Sun Lakes United Methodist Church
Clergy - December 2006

 Senior Pastor: Jim O'Neal
Associate Pastor: James D. Wood
Associate Pastor: Steve Holec

Rev. James “Jim” A. O’Neal was appointed to the Sun Lakes United Methodist Church as the Senior Pastor on July 1, 2006.  Primary responsibilities include preaching, administration, leadership development and visioning for the future. Prior to Sun Lakes Rev. O’Neal was the Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Glendale where the Church reached out with a variety of programs to help the working poor and the homeless.  Before that Rev. Jim served the North Scottsdale United Methodist Church which grew from around 200 members to over 600 members during his nine years there.  During that time Rev. O’Neal served as an officer on our Conference Committee on Congregational Development.   Other Churches have included:  The new Church at Fountain Hills where Jim was the organizing Pastor, Calvary UMC in Maryvale, and Willcox UMC down in “cowboy country” in southeastern Arizona.  Rev. O’Neal, also, served, when he first came out of seminary, as an Associate Pastor at Trinity UMC in Phoenix. During that time he led many camps and was our Annual Conference’s first Conference Youth Coordinator. Rev. O’Neal has always been active in Church.  His parents took him and his siblings as children to Creighton United Methodist Church in Phoenix.  His parents are still members there.  Jim was active in the local Church Youth Group and in the District.  His parents and other significant adults witnessed their faith to him since childhood.  As a child, Rev. O’Neal expressed that he had a deep trust in God.  Later as a teen he went through those years of rebellion, but on a retreat to Camp Mingus had a strong and life changing encounter with Jesus and claimed the faith of his family as his own.   Jim met Christine Bazzill on a Methodist Youth Fellowship hay ride at South Mountain while they were both in High School.  They were married on January 24, 1970 in Phoenix, Arizona.   Rev. Jim and Chris are both native Arizonans.  And in fact Rev. O’Neal is a third generation Arizonan on his mother’s side of the family.  Jim attended Lafayette and Ingleside Elementary Schools.  He went to Arcadia High School.  Jim attended college at Arizona State University and graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from the College of Engineering.  (Jim is, also, a third generation graduate of ASU.  Aunt Jane graduated from the Teacher’s Normal at Tempe, and his parents from ASC.) Between Rev. Jim’s junior and senior years at college, he finally gave up the “battle” that had been going on for many years in his heart and answered God’s call to go into the ministry.  He went to Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and graduated in 1975. Jim and Chris have four grown children:  Julie lives in Nashville, Tennessee and works for the National Division of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship in the new Young Adult Division.  Jason lives in Queen Creek and is married to Joely.  Jason works several jobs and is attending college.  Matthew lives and works in Phoenix.  And Sarah attends ASU West and lives in a dorm on campus.  The O’Neal children are a beautiful study in diversity.  Three of them are adopted.  Julie was born in Seoul, Korea and is of Korean ancestry.  Jason was a local adoption of mixed race.  Matthew came from Dallas, Texas and is black-white in his heritage.  Sarah is the biological child, and thus is Scottish, Irish, English, Welch, German and Dutch in ancestry.   Rev. Jim and his wife Chris live just east of the Church in Cooper Commons.  Chris’ mother Berneece Bazzill lives with them, and also attends Sun Lakes UMC. 

Rev. Jim O’Neal brings to our Church over thirty years of ministerial experience.  He has touched our hearts with his preaching and continues to encourage us to be a Church committed to mission and outreach.  He and his family have enjoyed the warm reception given to them by the people of Sun Lakes United Methodist Church.  If you’re looking for a warm and welcoming Church home, he encourages you to visit Sun Lakes UMC.

Rev. James D. Wood, Associate Pastor

Rev. James D. Wood was appointed to the Sun Lakes United Methodist Church as a retired, part-time pastor in the summer of 2004. He has been given the responsibility of helping to give leadership to our Church Growth committee, teaching an occasional Bible study, making weekly hospital visits, assisting (sometimes bringing the message) in worship on Sunday mornings, and doing some preaching at our Saturday evening chapel services.

Jim, as he prefers to be called, developed a PowerPoint ® slide presentation to acquaint prospective new members with The United Methodist Church and the ministry and mission of our congregation. The Church Growth committee has initiated training sessions for leaders in our church, helping them to be more aware of the opportunities we have as a “Welcoming Congregation” through our denomination’s Igniting Ministry program.

Jim and his wife, Martha, moved to Sun Lakes to be closer to their two daughters and their families who live in Gilbert. Jim is familiar with this part of the East Valley, having served previously as the pastor in Chandler from 1978-84. He retired in 2004 after serving eight churches ( Colorado, California and Arizona) during the past thirty-six years. He is a graduate from California Western University in San Diego with a B.A. in Social Studies, and the Iliff School of Theology in Denver with a Master’s Degree in Divinity. His last full-time appointment was at the Willowbrook United Methodist Church in Sun City (very similar to our congregation) where he was the senior pastor.

The Woods also have a son who lives in San Diego and are blessed with seven grandchildren. Both enjoy singing in our church’s choir, love to walk and ride bicycles, and recently led a group from the church to Greece and Italy last November as part of “The Fourth Missionary Journey of St. Paul” cruise.

Rev. Steve Holec , Associate Pastor

Steven L. Holec is 53 years of age, born to parents Mary Ann and Milton Holec in Savannah, Georgia on February 21 st, 1953. Steve is married and has no children. Steve and his wife LuAnn make their home in Gold Canyon, Arizona where they have lived since 1997. They are formerly from Awautukee, Arizona.

As a member of Gold Canyon United Methodist Church, Steve is active in the local church’s Stephen Ministry and has served in a certified leadership capacity for about five years. He is also a certified lay speaker, serves on the pastors worship committee, and is a member-at-large on the administrative council. Additionally, Steve is active in a variety of volunteer ministries such as the alzheimer support group. He has received training in hospice care and occasionally facilitates discussion groups on the subject of end of life issues and care giving.

Over the last 4 years, Steve has been heavily involved in pastoral care and visitation, acting as a volunteer assisting the staff Minister of Pastoral Care, Rev. Hu Rhymes. Steve lends his assistance while the pastoral staff take scheduled vacations, are absent due to illness, or when the work load dictates the need for additional help.

Steve entered the candidacy process in June 2003. He attended Local Pastor Licensing School at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado in August 2004. As a certified candidate, Steve is a second year student enrolled in Course of Study at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri.