David leads the Praise Band at the 9:00 a.m. service and directs the choir at the 11:00 a.m. service, while also overseeing the church’s tech ministry. A native of Central Florida, he grew up in DeLand and relocated to Ocala in 2011 from Nashville, Tennessee.
He holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Stetson University and a Master of Music in Composition from Belmont University. David is an independent contemporary Christian recording artist, as well as a composer and arranger of art songs, choral anthems, and orchestral works. He plays both piano and guitar, and in his free time, he enjoys playing tennis.
David is married to Cheri, a nurse practitioner. Together, they enjoy spending time at the beach and traveling when they can. They share their home with their cavachon dog, Kushbi, and their son, Bodie.
Elaine Wellhoner McCreary is a seventh-generation native of Marion County. According to family history, two of her great-great-great grandfathers helped build Ocala’s first Methodist church around 1850.
She graduated from Ocala High School in 1966 and went on to attend Florida State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education (1970) and master’s degrees in Educational Leadership (1979) and Library and Information Systems (2002). Elaine later served on the faculty at Florida A&M University as an academic librarian and head of Interlibrary Loan.
After retiring in 2018, she returned home to Marion County. Elaine is married to Rev. Ron McCreary, and they have one daughter and three grandsons. She has served as an organist in several Florida churches and has many years of experience ringing and directing handbells.
