Rev. Ben Van Staalduinen, Pastor
Rev. Van Staalduinen (Ben) is an Eastern NC native who was born in Beaufort County, and raised in Greenville, North Carolina. Ben received his bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University in 2013 where he studied English with a concentration in Film Studies.
Rev. Van Staalduinen received his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in 2018, and is a proud Fellow of the Thriving Rural Communities initiative through the Duke Endowment. Ben is an Elder in the North Carolina Conference of the UMC, and happily serves as one of the Capital District’s disaster response coordinators. Ben enjoys kayaking, fishing, and live music. Ben is joined in Fremont with his wife, Mary and their children Molly and Jack.
email: bvanstaalduinen@nccumc.org
Linda Jo Sampson, Director of Music Ministry
Linda was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. She began playing the piano at the age of 10, then became the church pianist at the age of 13 at 103rd Street Baptist Church. She graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in 1991, with studies in vocal performance. At the age of 18, she joined the Air Force. Stationed in many places to include NY, TX, Portugal, and served in Afghanistan on two tours. After 21 years, she retired in 2013. Her family decided to retire in Pikeville.
She is married to Jason and has three beautiful children, Kirsten, Makayla, and Nolan. All three children are active in the arts such as theater, band and dance. Linda completed her Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies at the University of Mount Olive in 2018. Her husband, Jason, also completed his degree in business management at UMO.
Linda loves singing, playing piano, running and acting in her spare time. She feels blessed to be a part of this body of believers.
Sylvia Overman, Accompanist
Sylvia joined Fremont United Methodist Church when she was nine years old. Soon after that she began playing the piano for Sunday School Assembly. She knew two hymns, so the Sunday School Superintendent, a very kind person, had these two hymns selected every Sunday. Now almost 70 years later, she has learned a few more hymns and is church organist and pianist. She says that “time flies when you are having fun!!”
She doesn’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t doing music – and loves all kinds from classical, rock and roll, old gospel hymns to praise and worship. She is very thankful to be in a loving and supportive church.
She is married to Lemuel (he plays golf—-not music). They have one son, Fred, who is a good son and a great cook and is married to Lisa, a beautiful girl, inside and out! They live in Georgia with Sylvia’s three wonderful step grandchildren.
She feels so fortunate to have good friends, a family, and a church family that have been with her through sickness and health.
Shari Stewart, Preschool Director
Shari began serving as the Music Director for Fremont Methodist Preschool in January of 1998 and was hired as the Director in July of 1998. Shari loves her job because she gets to see the world from the eyes of a child on a daily basis. She believes there is nothing better than hearing the sound of children laughing or saying, “Look what I can do”. Reading is one of her passions and she begins each year by reading her favorite book, Green Eggs and Ham, to the students. She’s not afraid to be covered in shaving cream or even getting a pie in the face if it will help to make learning fun!
A graduate of Mount Olive College, Shari is originally from Duplin County. She and her husband, Hank, are the proud parents of three children ~ Elizabeth, Kenan & Jessie ~ and the sweetest dog in the world ~ Max. The Stewart Family are true-blue, die-hard Tar Heel fans. Shari’s favorite place to be is near the water, be it coastal North Carolina or sailing the blue waters of the British Virgin Islands.