2020 Appointments
Bishop Tracy S. Malone announces the following 2020 clergy appointments and/or changes of status, effective 7/1/20 unless otherwise noted.
Districts: (CN) Canal · (FL) Firelands · (MO) Mid-Ohio · (MV) Mahoning Valley · (NC) North Coast · (OV) Ohio Valley · (SH) Southern Hills · (TR) Three Rivers · (TW) Tuscarawas · (WR) Western Reserve
| Pastor | Appointment | District | Effective |
| Megan Buehler | Church of the Redeemer, Lay Preacher | NC | |
| Richard Carpenter | Hills & Newport UMCs | SH | |
| Karen Elliott | Morristown UMC & Real Life Community of Faith | SH | |
| Matthew Laferty | Methodist Ecumenical Office, Rome, Italy | ||
| Tina Nees | Barberton Lakeview UMC | CN | |
| Barbara Ross | Simpson UMC | TW | |
| David Ross | Simpson UMC | TW | |
| Stephanie Scovell | Good Shepherd UMC | NC | |
| Amy Shaw | Crystal Park UMC | TW | |
| Amy Shipley | Bennett’s Corners Community & Copley UMCs | NC/CN | |
| Victoria Troutman | Sunbury UMC, Assoc. Pastor | MO | |
| Jim Yannayon | Chippewa Church at the Lake UMC, Supply Pastor | FL | |
| Mark Zimmer | Sand Hill, Lower Salem, & Pleasant Hill UMCs | SH |
Visit the 2020 Appointments and Changes of Status page of the Conference website to read the Cabinet’s Core Values for Making Appointments and to see the lists of appointments, retirements, and those who are concluding their ministry.
Congregational Vitality
Resources for Healthy Pastor/Church Transitions
Video and worksheet resources have been designed for use by leadership of congregations that have been appointed a new pastor. The pastor, Staff Parish Relations Committee and other church leaders are encouraged to use the resources so that churches receiving a new pastor can continue to live out the mission of making disciples.
The videos were created to be viewed in order and the corresponding worksheets are designed to help church leaders plan an aspect of the transition. While leaders may watch the videos separately, doing the transition planning as a team is essential so it is important to figure out a way to discuss the information and worksheets as a team, either via Zoom, Facetime, or by phone.
Learn more and use the resources.
Young People’s Ministries
Youth Annual Conference 2020 – 7:00 p.m. June 14
This year we have scheduled a virtual YAC featuring keynote speaker Shane Claiborne and the band Tribe Collective, which will lead us in a prerecorded time of worship.
Enhance the virtual experience with a YAC party box, featuring t-shirts, lanyards, key tags, candles and other items. Youth leaders can purchase the boxes, which cost $15/person and will be delivered to churches two weeks prior to the June 14 virtual Youth Annual Conference.
Registration, which includes party box orders, ends May 13. Learn more and register.
#Hope4Tomorrow
#Hope4Tomorrow is a themed guide to help youth leaders, pastors, and worship planners invite youth into worship leadership during COVID-19 responses. If you traditionally offer a Youth Sunday, these materials could help as you produce worship experiences from a distance. Learn more.
Annual Conference
Agenda Change
Annual Conference 2020 Bearing Fruit that Lasts: Connected will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 26 with the Service of Commemoration and Holy Communion and will conclude on Sunday, September 27 with the 11:00 a.m. Service of Commissioning and Ordination.
The Service of Commissioning and Ordination was moved from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning so that we will close Annual Conference in celebration, sending out provisional members and full members into the next phase of their respective ministries and sending out all members to live into the mission and ministry of the East Ohio Conference.
As they are finalized, additional details will be released about Annual Conference 2020 and Clergy Executive Session – which meets from 11:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Friday, September 25, also in Hoover Auditorium at Lakeside Chautauqua.
Missions
#GivingTuesdayNow – May 5
Don’t forget to support your church or favorite East Ohio Advance Special tomorrow, May 5, for #GivingTuesdayNow. Even if you cannot give an extra financial gift right now, sharing on social media information about what your church or East Ohio mission is doing to help during the COVID-19 pandemic can raise awareness and inspire others.
Mask-Making Mission
The world needs masks! Whether you live in Ohio, Cambodia or Liberia, masks are needed and recommended by health experts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. For the last four years as a Conference, we have focused on bearing fruit, using John 15:1-17 as our foundational passage, and this year we are emphasizing the ways that we are connected. As people connected by faith, we know that what one person does impacts another. As people connected by faith, we need to love one another and strive to keep each other safe.
Therefore, we are calling you to put your faith into action by wearing a mask or face covering when you’re in public. Congregations and communities can also help in the making and distribution of “cough etiquette” protective cloth face masks for nursing homes, mission sites, food pantries and other sites. Learn more.
UMVIM Journeys
Many of our 2020 Mission Journeys have been postponed due to health concerns and travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will update our list of trips as we hear from Team Leaders.
UMVIM NCJ Coordinator the Rev. Tammy Kuntz will lead a mission journey to Rio Bravo, Mexico Dec. 27, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021 to work with Manos Juntas on construction projects. E-mail Tammy and attend an information meeting at 4:00 p.m. on June 28 at Trinity UMC Sandusky, if you are interested.
Virtual Mission Journeys
While we are not traveling to many of our partner mission sites right now, there is a way to be connected to our partners and create a virtual mission experience. Rev. Kathy Dickriede, East Ohio United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) coordinator, attended a terrific webinar about this topic and has information to share. View and download the webinar and resources.
UMVIM Team Leader Training – May 14
East Ohio’s first online UMVIM Team Leader Training went well, so we’re hosting another one on May 14. This free online training will be limited to 10 participants. If you’d like to lead folks on a journey into the mission field locally, nationally or internationally, this training is for you!
UMVIM will be back to traveling again and the needs will be great. Let’s be a community ready to get back to the ministry of presence and mission in Cambodia, Liberia, Cuba, Haiti, Ukraine, Mexico, and to the work of rebuilding Puerto Rico and other long-term recovery projects. The world needs us to be the hands, feet and heart of Jesus. Learn more and register.
Credit Union
Skip-A-Payment
During this time of crisis, the United Methodist Financial Credit Union (UMFCU) has been offering our Skip-A-Payment option for members with existing loans who are encountering financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Members may skip their May payments on qualifying loans with no fee. Members who previously skipped their March or April payment can qualify to skip again in May.
If you wish to utilize Skip-A-Payment, please complete the form and either: mail it to 431 Ohio Pike, Suite 100 N in Cincinnati, OH 45255; email it to sdavidson@umethodist.com; or fax it to (513) 528-7480.
Media Center
The Media Center is featuring items from the Youth section:
- The Way I’m Wired: Discovering Who God Made Me to Be equips youth leaders to teach students that God has three distinct calls on their life: the primary call of being transformed into Christ-likeness; the secondary call of thriving in their seasonal roles; and the “This I Must Do” call to be part of something that is larger than themselves.
- Three Big Questions: Tackling Tough Questions about God, Others, and Me helps junior highers examine tough topics in meaningful ways so they understand and own their faith. Each week, students discover a path that leads them straight to Jesus Christ addressing three big questions, Who Do I Think Jesus Is?, Is It All About Me, Me, Me?, and Got Friends?
- Affirm; God’s Call/The World’s Need/Your Purpose emphasizes following Jesus and spiritual practices to help students grow stronger and go deeper with their relationship with Christ.
- Plugged In; Connecting Students to the Heart of God’s Biblical Practices gets students interested and excited about staying connected to God. Every student is going to blaze an incredible path in their life, and this series will show them how they can be “plugged in” every step of the way–and the amazing difference it will make.
To reserve these or other resources, call the Media Center at (800) 831-3972 x139 or send an e-mail to sarnold@eocumc.com. Browse the resource catalog at www.rqmweb.com/eocumc.
Message in the Movies 
Bad Education
This film is based on actual events (and the screenwriter was a student at Roslyn at the time of the scandal) but its merit lies in truthfulness that isn’t dependent on facts. Every institutional system can be similarly indicted of the sins noted in Bad Education. In the local church, if the giving is strong and the congregation is happy, who is going to pay attention to the finances? (Other than the annual audit, that is?) And leadership that is effective and beloved is sometimes closest to going astray. Bad Education is helped immensely by a strong performance from Hugh Jackman as well as a cast that is uniformly excellent and a script that is witty and nimble. This is one of the better films of 2020.
Obituaries
Please pray for the families of:
- James P. McKenzie, retired Associate Member, died April 29.
- Jane Schierloh, spouse of the Rev. Jack Schierloh, died April 24.
- H. Dale Rough, retired Elder, died April 10.
Classifieds
Details of listings may be found here.
Positions Available
- Administrative Assistant – Fairhope UMC
Items Available/Wanted
- A set of Schulmerich hand bells – Christ Church in Columbia Station
To submit a classified ad please e-mail swilliams@eocumc.com.
To Subscribe
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Deadline for submission is Thursday, May 14. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.
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