Leadership

Ben began sensing a call to ministry shortly after graduating high school, when he was asked to lead a middle school small group. As he continued to serve his youth group, others began to recognize God’s call on his life. With the encouragement of spiritual mentors and a growing sense of God’s voice, Ben stepped into ministry and hasn’t looked back.

In 2005, after graduating from Asbury Theological Seminary, he began serving at First Methodist Church Long Beach. Since then, the church has graciously helped shape his journey as a pastor and leader. Ben has a deep love for preaching and is especially passionate about helping others discover and live out their own callings — wherever they live, work, and play.

His favorite Bible passage is the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 — a story he holds close because it reflects his own. His current favorite worship song is “Goodness of God,” which has been his personal anthem for the past year and a half.

Ben is married to his wife, Emily, and they have four children: Sadie, Joe, Lizzie, and Benji. When he’s not serving the church, Ben enjoys cutting grass, barbecuing, woodworking, and Cruising the Coast.

Lori Cripple has served as our Ministry Coordinator since 2007. Her journey into ministry began when she started volunteering in children’s ministry before her daughters were born — and she quickly realized she had found where God was calling her to be.

Lori’s favorite Bible verse is Ephesians 2:4-5, a powerful reminder to her that no one is ever too far from God’s redeeming love. She carries that hope into everything she does — from organizing large church-wide events like Vacation Bible School to leading small groups of students.

She considers it a privilege to work with kids from preschool through high school (and beyond), and she truly believes she has the best job in the world.

Lori is married to John Cripple, and they have two daughters: Kaylee, a student at the University of Southern Mississippi, and Maddie, a high school senior. In her free time, Lori enjoys reading, binge-watching Netflix, sharing meals with friends, supporting her kids, and loving all things Disney.

Emily is a 2006 graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, the place that trained her heart for worship as she served on the Chapel Worship Team.  She's volunteered at  First Methodist Church Long Beach since she moved here from Kentucky in 2006, but she joined the staff in 2025. She loves planning worship services and considering how our church tells God's story through scripture, song, and tangible experiences. She sings with the worship band and her favorite worship song is "In Christ Alone".

Emily also enjoys connecting with students as a leader of our church's youth group. Three of her own children, Sadie, Joe, and Lizzie are a part of that group! Emily and her husband, Ben, also have a younger son, Benji who participates in children's ministry.  The Barlows love  watching University of Kentucky Basketball together and going camping.

Mandy Long has been faithfully leading worship and directing the choir at our church since July 2008. Her greatest joy in ministry is singing for Jesus alongside others and helping create a space where hearts can connect with God through music. One of her favorite hymns is "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," and she draws strength from Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Mandy is married to Andy, and together they cherish time with their wonderful children—Anna Kate, Will and his wife Emma, and Alan. When she's not serving in worship, Mandy enjoys spending quality time with her loved ones.

Kris has been Worship Leader at The Well since 2015. A guitarist at heart, he leads the worship band with passion and dedication, drawing from his lifelong love of music. Having played in various bands covering multiple genres and styles, Kris brings a diverse musical background to his leadership, blending different influences into a unified worship experience.

His goal is to cultivate an environment where people can open their hearts and experience the presence of God through worship. His wife, Jennifer, joins him in ministry as a vocalist in the worship band, and together they raise their two children, Elizabeth and William, in the church community.

Jason began playing piano at First Methodist Church Long Beach in April 2021. Though his formal training is in mathematics and education—not ministry or piano—God has used his musical gifts in churches across South Mississippi for more than 35 years. He first “fell into” playing when his home church didn’t have a pianist, often leaning on hymns in the key of C like "Sweet Hour of Prayer" until he learned others.

Jason especially loves hearing the congregation lift up all four vocal parts during worship—something fewer churches do today, but a sound that still thrills his heart! His favorite hymn is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness", drawn from Lamentations 3, because it reminds him that God’s mercies are “new every morning.”

Jason’s favorite Bible verse is 1 John 1:9. He and his wife, Angelia, have been married since 1996 and are the proud parents of three grown sons.

Alice has been faithfully serving as our office administrator since 1998. A warm and welcoming presence, she loves the people in this church family and finds daily inspiration in her favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Alice is married to her husband, Jay, and together they have two children, Joshua and Meagan — plus a grand-dog named Eugene. Before joining our team, she proudly served in the U.S. Navy for seven years.

In her free time, Alice enjoys traveling, and gardening. She also loves fresh flowers.