Annual Conference 2022

2022 Appointments

Bishop Tracy S. Malone announces the following 2022 clergy appointments and/or changes of status. Each is effective 7/1/22 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
Phil Bliss	Bellaire First UMC	OV
Brad Bloomster	Smith Corners & West Austintown First UMCs	MV
Linda Bradley	New Franklin, Bayard, East Rochester, Mt. Zion, & Pleasant Grove UMCs	TW
Stephen Browning	Smithfield UMC	OV
Aimee Hare	Clearview, Uniontown, & Greentown UMCs	CN
David Haydu	Park & Lake Brady UMCs	CN
Bill Johnson	Sugarcreek & Dundee UMCs	TR
Neal Keller	Stow UMC – Lead Pastor	CN
Mike Nicholich	Fairhope UMC	TW
David Oliver	Massillon First UMC	TW
Michael Parisher	Nehemiah Mission	NC
Shannon Sampson	New Franklin, Bayard, East Rochester, Mt. Zion, & Pleasant Grove UMCs	TW
Michael Swab	Stow UMC	CN
Frank Zugaro	Charlestown UMC	CN

Visit the 2022 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.

Annual Conference 2022
Thursday, June 9 – Saturday, June 11
John S. Knight Center

Location: 77 E. Mill St., Akron 44308
Annual Conference 2022 Website

Welcome & Hospitality

AC Program Committee is staffing a Welcome Table in front of the box office, just inside the main doors of the John S. Knight Center.
There will also be greeters in the Broadway parking garage and on the sidewalks outside JSK.
Hospitality team members will wear orange vests, so they are easily recognizable.

Check-In

There is no onsite registration.
Doors to the John S. Knight Center open at 7:00 a.m. each day of Annual Conference.
Registered members will need to each check-in at AC 2022 once.
At check-in they will receive their name badge and their voting device.
Check-in will take place in the Maidenburg Concourse along the windows on JSK’s main floor.
- Tuesday, June 7 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 8 7:00 a.m. – Noon
- Wednesday, June 8 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
- Thursday, June 9 7:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Check-in will take place at the Welcome Table
- Friday, June 10 7:00 – 9:30 a.m.

Seating

AC members will sit by district, 10 people to each of the 111 tables.
There will be a section of 80 chairs in front of the stage are for invited family of those being commissioned, ordained, retiring, or being commemorated.

All AC Sessions & Services Will Be Livestreamed

If you aren’t registered for Annual Conference, you can view the sessions and services live as they happen on the Conference website.

Parking

There is a parking garage at the corner of Broadway Street and E. Mill Street that is connected to the John S. Knight Center by a skywalk on the second level. The cost to park in the garage is $7/day.

Food & Beverages

You cannot bring any food or drinks into the John S. Knight Center.
The concession stands will be open to purchase food and drink throughout Annual Conference.

United Methodists Walk for Our Lives

Put feet to your prayers and join clergy and laity from across the East Ohio Conference as we walk against gun violence on Wednesday, June 8. We will gather outside the John S. Knight Center at 3:30 p.m. and begin the Walk for Our Lives at 4:00 p.m. when we walk 1.4 miles to Family of Faith UMC (800 E. Market Street, Akron, 44305)

Those interested in making signs to carry in the walk can join others at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 8 in the OMNOVA Solutions Room of the John S. Knight Center.

Resolutions

During Annual Conference members will consider five resolutions that were submitted prior to the March 15 deadline.

Read the Submitted Resolutions.

Annual Conference 2022 Schedule

Wednesday, June 8
9:00 a.m. – Clergy Executive Session
Thursday, June 9
9:00 a.m. – Service of Commemoration and Holy Communion
Preacher: Bishop Tracy S. Malone
10:45 a.m. – Business Session
1:30 p.m. – Business Session
4:00 p.m. – Celebration of Retirement
Friday, June 10
9:00 a.m. – Morning Worship
Preacher: Pastor Sheena Cameron
10:15 a.m. – Business Session
1:30 p.m. – Business Session
Saturday, June 11
9:00 a.m. – Morning Worship
Preacher: Rev. Ed Fashbaugh
10:15 a.m. – Business Session
1:30 p.m. – Business Session
3:00 p.m. – Service of Commissioning and Ordination
Preacher: Bishop Laura Barbins

Living Into Our Vision Teaching Sessions: Rev. Dr. Michael Beck

10:15 a.m. Friday, June 10
Contextual Intelligence: Unlocking the Ancient Secret to Mission on the Frontline
3:15 p.m. Friday, June 10
21^st Century Discipleship: Church-Planting Anyone Can Do
10:15 a.m. Saturday, June 11
Blended Ecology: New People, Younger People, Diverse People
11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 11
Q&A Session in Harvey S. Firestone & OMNOVA Solutions Rooms

An Evening of Dinner & Live Music – June 10

Make plans now to be part of a special night of dinner and live music the Friday of Annual Conference in the Greystone Hall Grand Ballroom, across the street from the John S. Knight Center. The Howard Howell Experience will entertain guests with an array of great music before, during, and after dinner.

This special event is open to all clergy and laity of the East Ohio Conference but seating in the venue is limited to 200 people. Tickets are $32 each. You can purchase tickets individually or purchase a table of 10 tickets. Make plans with your friends to spend the evening together around the table enjoying food, fellowship, and live music!

When you purchase your ticket, you will choose one of these specially prepared entrees:

prime filet with a maître d’butter
parmesan breast of chicken with a red pepper cream sauce
vegetables and fontina wellington with a pomodoro sauce

Purchase tickets to this dinner and to Annual Conference special events.

Missions & Community Engagement

Missions Events at Annual Conference, June 9-11
East Ohio Missions is coordinating multiple events during this year’s Annual Conference in Akron. We are:

collecting items for the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in the Broadway parking lot on the north side of the John S. Knight Center,
hosting a 5K Run/1-Mile Walk starting from Lock 3 at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 9 to raise funds for East Ohio Conference missions,
coordinating Ministry Opportunities tables that will be throughout the John S. Knight Center during this year’s conference.

Learn more about these AC 2022 Special Events.

Offering

1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9
- 1/3 UMCOR International
- 1/3 Nehemiah Mission
- 1/3 Bishop’s Discretionary Fund

Offering plates will not be passed. There will be a designated place where people can contribute to the offering any day during Annual Conference. There will also be a Vanco app people can use to contribute their offering digitally.

Clergy Directory Photos

Clergy are asked to have their photo taken for the 2022 Clergy Directory. Re:Member Church Directories will have a studio in the John S. Knight Center Foundations Room Wednesday, June 8 through Saturday, June 11.

Get to Know Akron

Partnering with the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau
The East Ohio Conference has partnered with the ASCVB so that those attending Annual Conference have access to discounted rooms at many hotels in and around Akron as well as special offers at multiple businesses in the area. Currently these hotels still have rooms available in the East Ohio Conference block: Country Inn & Suites (North Akron), Fairfield Inn & Suites (South Akron), Residence Inn Akron South (South Akron), Holiday Inn (West Akron).

We’ve also collaborated on a digital Get to Know Akron booklet highlighting the city, its businesses and restaurants, parking options, entertainment and much more. The Get to Know Akron digital booklet is in the Resources dropdown of the AC 2022 website.

View the Get to Know Akron digital resource.

Limited-Opportunity Free Gift from Don Drumm Studios & Gallery
Beginning Wednesday, June 8, the first 50 registered members to show their Let Us Live LOVE AC 2022 name badge at Don Drumm Studios & Gallery will receive a free cross pendant. This offer is for a limited time until either 50 cross pendants are given away to registered AC members or until the end of conference on Saturday, June 11. Don Drumm Studios & Gallery is located at 437 Crouse Street in Akron, 44311.

Akron Glass Works Private EOC Glassblowing Parties – June 8-9
Up to 12 spots are available for visitors to make blown glass friendship ball ornaments at Akron Glass Works on either Wednesday, June 8 or Thursday, June 9 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The cost for East Ohio Conference participants is $50. Akron Glass Works is located at 421 Spicer Street in Akron.

Zeber Martell Gallery & Clay Studio Offers 10% EOC Discount
Show your AC 2022 name badge when purchasing items at Zeber Martell during Annual Conference and receive 10% off. Zeber Martell Gallery & Clay Studio is located at 43 Furnace Street in Akron, 44308.

Akronym Offers 10% EOC Discount
Enjoy a 10%-off Welcome to the Neighborhood discount at Akronym when you show your AC 2022 name badge when checking out at Akronym, located at 58 E. Market Street in Akron.

Credit Union

See You at Annual Conference
Once again, the Christian Family Credit Union will have an information table at Annual Conference. We hope you will come by our area to say hello and meet Jim Hall, our new business development representative. We will be available to open new memberships, answer questions about your current accounts, or give additional information about other products the credit union has to offer. We invite you to align your finances with your faith when you bank with Christian Family Credit Union.

Learn more about Christian Family Credit Union.

Celebrations of Life

Please pray for the families of:

Helen Capper, surviving spouse of the Rev. John Capper, died May 21.
John Capper, retired Elder, died May 14.
Joanna Sharp, surviving spouse of the Rev. Victor Sharp, died February 6.

View obituaries.

To submit the obituary of an EOC clergy, clergy spouse, or surviving spouse, family should contact Melissa McGee, executive secretary to the Bishop, by phone at (330) 499-3972 ext. 112 or via e-mail.

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Deadline for submission is Thursday, June 9, 2022. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.