DIRECTOR OF FOOD SERVICES AND HOSPITALITY
Rick Free, our church’s Director of Food Services and Hospitality, loves feeding people. He loves the satisfaction of helping others and seeing the good that can come from something as simple as a meal.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Rick Free moved to LaGrange in 1975 to attend LaGrange College, where he graduated with a degree in History. He spent the next nine years teaching social studies at LaGrange High School. The year of 1988 was a big year of change for Rick for three reasons: He resigned from his teaching position to pursue different career options, he joined the First United Methodist Church, and most importantly, he married Jane.
Rick spent the next 14 years working in the food industry and also had a stint with a local company in international customer service. He came to work at LaGrange First Methodist in 2002 as its Director of Operations, a position he held until November 2011 when he was appointed as Food Service Director. Much of his work is also with local missions and the community around the church.
Rick’s wife, Jane, is a Special Education teacher, and together they have two sons, Nolan and Jay. Family is the cornerstone of Rick’s and Jane’s life, and LaGrange First Methodist has always been a major part of that cornerstone. Rick and Jane spend a lot of their time walking around town for exercise and enjoyment. Rick is an avid soccer fan; he enjoys watching European soccer on television, and he is a founding member of Atlanta United.
