PASTOR ERIC

1 Corinthians 15:10

"But by the grace of God, I am what I am."

My name is Eric Hill and I have been serving as a local pastor for the United Methodist Church since 2015. My family is originally from south Georgia and I have lived in Western North Carolina since 1979. For most of my life I have grown up in the mountains and rivers. I graduated from Pisgah High School in 1993, joined the United States Army in November of 1993, and married my high school sweetheart, Keri Rhinehart Hill, in August of 1994.

After serving active duty at Fort Bragg, NC for only a couple of years, I left the Army and we moved back to the mountains. I bounced from job to job. My son, Austin, was born in May of 1997. My daughter was born premature in August of 2000. I loved being a husband and father, but just couldn't seem to find my place.

Following 9/11 I reenlisted into the Army Reserves. I was assigned to a Reserve unit in Knoxville, TN and in February of 2003 I was attached to the 926 Engineer Brigade in Montgomery, AL where I was deployed to Mosul, Iraq. I returned home in March of 2004 as an unbeliever. I had walked away from my faith in God. I stayed with the 926 and was deployed a second time in 2008.

After returning on Valentine's Day of 2009, I found my way back to God and the Church. After working as a carpenter for five and a half years, I answered the call to preach. It wasn't that I couldn't find my place in the world or the work force, it was just that I hadn't slowed down long enough to ask God what He wanted me to do. God is good all of the time, if we'll just quit running long enough to listen.

Meet the Fam

Serving others is a family trait

Keri, my wife of 30 years, is an ordained Chaplain working for Asheville/Buncombe County Christian Ministries (ABCCM). She serves as Team Chaplain (Chief Heart Officer) for a division of ABCCM, Veterans Services of the Carolinas. Keri is also a member of the Shepherding Team reaching out to community congregations. She received her Bachelors degree in Bible and Religion from Montreat College in Black Mountain, NC and is close to finishing her Masters of Divinity in 2025 from Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Kentucky.

Our Son Austin graduated from Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC with duel-bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Studio Art. Austin moved to Maryland and finished his Masters degree in Clinical Social Work. He now serves as a Psychotherapist LCSW-C (Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical) in Frederick, MD. Austin married his husband Mike (who is my favorite child, don’t tell the others).

Our daughter Jessy has been a Firefighter for the last five years. First as a volunteer, then part-time, until she was hired as the first full-time female firefighter in the town of Canton. She also holds certifications as an EMT-B, Wildland, Fire and Life Safety Educator (Level 3), Fire Instructor, Fire Officer, Stop the Bleed Instructor, Driver Operator-Pumps, Emergency Vehicle Driver and Technical Rescuer.

We all believe that God has instilled these traits and skills in order that we may “Love our neighbor” in the best ways possible.