Mere Christianity Forum, Inc.

Rimes McElveen

Executive Director

Rev. A. Rimes McElveen, Jr.
Rimes is a native of Gainesville, GA where he finished Lakeview Academy in 1992. After finishing Furman University in 1996 with a BA in Political Science and Urban Studies he worked for a travel camp based in Clayton, GA and for Bell South in Greenville, SC before entering Duke University’s Divinity School and earning a Masters of Divinity. While at Duke, Rimes met his wife, Kathryn, who also finished Duke with an MDiv degree in 2000. Shortly thereafter Rimes and Kathryn married and began working for Hinton Rural Life Center a United Methodist Mission Agency. In 2001 Rimes and Kathryn began serving as pastors of United Methodist churches in northern Georgia and North Carolina. Rimes served as Sr. Pastor of Bethelview UMC in Cumming, GA and Bethpage UMC in Kannapolis, NC before joining MCF as the Executive Director in July of 2007.

Rimes was ordained to Christian ministry in the summer of 2001 by First Baptist Church, Gainesville, GA, and after serving in United Methodist churches for several years became a member of the Order of Elders in the United Methodist Church. Kathryn was ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church in the summer of 2006 and they are both members of the Western North Carolina Conference. As Executive Director of MCF, Rimes is serving in an “Extension Ministry” under Episcopal appointment. Kathryn has become a certified coach and is a Ministry Associate with The Columbia Partnership, a coaching, training, and consulting group based in Columbia, SC. Kathryn coaches people in a variety of personal and professional capacities and is a coach trainer for Valwood Christian Leadership Coaching based in Hickory, NC.

In January of 2004 Rimes and Kathryn had their first son, Luke, and then in December of 2006 they welcomed their second son, Samuel into their family. The McElveen’s are enjoying making their home in Greenville and are thrilled about their partnership with Mere Christianity Forum serving Furman students, the Furman community, and the greater Greenville community.