Pastoral Staff

Sunday Worship Services

Casual - 08:00 - Sanctuary

Contemporary - 09:30 - Murrow Hall

Sunday School - 09:30 & 11:00 - Classrooms

Traditional - 11:00 - Sanctuary

New Contemporary - 11:00 - Murrow Hall

Senior Pastor - Jeff Roberts

On Sunday, June 28, 2009 Trinity United Methodist Church welcomed our new senior Pastor, the Rev. Jeff Roberts and his wife Reesa, to our church family. Jeff and Reesa are coming to us from Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmington.

Jeff was born in Saltville, VA. He attended the United States Air Force Academy and Auburn University, receiving his Bachelors of Science degree in history from Tennessee Tech Cookeville. He earned his Master of Divinity from Duke University. Jeff served four years at the McMinville Circuit which included four churches in Tennessee. Jeff has had four appointments to United Methodist Churches in North Carolina; Four years at Branson United Methodist Church in Durham, eight years at Salem United Methodist Church in Hurdle Mills, eight years at Bellmont United Methodist Church in Burlington, and four years at Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmington.

Jeff is married to the former Ressa Porterfield of Comer, Georgia. Reesa is a graduate of Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
Jeff and Reesa have two grown children, including a son who graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and is now serving in the Air Force. Their daughter is attending Berry College.

To contact Jeff: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Associate Pastor - Michelle Sabin

Michelle_Sabin On March 1^st, 2011, Trinity United Methodist Church welcomed Rev. Michelle Sabin to be our new Associate Pastor. She comes to us on loan from the New England Conference.

Michelle and her husband Jay moved from Vermont in July, 2009. Between them, they raised 4 daughters—Tara, Teal, Meagan and Christine.

Michelle graduated from Johnson State College in 1980 and then settled in Waterville, Vermont where she was a full-time mother. It was in the early 90’s that she heard the call to ordained ministry. In 1992 Michelle attended seminary at Boston University and graduated in 1995 with a Master of Divinity degree.

Michelle served three churches in Vermont before moving to Southport. When her husband, Jay, retired from 37 years of teaching, they left Vermont in search for a place without snow! They feel blessed to live in this beautiful place where the beach is only 5 miles away!

To Contact Michelle: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Minister of Visitation - Gary Albertson

Garrett Albertson spent his early years in the farming community of Hope, New Jersey. Undergraduate education was at The King’s College in New York. Seminary education was at The Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Gordon-Conwell and Andover-Newton Theological seminaries in Massachusetts and the Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological seminary in California.

Gary’s Christian ministry began as youth director in a Methodist Church in West Paterson, New Jersey. Thirty six years of ministry in the Presbyterian Church were in Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Long Island New York. Gary was interim pastor of the Oak Island Presbyterian Church in 2006 and 2007.

Donna and Gary met on a Christian retreat called “Tres Dias” which is similar to “The Walk to Emmaus” They have led many retreats and small groups together as spiritual director and musician. They have been active in Trinity Southport for the past six years.

When Dr. Albertson retired after eighteen years as pastor of the Church in New York, he and Donna bought Theodosia’s Bed and Breakfast Inn on Bald Head Island. They operated the inn for five years and sold it in 2003. Gary is an active sales executive with the Island Agency on Bald Head Island and Donna operates a commercial baking business. Their home, called, “the Crimes of the Heart house”, is here in Southport. The Albertsons have seven children and seven grandchildren.

To contact Gary: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Pastoral Assistant - Amy Edwards

Amy Edwards was born in Port Jefferson, NY and has moved around a great deal during her lifetime to places including Miami, FL, Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, Rocky Mount and Raleigh, NC. She began singing in the church at age nine and was an active member of her youth group. Amy holds a degree in Music Education from East Carolina University where she was the recipient of a Fletcher Scholarship. She taught elementary music for four years before beginning her work with United Methodist Churches. At Trinity UMC Amy coordinates the youth ministry as well as the 9:40 contemporary worship service. She has a creative approach to many of her ministry areas including creating a bucket band for elementary school children. Amy has also sung at the Southport Spring Festival for the past three years and at the 2007 South Brunswick High School Baccalaureate Service. Amy and her husband Ben have two children.