Meet Our Pastors

We at New Creation are truly blessed to have among us three pastors with whom we can share our prayers, joys, blessings and trials. They are not just our pastors, for they are our friends and partners on our spiritual journey.

Sandi Rice

Rev. Sandi Rice is a native of Buncombe County, and attended both public schools and the University of North Carolina at Asheville, earning a BA in Philosophy and Criminal Justice.

Sandi began exploring her call to professional ministry in 1995, and was ordained in 2000. She was called as interim pastor of Grace Fellowship MCC in Hendersonville in 1999, and became their permanent pastor in 2000.

Currently, Sandi’s full time ministry is with New Creation as Co-pastor. She is also enrolled in the Travel and Tourism program at Blue Ridge Community College. Once finished with this program, her plans are to facilitate domestic and international religious pilgrimages that would specialize in Christian pilgrimages for the GLBT and Affirming Community, as a complement to her church work.

Carlene Wood

Rev. Carlene Wood is a native of California.

She attended the University of Florida, University of Central Florida and Western Carolina University and holds a BA in Public Administration and Criminal Justice, and an MS in Human Resource Development with a concentration in counseling.

Carlene is employed by The Partnership for a Drug Free North Carolina, and is Vice President for Region 4 TASC Services, a program specializing in forensic substance abuse and mental health treatment.

After completing ordination requirements, she was ordained in 1999. In May 1998 Carlene was called as pastor of MCC Asheville.

Linda Veltheim

Linda Veltheim attended South-Eastern University of the Assemblies of God in Florida and holds a BA in Bible Studies and Administration of Christian Education. She ministered in French Quebec for 12 years with the Home Missions Dept of Les Assemblee de Pentecote du Canada, both French and English Conferences. She was a founding member and teacher of Formation Timothee, a French Bible College, with an emphasis on ministry and outreach.

Linda was ordained with the International Christian Community Church denomination in 2004 and is currently serving the congregation at New Creation as associate minister. Having just completed the Pastoral Care Course at Mission Hospital, Linda's future certainly includes some pediatric and palliative care chaplaincy work.