Greg was born in Memphis, TN, but moved to Nashville TN at age 6 where he spent the remainder of his childhood. Greg was baptized and raised in the United Methodist Church and considers Crievewood UMC as his home church where his faith was developed and nurtured. Greg was active in Boy Scouts, UMYF, choir, track, tennis and played the baritone in concert and marching band through his freshman year in College. Greg remains an avid music fan and enjoys music of every genre.
Greg attended Middle TN State University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and was very active in the Wesley Foundation where he enjoyed
The Wesley Singers, outreach ministries, bible study, and worship. It was at the Wesley Foundation that Greg both experienced his call into the ministry and met his wife Cheryl. This June they will be experiencing their 34th wedding anniversary.
Greg graduated with his Master of Divinity from Emory University. Greg has served churches in both the TN conference and the WNC conference. He has 15 years of experience in ministry and 20 years of experience in the corporate world. Before re-entering the ministry almost 4 years ago, Greg spent the last 17 years as a Service and Quality Assurance manager for Liberty Mutual Insurance group.
Greg has a passion for preaching, teaching, discipleship and Christian community. His wife Cheryl is a Speech Therapist at Sandy Ridge elementary in Waxhaw. Cheryl also has experience as a Registered Nurse. Cheryl has a passion for children, reading, crafts, Estate sales and contra dancing. Greg, in his free time, also enjoys reading, the arts, Hiking, estate sales, contra dancing and of course good food and fellowship!
Rev. Greg Hamilton - Pastor
Born in the small town of Salamanca, NY I was raised in the Baptist church where I played the piano and organ, sang and directed the choir and sang solos since childhood. I accepted the Lord as my savior in third grade and have followed Him since.
I earned my Bachelor of Music Education at Mount Union College in Alliance, OH where I was a voice major and piano minor. I sang with the Alliance Community Choir, school choirs, taught piano and voice lessons, and graduated in 1993.
I married my husband John in 1993 and started by teaching career in Four Oaks, NC where I taught middle school music and art. I served as the Minister of music at Sharon Baptist church and performed in local theater. I also sang with the Raleigh Oratorio society and was a featured soloist. Our daughter Sarah was born in 1997 and we decided to move home to Salamanca to raise her around family.
While in NY I taught Elementary music, got my Master’s Degree in Education, had my daughter Hannah, and sang with the choir at First Baptist Church of Olean, NY. But NC had our heart and we moved to Indian Trail in 2005 where I’ve been teaching music at Sandy Ridge Elementary School.
As a former member of Hartis Grove Baptist church, I sang in the choir, was assistant director, directed the youth choir, and was a frequent soloist. When the church disbanded we went to Next Level Church where we have been since. I served for 6 years there as a youth group leader.
We are proud to be a Safe Sanctuaries Congregation. We take the safety of our children and youth seriously. All of our volunteers who work in
the nursery, or with
children and youth
have gone through
background checks. We follow and implement Safe Sanctuaries guidelines as well.
Our History
Melissa LoPresto - Music Director
INDIAN TRAIL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Indian Trail Methodist-Episcopal South was established in 1902. There were many obstacles, but the determined pioneers pushed ahead with their plans and construction started on a classic white country church. Indian Trail MEC-South was attached to the Matthews Charge and the first pastor was Rev. J. J. Havner.
Our current building was competed in 1944 and dedicated on June 24, 1945. Much of the money for the new building was raised from the Lord’s Acre Program – a program through which church members raised funds through the selling of pigs, hens and baby chicks. In 1997, 14 new stain glass windows were purchased through donations and installed in the sanctuary. They now grace our sanctuary with depictions of many different Biblical stories. This brings a wonderful array of colored light into our sanctuary and makes it a warm and welcoming place to worship.
Today this country church is now in the center of the fastest growing town in North Carolina and the largest town/city in Union County. As the town of Indian Trail reinvents itself as a suburb of Charlotte, ITUMC is also looking for God’s guidance to move us into the future.
Our future is only known to God but we here at ITUMC are determined to do what it takes to live into our mission to live, love, reach and teach God's Word, here in Indian Trail and around the world.