While working on our 75th Anniversary celebration, we did a lot of work on our history. Beginning in 1947 with Rev. Ben Alexander and running to our current director, we found lots of interesting information! If you know of items that should be included, please let us know at beth@wesleyfoundationmt. org We are especially interested in students who served in leadership and weekly schedules!
1950-1953
Rev. Ben Alexander
The Wesley Foundation at Middle Tennessee State University began unofficially in 1947 in a similar way to John Wesley’s foundation of the Methodist Church. A small group of MTSU students met to discuss the teachings of the Methodist Church. St. Mark’s UMC was located very close to MTSU’s campus.
In 1950, Rev. Ben Alexander started as the first Director of Wesley at MTSU. The newly founded ministry operated out of a house across from Murphy Center on MTSU’s campus on what is now Middle Tennessee Blvd. Students met in the house’s basement and the Ministry Director lived upstairs
Buildings:
House on Middle Tennessee Blvd
Staff:
Rev. Ben Alexander
Ministries:
Mission Trips & Retreats
1953-1973
Rev. Richard Shriver
From 1953-1973, Rev. Richard Shriver served as Wesley at MTSU’s Campus Minister. In Shriver’s time as the Campus Director, he purchased a stone house from Wheaton Midget that was located on College Heights. This would be referred to as the “Midget House” and later the “Rock House.”
Buildings:
House on Middle Tennessee Blvd
“Midget” or “Rock” House
Staff:
Rev. Richard Shriver
Board Members:
Howard Rucker, W. R. Smith, Malcolm Patton, Lloyd Stone, Roland C. Perkins, Richard Gould, D. L. Hagerman, Ernest Graves, Paul Allen, Fred Knight, Emma Jean Hoff
1973-1975
Rev. Bill Harris
From 1973-1975 Rev. Bill Harris served as the Campus Minister of Wesley at MTSU. Harris begins raising funds to build a bridge to connect the Wesley Foundation to Campus. At this point, it was divided by a ditch and College Heights ended abruptly without connecting to campus.
After Rev. Bill Harris suffered a heart attack, arrangements were made for an interim director to preside as the Director of the Wesley Foundation at MTSU until Harris was healthy enough to return. The board voted to bring Malcolm Patton in as the interim director in 1975. Quickly after this, Harris asked to be relieved of his duties as director of the Wesley Foundation, and the search began for a new Director.
Buildings:
Parsonage on Middle Tennessee Blvd
“Midget” or “Rock” House
Wesley Foundation
Staff:
Rev. Bill Harris
Rev. Malcolm Patton
1975-1979
Dr. David Miller
In May of 1975, the Higher Education Committee extended an offer to Rev. David Miller to become the next Director of the MTSU Wesley Foundation. In the short years Rev. Miller served the Wesley Foundation at Middle Tennessee, he introduced many instrumental ministries that are still active today. He instituted a student council to lead the mission of the Wesley Foundation. Rev. Miller introduced ISPAW, which stands for “I Support Programs At Wesley.” Along with these, he purchased a bus for Wesley Singers, bricked the cinderblock building, and built a connecting bridge from Alumni Drive to the Wesley building.
Buildings:
Parsonage on Middle Tennessee Blvd
“Midget” or “Rock” House
Wesley Foundation
Staff:
Dr. David Miller
Alee Clark
Karen Blooding
Ministries:
1977 - First Pancake Breakfast
The Feeding of the 5,000
Clown Ministry
Wesley Singers
Coffee House
Mission Trips & Retreats:
Standing Stone State Park
St. Simons Island
D.C. Retreat
Wesley Week at a Glance:
Sunday Morning Worship
Tuesday Night Dinner
Wednesday Lunch
Wesley Council Presidents:
1975 - Kathy Bell Rieuf
1976- Dr. Rusty Brown
1977- Margaret Alexander
1978- Alan Morris
1979- Beth Tomlinson
Board Members:
Joe Hudnall, Joe Brendle, C. M. Chandler, Jeff Henry, Charles Hodge, Royce Monk, Helen Self, Ralph Turley, E. Thomas Vann
1979-1983
Rev. Michael O’Bannon
In the years that Rev. O’Bannon served as the Director of the Wesley Foundation at Middle Tennessee State University, the Wesley Singers won MTSU’s All Sing competition. Wesley students participated in “Miss MTSU '' and one year, the Wesley student won! O’Bannon brought in many guest experts to support students. For example, every year Dr. Murfy Thomas, a local psychologist, came in to speak with the students and Professor Herman Norton came in to discuss religious cults and sects.
Buildings:
Parsonage on Middle Tennessee Blvd
“Midget” or “Rock” House
Housing Upstairs
Wesley Foundation
Pool Room where the kitchen is now
Staff:
Rev. Michael O’Bannon
Dee O’Bannon
Cathy Smith
Terri Kinder
Anne Bratton
Marcia Denton
Alee Clark
Ministries:
Pancake Breakfast
The Feeding of the 5,000
Clown Ministry
Wesley Singers
Drama Troupe
Campus Intramurals
Mission Trips & Retreats:
New Orleans
San Antonio, TX
D.C. Retreat
Epworth by the Sea
Wesley Week at a Glance:
Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday Night Wesley Singers
Tuesday Night Dinner
Wednesday Lunch
Thursday Night Bible Study
Awards:
Jane Pennington Award - Norma Aguila first recipient
Percy Dempsey Award - Larry Richardson, first recipient
Wesley Council Presidents:
1979- Beth Tomlinson
1980 - Mary McCullum
1981 - Laura Glass
1982 - Jenny Hilliard
1983 - Linda Peterson
Board Members:
Beth Insel, James Smythe, Octavia Woodward, Skip Armistad, Meredith McFarland, Betty Jane Taylor, Randy Johnson, Frank Essex, Percy Dempsey, Frances Johns, Larry Richardson, Randy Johnson, Linda Dansby
1983
Rev. Bill Redding
Rev. Bill Redding served the Wesley Foundation at Middle Tennessee State University for a brief stint in 1983. Though Redding was not the Director of Wesley at MTSU for very long, while he was there, he acquired the house on Elrod Street, a house that was on College Heights where the fire pit is now, and the duplex on Airport Ave.
Buildings:
Parsonage on Middle Tennessee Blvd
“Midget” or “Rock” House
Wesley Foundation
Duplex
House on Elrod Street
Staff:
Rev. Bill Reading
Ministries:
Pancake Breakfast
The Feeding of the 5,000
Clown Ministry
Wesley Singers
Drama Troupe
Coffee House
Mission Trips & Retreats:
Wesley Week at a Glance:
Sunday Morning Worship
Wesley Council Presidents:
1983 - Linda Peterson
Board Members: Wanda McCauley
1984-2013
Rev. Bill Campbell
In 1984, Rev. Bill Campbell began as director of the Wesley Foundation at Middle Tennessee. He would see Wesley through nearly 3 decades. In that time, he encouraged the arts through Wesley Singers, many plays and musicals, and art galleries. There was huge community involvement in Wesley's clown ministry. Four dorms backed up to Wesley; Campbell and Wesley students would roll a homemade volleyball net to the courtyard of the dorms and make connections with students. Following the volleyball games, students were invited to come to the Wesley foundation for homemade ice cream.
Buildings:
Parsonage on Falcon Drive
“Midget” or “Rock” House
Wesley Foundation
Covered Patio
Duplex
House on Elrod Street
Staff:
Rev. Bill Campbell
Nancy Lawson - Secretary
1996 - Elliott Peterson - Director of Wesley Singers
2011 - Sue Fultz - Kitchen Prep
Sheryl Mabry
Dave and Barbara Stallings - Director of Wesley Singers
Lucille Copeland - Cook
Ministries:
Pancake Breakfast
The Feeding of the 5,000
Clown Ministry
Wesley Singers
Drama Troupe
Campus Intramurals
New Vision Summer Company
Mission Trips & Retreats:
1996 - Cookson, Oklahoma
1999 - Roatan, Honduras
2010 - Lake Charles, Louisiana
2011 - Eleuthera, Bahamas
Hurricane Katrina
Wesley Week at a Glance
Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday Night Wesley Singers
Tuesday Night Dinner
Wednesday Night Chapel
Wednesday Lunch
Thursday Night Bible Study
Wesley Council Presidents:
1984 - Sandy Campbell
1986 - Marijo Cooper
1989 - Beth Rose
1990 - Theresa Bowden
1991 - Beth Rose
1992- Michelle Hargis
1993- Nanette Trobaugh
1995- Trey Hall
1996 - Scott Murray
1997 - Mary Cummins
2011- Valerie McCullah
Board Members: Kaye McClellan, Race Bergman, Ann Campbell, Robin Robertson, Kevin Reneau, Ray Bills
History of Plays & Musicals
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (two different years)
Barefoot in the Park
Godspell (three difference years)
Bus Stop
The Fantasticks
Arsenic & Old Lace
When God comes for Breakfast You don’t Burn the Toast
Diary of Anne Frank
The Leader of the Pack Musical
Smoke on the Mountain
Working
Blithe Spirit
Once Upon a Mattress
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Guys and Dolls
Two by Two (two different years)
The Boys Next Door
Wizard of Oz
God’s Favorite
The Foreigner
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
SchoolHouse Rock Live!
The Odd Couple (female version)
Oklahoma!
You Can’t Take it With You
Grease (two different years)
Nunsense
Little Shop of Horrors
Steel Magnolias (two different years)
Charlotte’s Web
2013-2016
Rev. Tyson Ferguson
From 2013-2016, Rev. Tyson Ferguson served as Wesley at MTSU’s Campus Minister. In Ferguson’s time at Wesley, he began renting the houses near the Wesley Foundation to families and he moved away from the student council. To help welcome students in 2014, Wesley held a luau with a real pig roast.
Buildings:
Wesley Foundation
Duplex
House on Elrod Street
Staff:
Tyson Ferguson
Sheryl Mabry
Ministries:
Mission Trips & Retreats:
New Mexico
Wesley built ADA accessible bathrooms
Board Members:
Kirk Bugg, Jackie Morton, Alyson Lischka, Jeff Littrell, Alan Morris, Amy Curtis
2016-Present
Rev. John Weaver
In 2016, Rev. John Weaver began serving the Wesley Foundation at Middle Tennessee State University. When Weaver arrived, he reinstated the Student Council, began using social media for the ministry, and used his love of grilling to welcome MTSU students for every move-in day. Weaver has worked hard to lean into what works well for Wesley, but isn’t afraid of changing things for the sake of positive progress.
Buildings:
Wesley Foundation
Duplex
House on Elrod Street
Staff:
Rev. John Weaver
Rev. Michelle Ozier Wallace
Beth Morris
Ministry Residents: Kayli Jones, Beverly Wilkinson, Baker Bachman, Jonathan Stallings,
Mollie June Miller, Andi Barker
Ministries:
Pancake Breakfast
Campus Intramurals
Campus Love
Wesley Goes to Church
Discipleship & Beach Retreats
Living Community
Ministry Resident Program
Small Groups
Mission Trips & Retreats:
Rattle, Atlanta
Mountain Top
Panama City Beach
Port Saint Joe
Appalachia Service Project
Guatemala
Orange Beach
Tennessee Conference Recovery
Wesley Week at a Glance:
Tuesday Night Worship
Wednesday Lunch
Thursday Night Bible Study
Wesley Council Presidents:
2017- Taylavor Fugate
2018- Baker Bachman
2019- Beatrice Barnett
2020- Beverly Wilkinson
2021- Jonathan Stallings
2022- Daniel Phebus
2023 - Barbara Frizzell
Board Members:
Alan Morris, Katie Henry, Krislyn Durham, Zach Lopez, Bob Ingle, Barry Culbertson, Alyson Lischka, Sandeep Kuntam, April Goers, Honey Denson, Leah Underwood, Brandon Copeland, Jackie Morton, Tom Pierce, Greg VanPatten, Steve Miller, Justin Reed, Trent Mapp, Molly Gilliland, Victoria Spanial, Daniel Phebus, Baker Bachman