Sunday Mornings

Ellen was born and raised in Rome, Georgia and has lived in Georgia her whole life. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kennesaw State University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Elementary and Early Childhood Education and was part of their inaugural Urban Education cohort. Ellen then launched into a career in the non-profit sector spending eleven years as a Program Director for a non-profit organization which served vulnerable youth and pre-teens in Northeast Georgia. During that time she also became a Certified Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher, Mindfulness Instructor, and Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist. Her ministry experience began in 2009 at Camp Glisson, a UMC camp in North Georgia, where she spent many summers as a camp counselor.

Ellen joined First Centenary as the Children’s Director in June of 2025. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Stephen, and lives at Camp Lookout with her two sons, Micah and Owen, who fill her days with joy and delight. Ellen loves sitting outside in the mornings with coffee, reading, spending time with friends, and a good laugh. She is passionate about creating spaces where children can understand that they are loved and cherished by God for who they are.

Leesha Vander Wilt has been working with children at First-Centenary since 2016. She has been the Assistant Children’s Director since 2024. Leesha has a bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education from the University of West Florida. Leesha has a heart for children that she learned from her mother and continues to show that heart every week through the ministry.

When not at church, Leesha is usually hanging out with her kid, her dog, her father and/or her flock of chickens. She enjoys being outside walking her father's work property and seeing the amazing things that God's created. She also enjoys gardening and keeps up with her mother's flower garden.