Our Staff
Get to Know Us
Burton Ott
Pastor
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Financial Secretary
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Tom Whitacre
Music Director
Tom is originally from Ohio. He lived in Colorado and North Carolina before finding his way to South Carolina. He earned a BME degree from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio and has additional hours from Bowling Green State University and Colorado State University.
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Tom joined Bethel in the 1990's and has served in many leadership roles including chair of the Church Council. He became Bethel's music director in 2020.
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In his spare time, Tom enjoys wood working. He has a small refinishing and repair business which he enjoys immensely.
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Tom and his wife Pam have two children, Brandon and Danielle (deceased), and five grandchildren, Tyler, Tucker, Chase, Hunter, and Mollie.
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MaryWynn Chamblin
Interim Financial Secretary and Accompanist
MaryWynn was born in Charleston, SC and given up for adoption at birth. She was adopted by two wonderful parents who left Kingstree and moved to Walterboro when she was one year old.
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Bethel has been a part of MaryWynn's life since she started going to Sunday School when she was five years old. She sang in the choir under D.M. Buckner and was actively involved in MYF.
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MaryWynn started taking piano lessons at age seven under Beryl Fishburne and later "graduated" to D.M. Buckner. She continued piano lessons at Columbia College and graduated in 1980 with a BA in Special Education and a minor in both elementary education and music. She currently works in Dorchester School District 4 as a special education transition specialist.
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Her hobbies include rescuing dogs, reading, studying the Bible, playing piano, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Chris, and family. She is blessed with four wonderful adult children, Gini, Alyssa, Margaret, and John. She also has five amazing grandchildren, Aidyn, Kayson, Lyla, Maddox, and Manning.
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Willie Lawery
Custodian
Willie was born in Columbia, Mississippi. He previously worked in the Plaza Hotel in New York City. He joined the staff at Bethel on January 1, 2020. Willie says that when he came to work here, "God really worked it out for him."
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Willie enjoys reading in his spare time. He has ten siblings, one daughter, and two grandchildren.
Austin Williams
Organist
Austin is a lifelong resident of Colleton County. He graduated from Walterboro High School and attended Charleston Southern University and the University of South Carolina. Austin grew up in the church where he discovered his love for traditional music at a young age.
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Austin’s hobbies include spending time with family and friends, fishing, listening to music and reading. He and his wife, Jessica, have a daughter, Charlotte. He joined the staff at Bethel United Methodist Church in November 2021.