We have had many new members join our church recently and we realize it can be challenging for everyone to get to know them quickly! Beginning in 2022, we are launching a short article about the new members (based on their answers to five questions) at the end of each month. We would also like to suggest that you look at all the new members’ pictures on the New Member Board in the hallway of the main church building, so that you can identify them by name.

Jake Mensel is originally from Greensboro, and Rebecca moved to the Greensboro area about thirty years ago.  They live in Madison now.  Jake works for the Greensboro Police Department, and Rebecca is a preschool teacher in Rockingham County.  Their pets are two cats. Rebecca is the daughter of John and Jane Nee and the sister of Elizabeth Nee, who are also members of Friendly Avenue.

Both Jake and Rebecca enjoy traveling. Rebecca enjoyed working in the Children’s Ministry in their former church.  They are considering where they would like to serve at Friendly Avenue and think they may want to become greeters.  Rebecca may decide to work with children.  (We are sure Laura Clontz will be happy to hear this!)

Ed Moore is from Greensboro, and currently works for Greensboro Country Club with the Security and Facilities Department.  He has worked in Sales and Financial Services in the past.

He has three adult children: Bryan Moore (wife, Jilene) and their son Joshua, Kevin Moore, and Meghan Moore.  

He enjoys spending time with family and friends and participating in sports, walking, cycling, reading, traveling and doing yard work. He also likes to volunteer and attend church.  In the past, he has worked as a greeter, basketball coach for Upward Basketball, Sunday School Coordinator, and has served on the Grounds and Maintenance Committee for his church. He is interested in serving at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church.  He has already started trimming trees and bushes around the campus!

Daniel and Iverly Patteson are both from Greensboro and grew up in this area.  Daniel is an engineer, and Iverly is a seventh grade science teacher.  They have one daughter, Caroline Patteson, who is seventeen months old.  They have three pets, “Teddy” (an Old English Sheepdog), and two cats (“Sebastian” and “Pippa”).

Daniel and Iverly enjoy traveling and hope to get back to it more frequently with their daughter. Daniel also enjoys hiking and outdoor sports, and Iverly likes reading and baking.

They are in the Young Adult Sunday School Class, taught by Gary Angel. They have not gotten involved yet in any ministries at Friendly, but will look forward to learning more about them. 

Martha Fraize is oiiginally from Newton, Mississippi, but grew up in Cary, North Carolina.  She has lived in Greensboro for a year.  She has been a teacher, a branch bank manager, and now works in Accounts Payable in a bank.  She has three children, Jeremy, Jason, and Kyle.

Martha loves to read and travel.  She also enjoys country line dancing.

She served in a number of different capacities in her former church, including as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, and committee member for the Stewardship and Hospitality Committees.  

She is in the Cornerstone Disciples Sunday School Class, taught by Jim Rock.
In response to the question, “Do you have an interest in serving in a ministry at Friendly,” she responded, “I am always interested to serve as God calls me.  I work fulltime and am a group leader with BSF, so my time is limited.” 

James Killam, son of Brad Killam, is ten years old.  We are so very proud of him!
He accepted Jesus as his Savior during camp this past summer.  He has since joined Friendly Avenue Baptist Church, and has been baptized.

Philip Brewer is originally from Siler City, North Carolina, and Grace is from South Korea.  They moved to Greensboro in May of this year, although Grace has been working in Greensboro since 2019.

Philip is a Bridge Engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and Grace is a Nurse Anesthetist, who gives anesthesia for safe and comfortable surgeries and procedures.  They are praying for a dog and waiting for the Lord’s good timing.  

Philip enjoys yard work, gardening, hunting, and fishing.  Grace says, “I’m not trying to sound so spiritual, but my very favorite thing to do is spend time in the Word and Spirit.  It’s just so precious and satisfying to me!”  Other things she enjoys are travel, exercise, fellowship, trying new things, cultures, new people and food, cooking, sharing meals with others, hiking, attending meetings, and listening to worship songs, audio books, and sermons.  

In their former church, Philip led the Men’s Brotherhood and served with Baptist Men,
and their local Handyman Ministry.  (Jim Birdwell - Men’s Brotherhood - Gary Angel, David Moore, Bill Gerringer, Jimmy Sowers, Ray Vawter, and several others, who do these kinds of things, or have worked with Baptist Men, need to meet him!)  

Grace’s passion is serving the Lord and His people through medical surgical missions.  She has been involved in several surgical missions through Christian mission organizations, such as Mercy Ships and Samaritan’s Purse World Medical Mission/Team.org.  She has been trained as a Medical Reserve Corps member at Baptists on Mission and has served for Women’s Ministry, Sunday School, and short-term mission trips.  (Bert Bierstedt, with Samaritan’s Purse, and his wife, Heidi, need to meet her, along with Rose Godwin, who has done similar mission activities.)

Philiip and Grace are trying out different Sunday School classes. Philip is looking forward to seeing where God leads him to serve at Friendly.  They have both been involved in the prayer service on Sunday morning, and Grace prays with the “Wake Up and Worship” group Monday through Friday mornings most days, depending on her work schedule.  She plans to continue to be a part of that.  She is also interested in church planting and any other mission work the church is doing.  She would like to help missionaries to facilitate their mission work.   

Mike Pittman grew up in Greensboro, where he has lived most of his life.  His wife, Tina, was born in Bluefield, West Virginia, and came to Greensboro in 1999.  Mike is retired, and Tina is a registered nurse.

Mike has three adult children, but Tina has none. The two of them have a Shihtzu puppy named Hunter.  Mike enjoys bowling, and Tina likes to read.

Both Mike and Tina served in ministries they enjoyed in their former church.  Mike was a member of the choir and served as a deacon; and Tina was a greeter.  Mike would like to serve in the choir ministry at Friendly, and Tina would like to be a greeter.   They are in the Three C’s Sunday School Class, taught by Nathan Null.

Sue Mitchell was born and raised in Holliston, Massachusetts.  She came to North Carolina in 1952 to attend Women’s College (now University of North Carolina), in Greensboro.  She met and married Leon Siler in 1955.  After giving their lives to Jesus in 1985, Sue and Leon participated in Lay Witness Missions and were active in AA and in Al-Anon.  Leon died in 1995.  After his death, she volunteered as a chaplain at Cone Hospital and went on Mission trips overseas and in the United States.  Sue and Leon had two children, a son, Ivan, and a daughter, Jane.  They live in this area.    She has three grandchildren, who are adults, on their own. 
 
Sue remarried in 2003 to Elwood Mitchell.  Elwood died in 2010.  Sue now lives at Friends Homes Guilford, chairs a Bible study, and is involved in other activities.  Since coming to Friendly, she has joined the Open Door Sunday School class, and sings with the Singing Seniors’ group

Wayne Davidson was a USAF officer for twenty years.  He has also been a Guilford County Schools high school teacher - Air Force Jr. ROTC Instructor, and a flight instructor at Piedmont Flight Training, Smith-Reynolds Airport.
 
            He is divorced, and has a biological son and daughter, as well as an adopted son and daughter.  His favorite endeavors are flying, traveling, building plastic model airplanes, and reading (especially 20th century military history).  He enjoys German Food (Sauerbraten and anything else German), as well as having lots of coffee!

Kay Williams grew up in Kinston and Goldsboro, North Carolina.  Later she lived in Rockingham, North Carolina, and moved from there to Greensboro.  She served as secretary to a CPA, then as a partner in her husband’s business.  She has two children, as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren.
 
            Kay enjoys doing Bible studies, watching movies, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and engaging in light exercise.  She is a member of the Open Door Sunday School Class.  She has not decided yet where she will serve at Friendly, but she says she will certainly be engaged in prayer support.

Rita Harrell grew up in Guilford County in a small community called Pleasant Garden.  She was married to her beloved husband, Gladstone Harrell.  He was a general dentist in Greensboro.  Rita was an elementary teacher.  Another of our visitors who was in the Connect Class with Rita was so excited to see her, because Rita had taught her child in school!
 
            Her hobbies are reading, spending time with her relatives and friends, and going for walks.  Some of us met Rita before she joined our church, when her husband and she came to the church to walk.  Rita has not yet gotten involved in Sunday School or an Equip Class yet. 

Bob and Diane Poovey grew up in Catawba (Bob, in Hickory, and Diane, in Conover).
They came to Greensboro, where they lived for many years, before moving to Blowing Rock.
They moved back to Greensboro from Blowing Rock.
 
            Bob was an industrial engineer.  He worked for Burlington Industries for many years,
and for Kayser Roth. In later years, he was a sales representative for C. E. Smith Company.  From there, he began his own business in sales, and retired in 2019.  He is presently very ill.
Diane was a wife, mother, and homemaker for most of her life.  She worked for a while when Bob began his business, as a receptionist with Halstead Industries.  They have four children and four grandchildren.  They have had numerous pets, with the two most recent being two Maltese dogs, Russell and Rudy, but they cannot have pets where they live now.
 
Diane has served in the women’s ministries in all the churches where they have held membership.  She also worked one-on-one with new Christians, helping them to grow in their faith.  At their previous church, she answered calls at a Call Center for the Billy Graham Crusade Videos.  Bible studies are an important part of her life.  She is looking forward to attending Sunday School in the future. 
 
            Bob loved golf and fishing when he was able to participate.  Diane enjoys walking, gardening, and baking.  Bob is sick now, and they have not been able to attend church recently because of this.  They have not been able to get their membership picture taken yet.

Zulema Silva was born and lived in Ecuador until 2001, when she came to the United States as a Spanish teacher.  She teaches Spanish in high school and at a university in Greensboro.  Zulema has two sons and three grandchildren.
 
            Zulema has not yet joined a Sunday School class.  She would like to get involved in Friendly Avenue’s jail ministry in the future.

Leroy Paris is originally from Greensboro, and Joan has lived in Greensboro for all but five years of her life.  Leroy retired after working with the City of Greensboro in the Traffic and Transportation Department for 40 years.  He also served in the U. S. Navy.  Joan has worked in Banking and as a Teacher’s Assistant in the Greensboro City Schools. They have three children, Sheri (Jason), Michael (Marina) and Danny.  They have a cat, John Boy.
 
            Joan enjoys music and is already a part of the Friendly choir.  She has also played handbells.  She loves to read, especially while sitting by the ocean.  Leroy has been enjoying Equip classes.  They have joined the Faithful Followers Sunday School Class and are getting to know the class members.  Joan says that “We feel so blessed that God has led us to such a welcoming and loving church.”

Leith and Adele Singletary joined Friendly Avenue Baptist Church on January 30, 2022. Leith is a native of Greensboro, who retired from a profession in insurance.  His hobbies are reading, walking, and hiking. Adele was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. She lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, until 1958, when she moved to Greensboro. She worked in the legal field. Her hobbies are swimming, walking, hiking, playing games and cooking (someone who has eaten in their home says that she is an outstanding cook, who has received training in preparing food in other countries)!

Their child is a five-pound poodle named Beauregard! Beauregard is very friendly and welcomes visitors to their home, especially if they have food!

Leith and Adele are interested in learning about different areas in the church where help is needed.  Adele began her volunteer work with the Valentine Luncheon recently by helping to decorate, purchasing door prizes, and assisting as needed. They have already gotten involved in the Open Door Sunday School Class.

Walter and LuAnne Anderson became members of Friendly Avenue on February 6, 2022. They are both originally from Greensboro. They bought 74 acres of land in Rockingham County and built their dream home there. They lived there for seventeen years before moving back to Greensboro.

Walter is now retired but was the owner and manufacturer of a floor care equipment company that he built from the ground up. LuAnne is in her twelfth year with a local restaurant supply company.

Both enjoy time spent with their children and grandchildren. They have three sons and two daughters-in-law: Carson (Heather), Lee (Mary Lisa), and Owen.

They are open to serving wherever they are needed within the church. They have signed up to assist with the April Egg Drop festivities. They are getting familiar with their new church family by attending the Cornerstone Disciples Sunday School Class and plan to attend a new Equip Class in March with Pastor Daniel. They report that they are very excited that the Lord led them to FABC!