Rev. Dr. Tara Paul, Pastor
Tara was born in Wisconsin and lived much of her childhood in Midwest (and Florida, which lets face it is like the Midwest, only warmer). She came to Atlanta the summer she started High School as her mother was relocated as an Accountant Manager for the construction company that built the Georgia Dome.
While she attended six fine undergraduate colleges, she finally received her B.S. in Religion from the University of Georgia and went on to get her M.Div from Emory University and her doctorate from Columbia Theological Seminary. Her D.Min is in Gospel and Culture and her dissertation was on the inclusion of pop culture in worship.
Her passion in ministry is helping people see how God is present all around us, especially in places where the church has historically stated that are of this world and not God.
Tara’s previous appointments include: Dacula First UMC (2005-2007), where she served as an Associate Pastor to Youth and Families, Mountain Park UMC (2007-2011), where as an Associate Pastor she lead the Contemporary Service, Avondale Patillo UMC (2011-2013), as Senior Pastor, and Birmingham UMC in Milton (2013-2017), where she served as an Associate Pastor. She came to Inman Park in 2018.
Contact Tara at (404) 522-9322 or by email at pastor@inmanparkumc.org.
Michele Dutton
Coordinator of Children & Youth
Michele moved from Washington State to Georgia in 2018 and has 3 grown children. She has worked in Children’s Ministry for over 15 years and loves helping kids discover the love that God has for them.
In her free time she enjoys hiking and SUP- anything outside enjoying God’s creation. You can contact Michele by email at childrenipumc@gmail.com
Kathy Kelly-George, Music Coordinator
A singer for my entire life, I lived in upstate New York as a young child, then moved with my father and siblings to his home in Ireland. I grew up in the town of Sligo on the West Coast and later returned to NY to be with my Mother and complete HS. I studied Music at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, NY where I received both my Bachelors and Masters degrees. I also received a certificate in Race, Equity and Leadership from Harvard University in 2018. I’ve been a music educator for 32 years in both New York and Georgia. As a teacher, I’ve led Choruses, Praise Bands, Orchestras, and directed several musicals. Since moving to Georgia in 1998, I’ve sung with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and ASO Chamber Chorus. With the ASOC, I’ve performed at Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Ojai Festival, the Ravinia Festival and many locations in the Southeast. Music is my passion, my hobby, and my career. I’ve been fortunate to study (either formally or via workshops & rehearsals) with some of the greatest conductors including: Robert Shaw, Zubin Mehta, Anton Armstrong, Donald Runnicles, Roberto Abbado Jr, Robert Spano, Rollo Dilworth, Nathalie Stutzmann, Norman McKenzie, and many more.
My most recent work included being Choral Director at St. Martin’s Episcopal School and State Coordinator for the GISA All-Select Middle School Honor Chorus.
I live in North Decatur with my partner of 13 years George Chen and our daughter Jasmine George, who is a sophomore at SCAD Atlanta studying animation and motion design. We also have two little dog children LuLu & Buddy. Kathy can be reached by email HERE.
Alexa Lawhorn, Ministry Intern
Alexa was born and raised in Southwestern Ohio and has been a lover of Cincinnati-style chili and Graeter’s ice cream ever since. In 2022, she received her B.A. in History and Comparative Religion from Miami University (Ohio, not Florida). She moved to Atlanta last summer to study at Candler School of Theology, where she is currently a second-year student pursuing her M.Div. Alexa is passionate about helping others find ways to connect with God through a variety of spiritual practices. In her free time, Alexa enjoys listening to Taylor Swift, reading, playing board games, and watching reality shows (mostly Survivor), and spending time with her fiancé, Ben.
Deana Hilton, Finance Manager
Deana was born and raised in Louisville, KY, one of 6 children. Deana moved to Atlanta in 1993, when she worked for Bank of America as the VP of Risk Management for their Indirect Auto Lending Division. In 2000, after becoming weary of life in corporate America, Deana began working part time in the business office at Saint Mark United Methodist Church where she was already a member. Showing her acumen for all things business related, Deana quickly transitioned to full-time at Saint Mark where she has been ever since. Deana’s love of tinkering eventually led to her taking on responsibility for the buildings and grounds at Saint Mark as well. Deana’s family consists of her wife Tamie Cook, their 2 cats, Leo and Conrad and their 11 year old chicken, Meringue. Deana enjoys reading, going to the movies, working in the yard, watching the Master’s and most of all, being of service to others.