Our Staff

Rick LaDue

Lead Pastor

Pastor Rick was appointed to the Webster Methodist Church on July 1, 2015.  It was a homecoming of sorts because he grew up in Rochester and graduated from John Marshall High School.  At 15, Rick accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior after attending a Young Life camp in the Adirondacks.

After graduating from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, Rick returned to Rochester to serve as a youth pastor with Young Life and later with Aldersgate UMC.  Youth ministry didn’t always pay the bills, so Rick often worked additional jobs teaching, coaching and at WWWG Radio.

In 1995, he moved to Wilmore, Kentucky to attend Asbury Theological Seminary.  He was then hired by Rev. Jim Buskirk to be the youth pastor at First UMC in Tulsa, Oklahoma – the fifth largest United Methodist church in the country.  Rick was invited back to Kentucky to be the Festival Director of Ichthus – the original Christian music festival.  After leading the 2000-2002 festivals, he answered the call to ordained ministry and returned to New York State.

Rick served in Jamestown, NY for the ten years prior to coming to Webster.  He loves playing tennis, cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers and vacationing on beaches.  He was an extra in the movie “Seabiscuit,” co-wrote a book for youth leaders called Creative Events for Youth Ministry or How to Swallow a Live Goldfish, and has traveled to all 50 states.  At UMC Webster, he enjoys participating in the drama ministry, but is primarily focused on preaching the gospel, setting the vision and guiding the church in the mission “Love God, Love Others, Serve Jesus.”

Feel free to contact Pastor Rick at [email protected]

Wendy McVeigh

DIRECTOR OF Family Ministries

Wendy has lived most of her life in Webster and feels a strong commitment to the community. 

Wendy had a powerful encounter with Christ as a young child. She always believed that He had placed a call on her life, but struggled with how to answer it. When she began serving as a youth volunteer she knew she had finally found her passion and the answer she was looking for.

Wendy now serves as Director of Family Ministries. She oversees Christian Education and small group formation for children and youth in K-12th grade.  She also helps to direct outreach ministries through our monthly Community Dinners and weekly Griefshare Support Groups.

She loves teaching and working with students, and is focused on helping them to lead Christ-centered lives.  In her free time, she enjoys hiking and camping with her family and two Australian Cattle Dogs. She believes that being outdoors in God’s Creation is as good for the soul as it is for the mind and body.  That is why she places an emphasis on outdoor activities with youth – such as hiking, biking, swimming, paddling, and rafting, especially during the warmer months.

“I know how tough it can be to stand against cultural influences for both parents and kids. I also see how wonderful this current generation of youth is, and how much hope they bring to this world.” Wendy and Dan are parents to four wonderful human beings that also serve the Lord, and have recently welcomed their first grandson.

You may contact Wendy at: [email protected]

or at 585-309-6510.