dave. They have two adult children and their spouses, Crystal and Adam and Ryan and Kessa, and three adorable grandchildren, Emery, Ben, and Clara. Her faith journey led her to reexamine some of her old theological beliefs and to find a fresh, exciting way to see God’s love. She believes in the power of connection, listening, and questioning. She wants to provide opportunities for people to grow, challenge, and reaffirm their faith.
Pam Meeks
Director of Fellowship Ministries: Special Event Planning
Pam has lived in CoSprings for over 25 years, though she’s an east coaster and beach bum at heart. Pam is joyfully married to her best friend, Dave. They officially joined Prairie Campus, along with their adult daughter Georgie, in early 2022. They are blessed with 4 additional adult children, 7 grands (soon to be eight) and 3 greats. Pam's professional career was spent in the banking and finance industry. She left VISA U.S.A. in 2005 to raise their two children. Through the years Pam has been a dedicated volunteer - serving in leadership roles in the District 12 school system, as a Girl Scout leader/trainer, and in their former church in children’s ministry and church leadership. She’s volunteered in the community with CoSprings Down Syndrome Association, Springs Rescue Mission, PEAK Parent Center, and The Place. Pam is looking forward to using her gifts and talents at Prairie Campus to help create community and connections, encouraging others in their faith walk to grow closer to God. She’ll be coordinating events such as monthly potlucks, the Advent Festival, Pizza w/ the Pastor, Joining Sundays, Pride Weekend, Volunteer Banquet, etc.
Sr. Íte Marie Zaharias
Director of Children and Youth Ministries
Sr. Íte Marie Zaharias is a monastic currently serving as Co-Director of Oblate Formation in The Communion of the Mystic Rose, a contemplative religious order of the Episcopal church. She is coming to us from Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (downtown CoSprings) where she has been an active congregant. Sr. Íte (pronounced Ee-t-ah) has served in several ministries including Stephen Ministries Leader, Children's Ministries, Confirmation Formation, Sacred Arts, and Contemplative/Meditation practices. She looks forward to bringing all her experience in spiritual formation to serve Youth and Children with love that brings wholeness and blessings; and that helps deeply unite them, with full awareness, to the Spirit of God that dwells within their own center. Pastor Patty has known and been blessed to serve alongside Sr. Ite in various ministries, starting eleven years ago, and she is so excited to welcome her old friend to FUMC Prairie Campus! (P.S. Sr. Ite is an incredible artist!)
Hannah Shepperd
Director of Communications
prairiecommunications@fumc-cs.org
Hannah is originally from Alabama, and has enjoyed serving nonprofits across the country through communications and outreach. Hannah moved to COS in 2022 with her husband and daughter. Together, they love movement and anything outside. We love all people big, and are genuinely just happy to be here.
Kent Bair
Director of Technology
In high school I was active in the Methodist Youth Fellowship and the contemporary, travelling church youth choir. I’ve served on Admin board and the Foundation board at downtown FUMC. I was a part of an adult Sunday School class at FUMC and have led several small group studies at the Prairie Campus. I have a Bachelor of Science degree (Computer Science) from Utica College of Syracuse University and have worked in the high-tech industry for 40 years. I have coded millions of lines of software, and it's still my favorite high-tech activity, but now I am more focused on data analysis in the Education Services business at Dell Technologies. This role at Prairie Campus is giving me the opportunity to discover how I might be able to combine my skills with technology, my love for teaching, and the call to ministry.
Dave Margiotta
Pastor of Adult Spiritual Formation
Dave Margiotta is a retired United Methodist minister and clinical psychologist. He has served churches in Colorado Springs and Gillette, WY, provided chaplaincy and counseling care at Pikes Peak Hospice, worked with patients and supervised psychologists at the state hospital in Pueblo, and served the mental health needs of clients in our local community and long-term care facilities. He and his wife Cynthia moved to the Banning Lewis area in 2021 and quickly became a part of Prairie Campus. Their son, Michael and his wife Danylyn, live nearby. Their daughter, Claudia, and her partner, Cassidy, and two boys, Broly and Lincoln, also regularly attend Prairie. Dave became a part of the Adult Spiritual Formation team in 2023 and currently leads the Sunday morning class. Dave enjoys walking with people as they explore their faith and journey into their God-given selves and looks forward to leading the adult spiritual formation opportunities at Prairie.
Lynn Strong
Director of Caring Ministries
Lynn was a registered nurse with experience in multiple aspects of hospital, home care and community nursing. In addition, she was the Director of Caring Ministries and Parish Nurse for FUMC Downtown for over 4 years. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Stuart, and they have three grown children and three grandchildren. She writes of her faith, “My Father God is merciful and loving. He directs my hands and feet to serve, nurture, feed, and love on all people that He places in my life.” Through Caring Ministries at the Prairie Campus, she hopes to be able to walk with all God’s people, in every aspect of life: times of crisis and pain, times of happiness and joy, giving comfort and sharing God’s unending compassion.
Theo
While Theo is not “officially“ on the Prairie Campus Staff, he is really cute. His other claims to fame are barking at nothing, eating string cheese, and occasionally coming to church when one of Pastor Patty’s kids bring him.