Bishop Lawson Bryan with the United Methodist Church has assigned Rev. Dave Hanson as interim pastor of Hinesville First United Methodist Church. Hanson is stepping in to serve the congregation since they recently lost their pastor, Rev. Dale Thornton, who passed away.

“I am thrilled to be able to return to Hinesville, one of the truly great but under-appreciated cities of Georgia,” Hanson said. “And I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned about John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement, and serving this church for the next few months.”

Hanson will serve First Methodist until a full-time pastor is appointed. His first Sunday in the pulpit begins at 11 a.m. Aug. 12.

Hanson is a former pastor of First Methodist and is now retired and living on St. Simons Island. He is a renowned John Wesley scholar and lectures on Wesley’s time in Georgia circa 1736. Hanson has spoken about John Wesley’s experiences in Africa and Asia, and across the United States. He has lectured Thursdays at the Arthur J. Moore Museum on St. Simons Island for the past 15 years, and written a column for the Wesleyan Christian Advocate. Hanson also has offered “John Wesley Moments” three times during each session of the South Georgia United Methodist Annual Conference.

Hanson served Hinesville’s First Methodist congregation from 1990-1996, supporting members through Desert Shield and Desert Storm.