Rev. Heather Locklear, Pastor
Rev. Heather Locklear is a native of North Carolina who claims both Hampstead and Fayetteville as home. After graduating from Topsail High School in Hampstead she attended Methodist University (Methodist College at the time) in Fayetteville and finished her undergraduate studies at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke with a degree in Business Administration and a double concentration in Management and Marketing. In 2019 Heather began at Duke Divinity School and graduated in 2023 with her Master of Divinity. Heather has served as pastor in Fayetteville, Roxboro, and now in Efland and Chapel Hill.
Heather is married to Jay, who is currently pursuing his MDiv at Duke with an anticipated graduation date of 2025. They are the parents of two children and the grandparents of three. Anthony, their oldest, lives in Roxboro with his fiancé, Brittany and their children. Joshua, their youngest, lives in Sanford with his wife Jordan. Heather and Jay live in a divided household, Heather is a die hard Duke fan and Jay pulls for the Carolina Tarheels- yet they’ve been making it work for 27 years! Her hobbies include singing, painting, and reading. She prefers paper books to digital because nothing beats highlighting and flagging pages as you read a paper book. She loves 80’s hair bands and praise music from all eras and loves hanging out with her grandchildren every chance she gets.”
To contact Heather:
- Mail: P.O. Box 8, Efland, NC 27243
- Office Phone: 919 563-0910
- Email: hlocklear@nccumc.org
Julie Perez, Director of Music
Julie Perez spent her childhood in Efland, and after living in Mexico, Texas, and Florida, came back in 2003 to her North Carolina roots. At the age of four, she fell in love with the piano, insisting that her mother teach her how to play. Her musical tastes are eclectic, and one of her objectives as Music Director is to continually expand the diversity of our worship music.
Julie studied Spanish at UNC—Chapel Hill, and later nursing at Pensacola Junior College. Aside from being a musician, she works as a nurse on the cardiac step-down unit at Duke Regional Hospital, and co-owns artisan soap company CheekyLather. However, her favorite job is being “mommy” to her son Nelson.
Julie, her husband Jeff, and their son live in Mebane with very good girl Riley and some assorted Glo-fish. Her other interests include travel, martial arts, cooking, scary movies, and puppies.
Mackenzie Williams, Director of Children and Youth Ministries
Mackenzie grew up in Efland, North Carolina and was raised at Chestnut Ridge UMC. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Community Health from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2018 and plans to further her education in Radiography. She was also a Softball Student-Athlete and was named Female Athlete of the Year at Lenoir-Rhyne her Senior Year.
Mackenzie comes from a very big family; her father is the baby of 12 children, the majority of whom still live in the small town of Efland. She loves that God has called her to teach the Children’s and Youth Ministries and share God’s love for them every Sunday. The kids are her pride and joy every week. In her free time you can find her cheering on the North Carolina Tar Heels, hanging out with friends and family, or maybe even on a cruise somewhere outside the United States.
To contact Mackenzie:
- Cell phone: 336-343-7114
- Email: cates.mackenzie@gmail.com