Joshua Starnes
Director of Music & Organist
A native of Monroe, North Carolina, Josh joined the First United Methodist Church staff team as Director of Music & Organist in August 2020. Prior to coming to First UMC, Josh served congregations in North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Kansas. He earned both his Bachelor of Worship & Music Studies and Master of Divinity degrees from Liberty University, and has completed additional post-graduate studies in church music and worship at Shenandoah Conservatory, The Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, and The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.
Though raised in a Baptist background, Josh has served in a variety of ecumenical and denominational traditions, including Presbyterian, Anglo-Catholic, Lutheran, and non-denominational contexts, and holds a deep appreciation and ecclesiastical acumen for the rich liturgical practices and hymnody of many traditions within the Christian faith. Josh believes that all functions of the Church should exist solely to bring glory to God and, therefore, all activities and ministries should have a strategic focus that center on this goal. Josh is ecstatic and humbled to partner in ministry with the FUMC family, as dedicated servants of Christ’s kingdom, sharing this same conviction and mission.
As a musician, Josh has served as a conductor, accompanist, and clinician for several choral, handbell, and instrumental ensembles, and has been an active member of several national and local organizations, including the American Guild of Organists, Mill Mountain Ringers, Handbell Musicians of America, The Hymn Society in the US and Canada, and many denominational professional musical organizations.
In his spare time, Josh enjoys such passions as cooking (and eating!), all things music (“from Bach to Rock”), traveling abroad, kayaking, and reading anything involving theology, Church history, and Convergent and Ancient-Future Liturgical Worship. Some of his favorite authors include: St. Augustine, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, C. S. Lewis, John Piper, Charles Spurgeon, and A. W. Tozer.
While he loves the entirety of Scripture, Josh has found this particular verse to be especially meaningful
in his own life of ministry and walk with God:
“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord,
and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.”
–II Corinthians 4.5 (NASB)
+ + +
Soli Deo Gloria!
“Glory to God Alone!”
Though raised in a Baptist background, Josh has served in a variety of ecumenical and denominational traditions, including Presbyterian, Anglo-Catholic, Lutheran, and non-denominational contexts, and holds a deep appreciation and ecclesiastical acumen for the rich liturgical practices and hymnody of many traditions within the Christian faith. Josh believes that all functions of the Church should exist solely to bring glory to God and, therefore, all activities and ministries should have a strategic focus that center on this goal. Josh is ecstatic and humbled to partner in ministry with the FUMC family, as dedicated servants of Christ’s kingdom, sharing this same conviction and mission.
As a musician, Josh has served as a conductor, accompanist, and clinician for several choral, handbell, and instrumental ensembles, and has been an active member of several national and local organizations, including the American Guild of Organists, Mill Mountain Ringers, Handbell Musicians of America, The Hymn Society in the US and Canada, and many denominational professional musical organizations.
In his spare time, Josh enjoys such passions as cooking (and eating!), all things music (“from Bach to Rock”), traveling abroad, kayaking, and reading anything involving theology, Church history, and Convergent and Ancient-Future Liturgical Worship. Some of his favorite authors include: St. Augustine, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, C. S. Lewis, John Piper, Charles Spurgeon, and A. W. Tozer.
While he loves the entirety of Scripture, Josh has found this particular verse to be especially meaningful
in his own life of ministry and walk with God:
“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord,
and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.”
–II Corinthians 4.5 (NASB)
+ + +
Soli Deo Gloria!
“Glory to God Alone!”
