MEET THE MOTTAS
Effective July 1, 2012, Rev. Gary Motta will become the Directing Pastor at the Morton United Methodist Church. The appointment has been made by Bishop Gregory Palmer of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference and has been affirmed by the Staff Parish Committee of the Church. Gary Motta has been Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Metropolis, Illinois, since August 1, 2005. He has served in ministry since 1974. Prior to his appointment to Metropolis, Gary and his wife, Becky, have served churches in Jacksonville, Lake Bluff, Danville, Decatur, Greenfield, Rockbridge and Granite City. At Metropolis they are also serving as co-directors of the Chancel Choir.
Gary and Becky have two sons, whom they homeschooled from Kindergarten through High School. Danny and his wife, Karen, live in Sherman, Illinois, where Danny is Director of Youth and Contemporary Music at the Sherman United Methodist Church. They have three children, Josiah, Asa and Mara. David and his wife, Marlie, live in Orlando, Florida, where David heads Accounts Receivable and Human Resources at Meeting Point, North America and Marlie continues her Disney dream job.
Gary and Becky love Jesus, the Bible, their family, music and drama. For several years Gary has taught one or two courses per semester at Shawnee Community College at the Metropolis Campus.
The Mottas both have Bachelor of Arts degrees from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. Gary received his Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and has also done doctoral work at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. Gary plays the piano, is a singer and a composer and is a trained Disciple Bible Study teacher. Becky is a singer and has led several hundred people through the Alpha course at two churches.
As long as he is able, Gary loves to play racquetball, hike almost anywhere, canoe in the Boundary Waters, and root – rather hopelessly – for the Cubs. Becky’s interests include graphic arts (particularly translating Gary’s sermons into PowerPoint each week), Bible study, all vocal music and “entertaining angels unawares.”
