LEADERSHIP

Senior Pastor

Rev. Harden Hopper

Rev. Hopper was born in Atlanta and grew up in Cobb County, graduating from Campbell H.S. He went on to attend North Georgia College, The U.S. Army War College, Newburgh and Asbury Theological Seminary, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Strategic Studies, Master and Doctor of Divinity degrees.

Through the ROTC program at North Georgia, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving 22 years in the Regular Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve, before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Rev. Hopper also served concurrently with the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, last serving as a Region Program Manager for the counties of Northeast Georgia.

He retired from both careers in 2005 to enter full-time ministry, serving as pastor for Cartecay UMC (Ellijay), then Bascomb UMC (Woodstock), before being appointed to Mt. Zion UMC.

He and his wife Karen have two adult daughters.

770-971-1465 | harden.hopper@mtzionumc.org

Associate Pastor

Rev. Debra Stewart

Rev. Debra Stewart is a Provisional Elder and has been an Associate Pastor at Mt Zion since 2018. She previously served as a part-time local Pastor in The North Georgia

Conference for three years.

Debra was born in Montgomery, AL. and reared in the Methodist Church. She is a second-career pastor having worked previously in financial services before entering the ministry.

She received a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Auburn University in Montgomery, AL., and a Master’s of Divinity with honors from Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, GA in 2014. She was appointed to the Atlanta Marietta District Finance Committee in 2017.

Debra is a Stephen Ministry Leader and gives leadership at Mt Zion to Adult Education, The Care/Support Cluster, and Hospitality.

She is a native of Montgomery, AL. She is married to Robert Stewart and they are the proud parents of two young adult children, Robert, III and Mallory.

770-971-1465 | debra.stewart@mtzionumc.org

Associate Pastor

Rev. Montana Hamby

Rev. Montana Hamby serves at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church as an Associate Pastor and Youth Director. Montana has served in the North Georgia Annual Conference as a Provisional Deacon since June 2019. Montana has been active in the lives of students and young adults since 2013, working in both public education as a teacher and coach as well as in youth ministry within the local church. Montana previously served on the youth ministry staff at Dunwoody United Methodist Church and Northbrook United Methodist Church. Montana attended seminary at Candler School of Theology. Montana is married to Rev. Natalee Dukes Hamby, who is an Elder in the North Georgia Annual Conference serving at Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church.

770-971-1465 | montana.hamby@mtzionumc.org