Dale Wilbanks is the senior pastor at First Methodist Church of Eastland Texas. He has served in pastoral ministry for16 years. Before answering his call, he was the music director for 15 years at FUMC Ennis and a foster parent for 22 years. Dale graduated with his MDiv from SMU in 2015 and is currently in his 3rd appointment. He was married to Kathy in February 2022. When Kathy and Dale are not serving the church, they are traveling and spending time with Dale’s 11 children and 14 grandchildren.
Music Minister
Cody Hutcheson
Cody is a composer and pianist from Eastland. He also serves as Adjunct Professor of Piano at Howard Payne University in Brownwood. He received both his master's and bachelor's in music theory and composition from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.
Hutcheson was recently named a composer in the “Top 25” out of 700+ applications in the 2023 international European Orchestra Call for Scores. The second movement of his Piano Concerto No. 1, with Hutcheson at the piano, was performed in July of 2022 with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria. The composition was named a winner in the 2022 International Sofia Symphonic Summit. Cody’s orchestral work, “Who We Are”, was performed in Brasilia, Brazil by the Brazilian National Orchestra in August of 2023. The piece was selected as a winner in the 2023 International Tonal Composer’s Festival. The same work was also named “Runner-Up” out of more than 200 compositions in the 2022 REDNOTE New Music Festival Orchestra Division, an international competition hosted by Illinois State University.
Cody has a beautiful wife and two precious children. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and canoeing. His music is strictly for the glorification of his Savior Jesus Christ and he believes in the call from scripture that "whatever you do, do it for the glory of God."
Church Secretary
Gail Hughes
Gail moved to Texas from New Hampshire in 2015 to be closer to her son, Sam Hughes. Sam is married and has two children. Gail enjoys being a grandma and notes that she isn't even 80 yet! She began work at the church in the spring of 2017.
Gail lives in Ranger and has three rescue cats.
