Staff
Pastor Deano Pulice
parkridgefmc.org
My name is Deano Pulice and I was born February 11, 1957. I grew up in a small town in southwest Pennsylvania called Fairchance and was the youngest of 6 children. Even though my parents were not churchgoers, a neighbor invited me when I was seven years old to attend the Free Methodist Sunday School with his son and took me almost every Sunday during my childhood.
It was in 1978, while attending a summer camp, the evangelist spoke of God’s love and how God loved me just the way I was and stretched out His arms to show me the full extent of His love. That evening I gave my life to Christ and have been a believer ever since.
On August 15, 1981 I married my wife Darlene. She grew up in Uniontown, Pa and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Dental Hygiene. Since that time God has blessed us with 4 beautiful children: Deanna (married to Chris Abram), Christopher, Janelle, and Bethany.
I graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College in 1986 with a major in Music and a minor in Biblical Studies. During that time, I received a call to become a minister of Jesus Christ. Over the years I have served in a variety of ways: a youth pastor for two years and an associate pastor for five years at the Brockport Free Methodist Church, a church planter in Bridgeport, WV for three years, a senior pastor in Monaca, PA for eleven years, and an interim pastor in New Castle, PA for two and a half years. In June of 1991, I was ordained as an elder in the Free Methodist Church.
The Lord has blessed me with a love to sing and play the piano, but my passion in ministry is to preach the Word, win the lost, train the believers, and help one another become fully devoted followers of Christ.
Pastor Laverne Bates
parkridgefmc.org
The Apostle Paul expressed our prayer for ministry well: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11
My wife Lynn and I have had the wonderful privilege of serving the Lord and His Church for almost 40 years. Our children, and now grandchildren, have shared significantly in that ministry. While my parents were not active in their faith when I was born, one of my earliest church memories is kneeling beside my father as he accepted Christ. Our home was redeemed from the brink of destruction in that moment of faith. Church and daily family prayer times became an important part of our lives and provided for my three sisters and me a strong foundation of faith. That was the beginning of my faith journey, and at the age of seventeen, I responded to a deep sense of call to ministry and total commitment to Christ.
Shortly thereafter, I met Lynn and our marriage was blessed with Laura, Jeffrey, and Catharine, who brought love, laughter, and practical insight into our home. The added joy of eight grandchildren’s activities and questions has kept us young and involved.
Our first six years of pastoral ministry was in Ontario, Canada, birthplace of our family. I then served in a social work ministry with Big Brothers of Canada for five years before accepting a position as Minister of Christian Education at Pearce Memorial Church in North Chili, New York, where we served for five years. After 12 years as Senior Pastor in Batavia, New York, I was elected Conference Superintendent of the Canada Great Lakes Conference and participated in the restructuring of the Canadian Free Methodist Church.
The past 13 years at Park Ridge Church have been a rich blessing. Not only did the Lord prosper the church, but provided opportunity to cap my life-long learning process with a Master of Arts degree at Northeastern Seminary.
We thank God for the privilege of serving Him and His Church, for His faithful provision of grace and growth, and the wonderful extended family of friends He has brought into our lives; “His grace has brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home.”