Staff

SENIOR PASTORS — Gary & Cathy Smith:

Gary and Cathy met while working full time in a Christian Rehabilitation center in Miami. They were married in 1970. After several years of parachurch work, they entered pastoral ministry. They served for nine years as youth and Christian Education directors in Tennessee and Florida. In 1986 they founded Vision Ministries, which later became Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Fort Myers. Gary said: “Finding the Vineyard was the greatest discovery of my life right behind finding Jesus and my wife. It was so cool to find a community of churches that taught ‘everyone gets to play’ (Wimber’s message) and didn’t wrap everything around a professional staff or a stage show. There was no hype, no manipulation and no pitiful solos. I was hooked and was finally home with the Vineyard.” Gary loves church history, the Puritans, playing with his grandkids. Some of his favorite books are: “Faith Alone” by R.C. Sproul, “The Almost Christian Discovered” by Matthew Mead, “A Spectacle Unto God” by Don Kistler and “The Dangerous Duty Of Delight” by John Piper.

Cathy completed VLI (Vineyard Leadership Institute) in 2008 and was Ordained by the Vineyard. Even though they have always ministered together, Cathy said going through the process of Ordination was like a “common-law” marriage finally becoming legal! It is a joy to share the responsibilities of Pastoring VCFFM!

ASSOCIATE PASTOR — Steve Morriss:

Susan and Stephen, after living for themselves for 27 years, including a divorce for each, met in Townsend, Tennessee in 1978 and moved in together. Stephen was a student at the Univ. of Tenn. while Susan was looking for a place to settle with her two children. In November 1979, after reading “The Late Great Planet Earth”, which Susan purchased at a rummage sale, the two of them bowed their knees to Jesus Christ on their living room floor, got married, and settled into a new life. In 1982, the call to missions was felt by both which prompted a move to Ft. Myers and later to Mexico. Those five years in Mexico were spent working with another missionary couple which resulted in the planting of a church in Uruapan, Michoacan. That church is still there and is now in the hands of a Mexican Pastor. In 1990, the Morriss family returned to Florida for what was believed to be a one year furlough. This one year has turned into nineteen years during which time the two of them have been employed at Evangelical Christian School. Susan teaches Spanish and eleventh grade English while Stephen teaches high school sciences and Senior Bible. Both are actively involved in The Vineyard of Ft. Myers church, Stephen as the Associate Pastor and Board member and Susan has recently completed her course work with The Vineyard Leadership Institute. It is their heartfelt desire to return to Mexico someday and begin a house church in Guanajuato, Mexico. Once a missionary, always a missionary!

My responsibility at VCF Ft. Myers involves service in two principle areas: One – To serve as Associate Pastor, which primarily involves Sunday morning teaching on occasion, overseeing services when the Senior Pastor is out of town, and helping out with communion, announcements, baptisms and such. Two – I oversee our Foreign Missions. We are primarily concentrating our efforts towards Honduras, where we are actively involved with two churches. My responsibility is to visit Honduras at least once a year, disperse any funds for that area, give direction and leadership to our involvement with those churches, as well as encourage others to get involved by joining me on mission trips.

TEEN/CHILDREN’S PASTOR & CHRISTIAN EDUCATION OVERSEER — Ramie Hall:

Ramie has served in Youth and Children’s ministry since 1998. She felt the call into the ministry at the age of 17 at a Vineyard Conference in Anaheim California. Throughout the last 10 years she has helped establish and grow the Youth and Children’s ministry at the Vineyard. Her vision is to witness a generation of Christian kids that never abandon in their faith. Ramie began teaching Sunday school classes in middle school and she believes that when the church offers kids and teens ministry responsibilities they will find an area of ministry they are called to. She currently has a high school senior overseeing one class, and children as young as 8 years old leading prayer groups. One of her main ministry goals is that everyone she leads finds their place in ministry, as she believes that all Christians are called to serve. Ramie is a wife and mother of two children. She enjoys spending time with her family, staying up all night with the teenagers learning to play the Wii, and doing crafty Martha Stewart type things, which she rarely has time to do. Ramie graduated from Liberty University.

Favorite scripture:

Philippians 2:15: “so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”

SOUND TECH — Scott Beatty:

My wife, Susan, and I visited a home-based group of Vision Ministry (as it was called at the time) in October 1992 and fell in love with the people. We knew we had found a wonderful Church home. Vision Ministry soon became part of the Vineyard and our new home was built even stronger. The relationships we’ve made throughout these years have blessed our lives as well as our children’s lives. Our son, Chip (almost 21), is now one of our Worship Leaders. Our daughters, Jennifer (16) and Grace (13) are well entrenched in the youth programs and working with the younger children each week – in and out of Church service. Our children’s hearts and service are a testimony to the love and support we’ve received throughout the years from our Vineyard Church family.

A Bank Manager by vocation, I have been the Fort Myers Vineyard “Sound Guy” for something like eight or ten years now – time flies when you are having fun! I am certainly no master mixer or great music producer, but I do enjoy giving of my time, loyalty and acquired semi-talent to lend to a group of people we love so dearly. I have never seen this “position” as a duty but as giving whatever I can to those who always give so much to us. I am honored to serve our Church and my Lord and Saviour in this way.