CELEBRATE RECOVERY at Bridgeport UMC offers a safe place for all. Celebrate Recovery is a place where folks can relax, and focus on solutions to all of life's challenges. Those solutions come through our faith in Christ. Celebrate Recovery provides us God-given tools and principles to live by.
CR Bridgeport is an engaging service opportunity. With exciting contemporary worship and weekly testimonies or lessons, many come to find Wednesday evenings as their reprieve from the daily pressures of our culture and lives.
Celebrate Recovery is not just for substance use issues. In fact, that is the minority. If you struggle with bad habits, worry, depression, anger, resentment, or any of life's issues that pull us from our God-given potential, then CR is right for you.
Come check out Celebrate Recovery - you'll be glad that you did.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY at Bridgeport UMC offers a safe place for all. Celebrate Recovery is a place where folks can relax, and focus on solutions to all of life's challenges. Those solutions come through our faith in Christ. Celebrate Recovery provides us God-given tools and principles to live by.
CR Bridgeport is an engaging service opportunity. With exciting contemporary worship and weekly testimonies or lessons, many come to find Wednesday evenings as their reprieve from the daily pressures of our culture and lives.
Celebrate Recovery is not just for substance use issues. In fact, that is the minority. If you struggle with bad habits, worry, depression, anger, resentment, or any of life's issues that pull us from our God-given potential, then CR is right for you.
Come check out Celebrate Recovery - you'll be glad that you did.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY at Bridgeport UMC offers a safe place for all. Celebrate Recovery is a place where folks can relax, and focus on solutions to all of life's challenges. Those solutions come through our faith in Christ. Celebrate Recovery provides us God-given tools and principles to live by.
CR Bridgeport is an engaging service opportunity. With exciting contemporary worship and weekly testimonies or lessons, many come to find Wednesday evenings as their reprieve from the daily pressures of our culture and lives.
Celebrate Recovery is not just for substance use issues. In fact, that is the minority. If you struggle with bad habits, worry, depression, anger, resentment, or any of life's issues that pull us from our God-given potential, then CR is right for you.
Come check out Celebrate Recovery - you'll be glad that you did.
Rev. Dr. Matthew Paugh, Senior Pastor
Rev. Sarita Robinson, Associate Pastor
Rev. Jim Lang, Christian Education
Rev. George Bramble, Pastoral Care
Dr. Dan Hughes, Director of Chancel Choir
Russ Francis, Treasurer
Brett Miller, Organist
Jennifer Walker, Administrative Staff
Kim Kapp, Administrative Staff
Polly Steele, Director of Preschool
Becky Thornton, Director of Joyful Noise Afterschool Program
Denny Owens, Facilities
Dorothy Prunty, Facilities
Cathy Hamilton, Facilities
Mike Moran, Facilities
Your Ministry Leadership Team
Rev. Dr. Matthew Paugh is a native of Kitzmiller, Maryland, and a graduate of Southern Garrett High School. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania; a Master of Divinity from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri; and a Doctor of Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
As a seminary student, Matthew served as an associate pastor of worship and discipleship in an Assemblies of God congregation. Following graduation, he spent three years teaching Bible and Theology at Evangel University, a Christian liberal arts college in Springfield, Missouri.
Before coming to Bridgeport United Methodist Church in 2023, Matthew served as pastor of the Elk Garden Charge in Mineral County, West Virginia, and as senior pastor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oakland, Maryland.
He has served on numerous community and ministry boards, teaches in the West Virginia Extension Course of Study program, and leads classes for lay ministry training across several districts.
Matthew and his wife, Melissa, along with their son, Isaiah, are grateful to call Bridgeport home. He loves teaching the Bible and leading worship—two of his greatest joys in ministry. Outside of church life, he enjoys baseball, reading about history, and exploring his family’s genealogy.
Rev. Sarita Robinson
Associate Pastor
Rev. Sarita Robinson committed her life to Jesus Christ at age 23. For ten years, she served as Executive Assistant at Lighthouse Christian Community Church in Manila, Philippines, before answering God’s call to missionary service. While in the mission field, she met her husband, Wade Robinson.
Rev. Robinson holds dual undergraduate degrees in National Security Intelligence and Political Science, and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Fairmont State University. She earned her Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where she is also pursuing a Doctorate in Missional Leadership. She completed her chaplain residency at WVU Medicine in August 2025.
Sarita co-founded Sidewalk Ministries in Manila, reaching more than 15,000 youth weekly with the Gospel and providing educational scholarships. She served nine years as a missionary and church planter in Ukraine and later as Associate Pastor at Cornerstone Ministries in Fairmont.
Passionate about global justice, she volunteers with International Justice Mission and Shared Hope International to combat human trafficking. Fluent in English, Russian, and Tagalog, she also speaks conversational Spanish and Ukrainian.
Sarita joined the pastoral staff of Bridgeport United Methodist Church in July 2025.
Dr. Dan Hughes
Chancel Choir Director
Dr. R. Daniel Hughes serves as Director of the Chancel Choir and Co-Director of the Seraphim Singers alongside his wife, Katherine. He is also Chair of the Department of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Associate Professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he teaches, directs the college choirs, and collaborates with the Department of Theatre and Dance.
Before coming to West Virginia, Dr. Dan served as Director of Choral Activities and Coordinator of the Voice Area at Nassau Community College in New York. He has also taught at Hofstra University, Millikin University, the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts, the Interlochen Arts Academy Summer Camp, and the Dwight-Englewood School.
An accomplished tenor, clinician, and guest conductor, Dr. Dan has performed and led choirs in churches and concert halls across New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Ohio. He previously served as Artistic Director and Conductor for the Chanticleer Children’s Chorus of West Virginia and Director of the Central Illinois Children’s Chorus Chamber Choir.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Otterbein University, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Music from the University of Illinois.
Brett Miller
Organist
Brett Miller joined the staff of Bridgeport United Methodist Church in 2024 and is delighted to continue the congregation’s long tradition of excellence in worship and music.
A native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Brett moved to Buckhannon in 2002 to attend West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he earned dual degrees in Religion and Music Performance (clarinet). It was there that his passion for sacred and choral music took shape through studies with Dr. Melody Meadows, Dr. Larry Parsons, and Sarah Carr Parsons.
After graduation, Brett began working at Wesleyan’s library while completing a Master of Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in archives and preservation. He later became Wesleyan’s first official archivist and went on to serve as Library Director before moving into the private sector as Director of Research at Orion Strategies. He also serves as the Methodist Archivist for the West Virginia Annual Conference.
Brett previously served as organist at First Presbyterian Church in Buckhannon and as organist and music director at First United Methodist Church in Clarksburg. He is Dean of the Monongahela Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and enjoys singing with regional choirs.