About Our Pastor
Rev. Erik Mays became pastor of West Point First United Methodist Church on January 1, 2020. Rev. Mays is a lifelong United Methodist having grown up in the Due West UMC in West Cobb County. Following high school he received two undergraduate degrees; one from Reinhardt College in Liberal Arts (2003), and a second one from LaGrange College in Religion and Philosophy (2004). In 2009 he earned his Master of Divinity degree from Emory University's Candler School of Theology and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Ministry in Church Leadership through Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
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Rev. Mays considers his passions in ministry to be helping connect people to their own ministries within the life of the local church/community, and revitalizing the local church for faithful and fruitful transformation through Jesus Christ. Rev. Mays has served on over 20 short term mission trips; some in the U.S. and some in places such as Mexico (when he met his wife), Poland, Venezuela, Peru, and Guatemala.
In June of 2013 Rev. Mays was ordained an elder in full connection in the North Georgia Conference. Following a 10 year span of serving as a youth pastor, Rev. Mays has served the following churches: Marietta First UMC (associate pastor) 2011-2013, Senoia UMC (pastor) 2013-2017, Villa Rica First UMC (pastor) June 2017 - December 2019.
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Rev. Mays has served on the LaGrange District Strategic Growth Team, the LaGrange District Committee on Ordained Ministry (dcom), chaired the Rome-Carrollton District Strategic Mission Team, currently serves on the North Georgia Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits and chairs the South West District Strategic Growth & Building Location Committee. In addition, he has served as a candidacy mentor for those discerning a call into ministry. In May of 2015 Rev. Mays completed the Royce and Jane Reynolds Program in Church Leadership with the Western North Carolina Conference of the UMC and the Center for Creative Leadership.
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Rev. Mays has been married to Lindsey, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, since June of 2007. Together they have three daughters and a dog named Mollie. In their free time they enjoy the outdoors, family game night, delicious foods, college football, and cheering on the Atlanta Braves.