Pastor Lane and Jean Spigener

Prospect welcomed Pastor Lane and his wife, Jean, beginning July 1, 2024, following Ken Thrasher's retirement. This is just a small introduction provided by Pastor Lane. They look forward to sharing more about their lives, travels, and experiences with you and are eager to learn more about you!

Lane and Jean met through mutual friends in 2012. They then went on to get married in a small ceremony surrounded by family and close friends in November 2013. Their combined immediate family also includes children and grandchildren. They have seven adult children and eleven grandchildren between the two of them. Lane has three daughters, two sons, and grandchildren who live in various parts of South Carolina and Georgia. Jean's daughter's family and three grandchildren live in Lunenburg Co. Her son lives in Dundas, Va. and her grandson lives in Myrtle Beach.

Lane was born in Greenville, Mississippi, and grew up in a loving home in Charleston, South Carolina. His family was strong in their faith, attending their local Methodist Church.

Growing up, Lane’s family’s strong, traditional beliefs greatly guided his path in life,as well as later into ministry. He has now been a minister in the Virginia Conference for 30 years. When he is not in his office, Lane enjoys visiting with members of the congregation, attending community events, and spreading the love and charity of God and his word.

Some of Lane’s hobbies include baseball and golf—although it’s been a while, so he may be a little rusty—hunting, fishing, and spending time with Jean. Lane is an animal lover, especially dogs, and one day, he and Jean are looking to add a cute four-legged member to their home.

Jean, having lived in South Hill for over 50 years, attended Ebony Assembly of God from 1979 through 1996. She was raised in a small, traditional household with an ever-growing love for praise and worship. As an adult, her faith and love of the Lord and his word remain strong,

Jean teaches pre-K at Kenston Forest School. She enjoys accompanying Lane on his visits with church members, always making sure to send birthday greetings and condolences. get well soon’s, and messages for all occasions. Some of Jean’s hobbies include cooking (from scratch is best!), fishing, and spending time with Lane. Most evenings you will find them sharing a bag of popcorn while watching one of their favorite movies or TV shows together.

Pastoral Role At a Glance

The following are excerpts from this article: "Responsibilities and Duties of a United Methodist Pastor".

To embody the teachings of Jesus in servant ministries and servant leadership.
To give diligent pastoral leadership on ordering the life of the congregation for discipleship in the world.
To build the body of Christ as a caring and giving community, extending the ministry of Christ to the world.
To participate in community, ecumenical and inter-religious concerns and encourage the people to become so involved and to pray and labor for the unity of the Christian Community.

Pastoral and Leadership Responsibilities

Noted responsibilities and duties (subset from the article) are highlighted below. To accomplish a number of these the Pastor depends on the support of church leadership, committees, volunteers, Lay Leaders, and Lay Servants.

Preaching the word of God, leading in worship, reading and teaching the Scriptures, and engaging others in study and witness
Administering the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper -- and their meaning in life
Accepting those who profess their faith into the church membership
Performing funerals, burials, and memorial services
Performing marriages including pre-marriage counseling
Counseling persons with personal, ethical, or spiritual struggles
Visiting in the homes of the church and community, especially among the sick, aged, and others in need -- including hospital visits and transportation for medical appointments when needed
In a leadership capacity, being the administrative officer of the church and to assure that the organizational concerns of the congregation are adequately provided for: equipping vital leadership, lay ministry, and congregations, ministry strategies and delivery, vision and strategy for the church as a whole, administration of the day-to-day affairs on the church and provisions in the Book of Discipline, and fulfill responsibilities to the District, Conference, and the connectional system as a whole