Lenten Dinners 2025

Lenten Dinner goes beyond just food—it becomes an experience for the soul as much as for the body. These meals offer a space to connect, to be heard, understood, and embraced. It’s a time to share moments of togetherness and love. We invite you to join us for Lenten Dinners every Wednesday throughout Lent.

Mark your calendars! Each Wednesday night, before dinner, we’ll join together for a brief service of prayer with a devotional message by special guest speakers who will share their insights and reflections to help guide us on our journey. Learn more about our 2025 Lenten Speakers below.

Wednesdays • March 12 – April 9

5:30 PM • Service in the Sanctuary* | 6:15 PM • Dinner in McGowin Hall

Adults $10 • Kids $5

Register in advance and make sure there’s a plate waiting for you!

or call the church at (251) 471-1511

*Childcare is available in the Treehouse during the worship service for children 4 and under. Children may be picked up before dinner.

What’s for Dinner?

Click here to view our 2025 Lenten Dinner Menu

Bishop Lawson Bryan is a retired Bishop in the United Methodist Church serving from 2016-2021 in the South Georgia Conference. He was raised in Dothan, AL, and went on to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Tulane University before hearing God’s call to ordained ministry. He then went on to pursue his master’s and doctorate from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He has had a distinguished career in the United Methodist Church, serving in various congregations across the Alabama-West Florida Conference, including Ashland Place United Methodist Church in Mobile and later at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, where he served as senior pastor until his election as Bishop.

Since his retirement, Bishop Bryan has continued his commitment to service by serving as a board member of the Respite for All Foundation, which helps to launch ministries that support individuals with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Bishop Bryan is married to Sherrill O. Cooper of Thomaston, AL. Their son and daughter-in-law, Philip and Brittany, live in Montgomery with their children, John Philip, Jr., and Cece.

Bishop B. Michael Watson is a retired Bishop in the United Methodist Church, serving from 2000-2008 in the South Georgia Conference and 2008-2016 in the North Georgia Conference. He also held the role of Ecumenical Officer for the Council of Bishops from 2016 to 2020. Born into an active Methodist family in Dothan, Alabama, he pursued higher education at the University of Alabama, Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and Vanderbilt University. He served as a pastor in multiple churches, including Aldersgate UMC in Molino, Florida, and Christ UMC in Milton, Florida, before founding Covenant UMC in his hometown. His leadership continued as pastor of Dauphin Way UMC in Mobile, Alabama.

Dr. Watson was also highly involved in civic and educational leadership, serving as president of the Mobile County School Board and chairing various boards and committees within the church and the local community. A delegate to several World Methodist Conferences, he is currently a member of the World Methodist Council. He and his wife, Margaret, married in 1973. They have two children and six grandchildren.

Rev. Kristen Curtis Wright currently serves as the Associate Pastor at Ashland Place United Methodist Church in Mobile, AL. She holds a degree from Huntingdon College, a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology, and is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Boston University. Kristen is passionate about her faith and her work in ministry, where she serves her congregation with dedication and care.

Outside of her professional life, Kristen enjoys a variety of hobbies, including traveling and music. She values quality time with her family, spending time with her husband, Micah, and their daughter, Callie. Kristen’s life is centered around her faith, family, and the joy of exploration, both within and beyond her ministry.

Rev. Sheila Bates, a member of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, is currently serving as the district superintendent of the Southwest District. Rev. Bates brings a wealth of experience to this role, having served as the executive pastor at Impact UMC in the North Georgia Conference, Lead Pastor at Cokesbury UMC in Pensacola, and as an associate pastor at Dauphin Way UMC. She has also held positions as the Director of Faith and Leadership Formation at the General Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry (GBHEM) and as the Director of the Tuskegee Wesley Foundation.

Ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church in 2018, Rev. Bates completed her undergraduate studies at Suffolk University and earned her seminary degree at Gammon Theological Seminary. She is also the proud mother of one adult daughter, Kira.

Dr. Henry E. Roberts served as the Senior Minister of First United Methodist Church of Pensacola, FL for 22 years, dedicating his life to the congregation and its mission. After 40 years of ministry in the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, he retired in 2006. Despite his retirement, Dr. Roberts continued to serve the community as the President of Sacred Heart Health Care Systems Foundation. In recognition of his remarkable service, the church honored him with the title of Pastor Emeritus and named the Henry Roberts Activity Center in his honor.

A native of Alabama, Dr. Roberts earned his undergraduate degree from Huntingdon College in Montgomery. He went on to receive his graduate degrees from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, earning a Master of Theology in 1968 and a Doctorate of Ministry in 1978. He and his wife, Jane, are the proud parents of two daughters, Ann and Rebecca, and have three grandchildren: Katherine, Walker, and Rebecca Ann.