Bishop Tracy S. Malone is appointing the Rev. Abby Auman to the East Ohio Conference Cabinet.  She will serve as superintendent of the Mahoning Valley District.

“Abby has strong leadership skills, is an innovative thinker who brings vision and courage to the development and empowerment of lay leadership, and has a passion for revitalizing the local church,” said Bishop Malone.

“God’s call is often surprising, and the call to be a district superintendent certainly was!” Auman said.  “As a pastor, I took a vow to follow Jesus wherever he called.  Since I had just preached about that to my congregation, when Bishop Malone called, I had to offer myself to a different kind of service.  I am growing more excited to serve Christ’s church under her leadership.”

In her fifth year as pastor of Greensburg United Methodist Church (Canal District), Auman also serves as Candidacy Summit director for the East Ohio Conference Board of Ordained Ministry.  Her first conference appointment was to Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church (Firelands District) in 2006.  She then served the Strongsville United Methodist Church (North Coast District) as associate pastor from February 16, 2009 until her appointment to Greensburg UMC.

She will succeed the Rev. Dan Bryant as superintendent of the Mahoning Valley District.

“Everywhere I have served, I have been amazed and thrilled to see God work through faithful followers of Christ, in ways large and small,” Auman said.  “I’m excited to learn what God has already done through the people of the Mahoning Valley District, and even more excited to see what new thing God is about to do.  I look forward to dreaming together about how to share Christ with the least, the lost, and the last.”

Her appointment to serve the Mahoning Valley District and Bryant’s appointment as senior pastor of Lakewood United Methodist Church (North Coast District) are effective July 1.

Auman earned a Bachelor’s degree in Religion, with a minor in Creative Writing, from Ohio Northern University, and a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary.

“I was born and raised on a farm, which gave me a deep love for creation and the relationships that are often so strong in farming communities,” she said.  “My husband and I intentionally attended Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC in order to experience more of the world.  There we learned to think globally and to appreciate the diversity and creativity of the city.  Serving small, medium, and large churches has helped me to appreciate the strengths of each in reaching people for Christ and helping them mature as disciples.”

She and the Rev. Seth Auman are parents of a son and a daughter.