For 25 years Pastor Jeff has served churches in Mesa, Phoenix and Scottsdale before his appointment to Dayspring, beginning July 1, 2014. A graduate of the University of Arizona, he received his master’s and doctorate from the Claremont School of Theology in California.
Jeff is passionate about communicating the gospel message to all — especially those who’ve been wounded by the church or have otherwise washed their hands of organized religion. He was one of the founders of No Longer Silent: Clergy for Justice, an advocacy group for LGBT inclusion, and a founding board member of Family Promise, a program yoking faith communities to reduce homelessness in the Greater Phoenix Area. In 2015 Jeff was honored by the City of Tempe with a Diversity Award at its annual MLK Diversity Awards Dinner.
Jeff and Rev. David Felten (currently pastor at the Fountains, a United Methodist Church in Fountain Hills, AZ), have collaborated over the years on Living the Questions, which started out as a DVD program and has grown into a comprehensive curriculum now in use in nearly 6,000 churches in North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand, as well as a book, Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity, published by HarperOne.
Jeff has been married to Janice for over 25 years. They have two daughters, Rachel and Claire. They enjoy travel and the outdoors and the girls indulge their father with an annual camping trip.
Yo, Dayspring! Let me start by introducing myself. I'm Michael Long II, born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the proud father to my pride and joy, Kori Michelle Long, my "big girl" who keeps me busy with all her activities, but I wouldn't change any of that. I have been involved in ministry for most of my life. Beginning with singing and doing active work in ministry. After pursuing the call on my life, I began leading worship, which led me to step into my call of pastorship with the United Methodist Church—serving as the Next Generations Pastor within a local church. I soon realized my call was to the millennial generation and those on the margins to create a way of doing ministry differently in a fresh new way. Or, as I have come to call my teaching style teaching "Jesus with Swag." Led by the Divine Spirit, who gives me the guidance and strength to live out my call authentically and unashamed. I hold an Associate's Degree in Funeral Service from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston, Texas; I received my Bachelor's Degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma. And I am currently pursuing a Master's of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. I'm excited about starting this new chapter of my life in a new state and city and even more excited to do that with you all at Dayspring UMC. My heart is full and overflowing with the warm welcomes I have already experienced from some of you and the Desert Southwest Conference.
I look forward to continuing learning together as we all start a new chapter in the life of Dayspring, where I know the spirit will show up and blow all our minds with what she will do in our lives.
How grateful I am to be serving on the staff at Dayspring again! Dayspring has always been in my heart from the very first time I worshipped here – on Easter Sunday in 1989! My first time on the staff was the very next day when I remained for two years. After a time in Florida, I returned in 1996 and remained until 2005 when I retired! Of course, I never retired and am so very thankful to be able to serve again with this marvelous staff.
David Schildkret is Director of Choral Activities at the ASU School of Music. Born in Brooklyn NY, he earned the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from Rutgers University and master’s and doctoral degrees in choral conducting from Indiana University. He has taught at the University of Rochester (NY) and at Centre College (KY) and was dean of the School of Music at Salem College (NC) before coming to ASU in 2002. He has been the Director of Music at Scottsdale United Methodist Church since 2003 and the Music Director of the Mount Desert Summer Chorale in Bar Harbor, Maine, since 2000. His wife of 41 years, Susan Griffin, teaches dance at South Mountain High School in Phoenix. She was recently named the 2019 National Dance Educator of the Year by the National Dance Education Organization. Susan and David have two daughters: Elizabeth holds the PhD in Theatre for Youth from ASU and is assistant manager of theatre education at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Miriam holds the DMA in voice from ASU’s School of Music and is a freelance teacher and performer. She appears regularly with Arizona Opera.
