Our Staff

Paul Risler, Senior Pastor

I have served as one of the pastors at Central for 25 years. It’s been an amazing and exciting journey watching Central grow and change — yet I believe our best years are still ahead of us. There is no place I’d rather be and no people I’d rather be with than this community called Central. Beyond Central, I am the architect of the West Ohio Intern Program, serve on the Conference Board of Ministry, and as a coach and mentor for several pastors throughout the denomination. I’m an adjunct instructor of preaching through United Theological Seminary’s Course of Study and finished my doctoral degree in Preaching and Church Leadership at Asbury Theological Seminary in the Spring of 2021.

When not doing the pastor thing, I love hanging out with my wife and daughter, reading, and doing photography/video editing. I have also dusted off my trumpet, love to travel, laugh, and enjoy long walks on the beach at sunset. And world peace. In addition to our daughter, Lydia, we have two other “kids;” Callie, age 9, and Linus, who is a year old . They have 4 legs, big, cold, wet noses, and are very furry (they are very embarrassed about this, so we don’t talk about it much). Both are mutts. Callie is “employed” as our home security staff and currently guarding our front door. Linus is the “emergency back-up dog” and is now off duty, curled up in a ball, clutching his fake bone.

Lauren Fuchs, Associate Pastor

I have served as Central’s Associate Pastor since 2017, when my husband and I moved to the area. Having met Paul years earlier as an intern through the West Ohio Conference, Central was a church I admired and wanted to grow a ministry like. From afar, I learned the culture of Central through podcasts and social media, but I never thought I would have the privilege of pastoring here. It's been such a great honor.

I studied at and received my MDIV from Asbury Theological Seminary, and I met my husband there, too. Dan was the pastor at The Plains United Methodist Church but is currently on leave. Together we have 2 children Gideon (4) and our corona-baby Margot, who was born 2 weeks into the pandemic.

Together as a family, we like to travel and spend time on the bike path with our golden-doodle, Nala. The community and lifestyle Athens offers fits us well, and we're excited to continue serving here.

Jayk Hinze, Director of Family Ministry

My family has recently moved to the Athens area, and we are so excited about joining the Central family. I am a former Bobcat, and during my time in college I developed a deep love for the Athens community. After much prayer and discernment, my wife and I were elated to step into this new ministry opportunity.

My wife’s name is Lindsay Hinze, which rhymes, so that’s awesome. Our son’s name is Judah, and we have an aggressively friendly dog named Marvin. Together, we like to go on hikes and spend time outside. I am also a big fan of playing games of all varieties: board, card, video, etc.

During my time at Ohio University, I got a degree in Fun (formally known as: recreation management), which blended together a lot of things I really enjoy! I also graduated with my M.Div. in the Spring of 2021 from Asbury Seminary. I figured it would be best for me to get the same degree as Paul and Lauren so they didn’t try to exclude me from any of the fun stuff that happens here at Central.

I also really love Jesus, and I enjoy opportunities to share my love for Him with others. Some of the ways I connect to God best are through reading scripture, having rich conversations with others, and spending solitary time in nature.

Andrea Fogt, Director of Administration

I have been attending Central for a little over 12 years after my husband, Ryan, and I moved to Athens from Boulder, CO. Ryan teaches meteorology at Ohio University and works in the Office of Sustainability as well. We met in college at Creighton University, so we love cheering on our Bluejays!

Ryan and I are parents to Anna (15) and Abigail (13), and when not working, we enjoy family movie nights or watching previous seasons of The Amazing Race together. I’m a dedicated Girl Scout volunteer who loves time outside or reading. I am also a part-time writing tutor at Franklin University.

I love the power and beauty of the written word. One area that draws me so much closer to Christ is the Spirit-breathed Word of God that is convicting and relevant yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I hope as your administrator I can reflect Christ more and serve Central well while still being the introvert behind the scenes.

Dan Fuchs, Maintenance Dude

I joined Central Staff in January 2022 to help keep the buildings well maintained. I’m excited to use all my gifts for this—especially my gift for watching tutorials on YouTube for projects I don’t have experience with.