Senior Pastor/Head of Staff
Rev. Dr. Gary Cecil E-Mail

Dr. Cecil is a native of the hills of southern West Virginia where he was raised in a Christian home. He felt his call to ministry while a student at King College in Bristol, TN, a Presbyterian institution. There he received a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Religion with minors in English and Philosophy. During this time, he also served a number of rural churches as a student supply and youth minister.

Rev. Cecil served on the staff of Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN, and Westminster Chapel in Bluefield, WV before furthering his education at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA, where he received a Doctor of Ministry degree after serving as an assistant pastor at Overbrook Presbyterian Church in Richmond in the process.

Since then he has served on the staffs of congregations in Pittsburgh, PA and Grand Forks, North Dakota, before moving to West Avenue Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, NC to serve as pastor. While there, Dr. Cecil became very involved in the community’s Family Life council and race relations, and served the presbytery in several capacities, including moderator and GA representative.

Palms West Presbyterian Church, a new church development at the time, called Dr. Cecil in December 2000, where he joyfully served for 9+ years and through 3 hurricanes. Some of his activities with the congregation included contemporary guitarist and baritone in a Southern Gospel group. He was active in the presbytery, including serving as chair for CPM and Transformation committees.

Dr. Cecil is happily married to Sheila Palmer. Sheila is an experienced church educator and administrator and was very active in Palms West, a Korean Presbyterian congregation, and Tropical Florida presbytery where she served as Stated Clerk and Hunger Action Enabler. Gary and Sheila have had a variety of international mission experiences and share an appreciation for international cuisines and cultures. In August 2009, Gary was inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame after 40+ years of enjoying a healthy hobby. Gary and Sheila enjoy most of all a wonderful family, including 4 grandchildren – all boys! They truly look forward to being part of the wonderful community of Madison!

Associate Pastor

Search in Progress

Director of Christian Education
David Powers

Born in Charlotte, I grew up in Greer, South Carolina where I spent my high school years attending Clemson football games, singing in concert choir and competing in speech and debate tournaments.  In 2004, I graduated Presbyterian College with a Bachelor of Arts and moved to Columbia, South Carolina where I worked for an advocacy group as I completed a Master of Public Administration.  Just a few months ago, I graduated Columbia Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and the resolve that I will not be a student again (at least in a formal setting) for quite some time.

When I’m not attending the Wednesday morning high school breakfast, playing spoons at Snack Attack, or hanging out with the youth on Sunday evening, I love to run, read, play golf, hunt, and watch as much college football as possible.  When I can I love to travel home especially to see my father and sister who both still live in Greer.

I am extremely excited about getting to know and working with the youth of Madison.  This church has an incredible group of gifted and caring young people, and I cannot wait for all of the experiences we will share this fall.  Keep an eye on the calendar in the coming months, as we have a number of new and exciting items in store for the youth.

I look forward to meet each of you very soon!

Church Administrator
Nicki Peppers E-Mail

Director of Pre-School
Deborah Smoak E-Mail

Handbell Choir
David Boardman

David has been drumming, teaching and conducting for over 40 years, and holds a degree in Music Education from Florida State University.  He has performed with the Savannah, Macon and Augusta, GA., symphony orchestras, and with his own Bizarre Arte percussion ensemble at the 1996 Olympics, 1982 World’s Fair, on commercial and public television, and in the linen department at a major Atlanta department store.  David teaches percussion privately and at Morgan County Middle School, and facilitates HealthRhythms group empowerment drumming programs at Camp Twin Lakes.