Meet the Team
Rev. Adam Seate
Lead Pastor
Adam became a part of our team in July of 2019. He is the son of a retired United Methodist minister, the Rev. Dr. Billy Seate. As a result, he had the opportunity to grow up all over the North Carolina Annual Conference wherever his father was serving. Adam and his wife, Jennifer, are graduates of Campbell University, and he completed his education with a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. Jennifer is an attorney who works as a Litigation Consulatant with an insurance company. They are the proud parents of 2 adult sons, and they reside with a couple of Golden Retrievers and a cat. Adam is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus Christ with all people. For fun, he enjoys writing and playing music, making puns, and he would really love to have a chance to connect with you over coffee!
Email Adam or connect with him on Facebook and Instagram
Rev. Kori Robins
Associate Pastor
I’m Pastor Kori (she/her), and I am so grateful to have served as the associate pastor at Orange UMC since 2018. Before arriving at Orange, I attended Duke Divinity School (class of ′12) and served churches in Durham, Chapel Hill, Western North Carolina, and even Ireland! As a pastor, I am passionate about sharing God’s word with all people. I think that happens most fruitfully through relationship building, worship leading/preaching, and small group study. I love discerning with others how they can discover their place in God’s story. I find the enneagram an amazing tool in this discernment process and am a certified enneagram coach! Beyond pastor, I am mom to two very spirited boys, Ephraim and Ewan, and partner to my husband, Tyagan. My hobbies include wholistic wellness, walking, and keeping up with pop culture. My family loves being outside together, whether it’s biking a new trail or just having a cup of coffee. Most importantly, however, I can’t wait to meet you–at church, over coffee, or maybe even on the trail.
Peace in Christ, Pastor Kori
Diana Backus
Director of Children’s Ministry & Preschool
Diana Backus, who has been involved at OrangeUMC really for her entire life, is the director of the preschool at Orange and also serves as director of children’s ministries.
She grew up in Chapel Hill and is a graduate of Louisburg College and then of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, with a degree in early childhood education.
Diana says that one of her passions is to listen to the children in both preschool and the church’s children’s ministries and to help them grow, learning about the world around them. Their energy and enthusiasm is infectious.
She and her husband Dave enjoy spending time with their three adult children and their three granddaughters. She also enjoys movies, theatre and walking their dogs!
Corey Ward
Pathways Worship Leader
Corey is a singer/songwriter who has a heart for connecting people to God. You may be familiar with Corey from his time spent as a semi-finalist on season 20 of The Voice. Recently, he performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and now he is sharing his gifts with us here at Orange.
Ryan Lutz
Communications Assistant
Ryan is from Chapel Hill and has been involved with the technical aspects of worship ministry since 2014. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2024 (Go Heels!). Ryan serves as our Livestream Director on Sunday mornings for both the Pathways and Traditions worship services. He enjoys watching UNC football & basketball, the Arizona Cardinals, and international soccer matches.
Mary Beth Schell
Administrative Assistant
Mary Beth grew up in the church and is trained in religious education. She has worked as a professional health sciences librarian for over 20 years. She has eclectic skills that are perfect for the administrative assistant. She loves to cook and create new recipes, and of course read. She will greet you with a friendly smile, happily provide assistance, and treat everyone with respect and compassion.
Lauren Moore
Duke Field Ed Student
Lauren Moore is a student at Duke Divinity and UNC, currently pursuing my passion for theology and social work. She is orginally from Arizona and earned a Bachelor's in Biblical Studies from Grand Canyon University before moving to North Carolina. She is currently Duke Divinity student as well as a UNC social work student. Upon completion of her degrees she plans to return to eastern Tennessee to work in the pastoral and non-profit sectors. She is a people person who loves engaging in meaningful conversations. She looks forward to meeting everyone.