Asbury Memorial Church has announced the appointment of Rev. August Alderman as its new Associate Minister. Rev. Alderman was recently ordained at Asbury Memorial, marking the first ordination of a new minister since the independent church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church in 2020 due to its unequal treatment of LGBTQ people. Rev. Alderman will work with Rev. Billy Hester and the team at Asbury Memorial and its sister church, Wesley Oak, to provide leadership for ministries within the church and the community.

"This appointment is a full circle moment for me," said Alderman. "I am the first openly gay minister to be appointed to Asbury Memorial, and being welcomed and accepted by church members when I first came here in 2018 changed my life. This role gives me the opportunity to be a pastor to our people and our wider community, which is the realization of my dreams."

Rev. August Alderman is a Savannah native raised in Richmond Hill. Before entering the ministry, he was a successful cosmetologist who ran The Color Geek Salon for ten years. With this new appointment, Rev. Alderman is also a member of the preaching team at Wesley Oak. He earned his Master of Divinity at Chicago Theological Seminary and served a Clinical Pastoral Education at Hospice Savannah. He also completed a Field Placement with Asbury Memorial as a Ministerial Intern.

Located at 1008 Henry Street, Asbury Memorial Church welcomes all people regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, or economic status. The church aims to be a place where all people can develop their spirituality, use their talents, and grow in faith as they seek to love, serve, and celebrate God, each other, and their community. Sunday worship services begin at 11:15 a.m. For more information, you can visit www.asburymemorial.org or call (912) 233-4351.