Staff & Board

A native of Union, SC, Tony is a graduate of Furman University (B.A. in history, 1979), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity, 1982), and Columbia Theological Seminary (PCUSA, Doctor of Ministry, 2001). An ordained Baptist minister, Tony has served as an educator and administrator in several congregations, including First Baptist Church, Statesville, NC (1996-2003) and First Baptist Church, Clemson, SC (1987-1996).

Tony’s wife, Cam, is a special education teacher at Fork Shoals Elementary School, just starting her 33rd year. Their daughter, Jennifer Murphy, is a teacher at Robert E. Cashion Elementary; her husband, Jeremy, is an administrator at Sterling School; and their daughter, Ainsley (age 4), will be in the Furman Class of 2034! Son Andrew is a manager at Miracle Hill Thrift Store in Easley, and will graduate from Palmetto College, USC in December, 2016. His wife, Ashley, is communications director for The Phoenix Inn.

Creating community with people of all walks of life and offering practical compassion where it is most needed in society are among the McDade’s aspirations for ministry and life. Tony provides strategic leadership for a superb team of thirty social work professionals whose endeavors distinguish United Ministries locally and across our state. He enjoys hiking, tennis, historical literature, and is an accomplished Geocacher.

After graduating with a B.A. in Religion in 2000, Ethan married his college sweetheart Christa, and together they attended Princeton Theological Seminary, where their course of study included poverty immersion experiences in Trenton, New Jersey, and the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington.

Upon graduating with Master of Divinity degrees in 2004, they returned to Greenville in order for Ethan to join the staff of United Ministries as an Academic Counselor in the Adult Education Program. Ethan particularly valued the opportunities that this work afforded him to work one-on-one with persons seeking not only academic and employment achievement, but more importantly, improved well-being. Seeking to be a more capable facilitator in these efforts, Ethan returned to school to earn a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health from Clemson University in 2012, and is now a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Succeeding years in various positions at United Ministries have provided him many opportunities to hone these relational skills, as well as to develop more effective programming and establish new agency partnerships in the community.

From 2014-2016, Ethan was honored to serve as Interim Executive Director while one of these agency partnerships matured, resulting in the joining together of United Ministries and GAIHN in the shared effort to address poverty in Greenville.