Church Leaders
Dr. Richard Hunter recently returned home to Birmingham as lead pastor for Riverchase United Methodist Church (UMC) in Hoover. Dr. Hunter has a passion for starting new faith communities, reviving closed churches, starting new worship services in existing churches, and identifying and mentoring future church leaders. Having most recently served as Executive Director of New Church Development for the North Alabama Annual Conference (NAC), Dr. Hunter was instrumental in starting 148 new faith communities in the three years he was there.
He plans to transfer this passion for growth to Riverchase and build upon what is already established at the church: “Riverchase is a healthy, growing church in a growing community, and we already have some great ministries. One big change churches across the country are experiencing is that they are having to go to the community to make disciples. For generations, people came to the church. So, we did our best work here on church campus. But, now, we need to take the ministries of Riverchase into the community. We need to go where the people are whether that’s coffee houses, brew houses, bowling allies, restaurants, schools…wherever they are, we need to meet people and build relationships.” Additionally, missions and outreach will continue to be a focus for the church under Dr. Hunter’s leadership. He will also continue the building campaign as the proposed, new construction supports two of the church’s strongest outreach initiatives: the Riverchase Day School and the Riverchase Music Academy.
As a Birmingham native, Dr. Hunter already has a strong base in the community upon which to build. His family operated a furniture store in downtown Birmingham for 89 years, they attended Woodlawn United Methodist where his mother played the organ from more than 30 years, and he graduated from Woodlawn High School and Birmingham Southern college.
-David McGarr
Director of Communications, Riverchase United Methodist Church
1953 Old Montgomery Highway,35244
