Appointments
Bishop Tracy S. Malone announces the following clergy appointments and/or changes of status which, unless otherwise noted, are effective July 1, 2023.
| 2023 Appointments | |||
| Pastor | Appointment | District | Effective |
| Ted Buehl | Sandusky Trinity & Milan Edison Memorial UMCs | FL | |
| Bob Carson | West Lafayette & Canal Lewisville UMCs | TR | |
| Hyun-Suk Kim | Wadsworth UMC | CN | |
| Charlene Thomas | Tiffin St. Paul, Tiffin Faith, Republic, Melmore & Sycamore UMCs | FL | |
| Paul Turner | Canfield & Poland UMCs | MV | |
| Amy Vittorio | Tiffin St. Paul, Tiffin Faith, Republic, Melmore & Sycamore UMCs | FL | |
| Michael Ward | Crosspoint UMC | TW | |
#BeUMC
“When I was five, we moved right across the street from a United Methodist church and that became my home. That was the start, but I continue to be United Methodist because of the strength of the mission movement of leaving the world better than we found it,” said Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement director.
She is one of many East Ohio Conference laity and clergy who are sharing their stories of how our denomination is making a daily difference in both their lives and their ministries. To share your #BeUMC story, telling how your life is being transformed through The United Methodist Church, e-mail Brett Hetherington.
View #BeUMC stories & the EOC #BeUMC website.
Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation
Each episode of our podcast Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation explores what is means to #BeUMC.
Episode Five is titled “Disciple Making: Laity Called to Ministries of Love, Justice, and Service as Deaconesses and Home Missioners”. The episode features a conversation about the covenant community that is rooted in Scripture, informed by history, driven by mission, ecumenical in scope, and global in outreach.
Listen to Episode Four and access the archive of all Storyboard episodes.
For questions about Communications ministries such as the #BeUMC campaign, live-streaming, licensing, social media and more, please e-mail Rick Wolcott, executive director of Communications, or visit the Communications pages of the Conference website.
Bishop’s Office
An Apportionment Message from Bishop Tracy S. Malone
“Thank you, East Ohio Conference, for honoring our shared ministry covenant through your missional, connectional giving in 2022. I want to thank you for continuing to be generous, faithful stewards of your resources as we continue to live into the mission of Jesus Christ and The United Methodist Church. Together, through the connection of The United Methodist Church throughout the world, we are touching more lives and impacting more communities than any one person, church, district, or annual conference could do on its own,” said Bishop Tracy S. Malone in her above video apportionment message.
“In 2022, 64% of our East Ohio churches paid 100% of their apportionments. That is the same percent of churches that paid 100% in 2021. That gives us reason to celebrate. Thank you for your steadfast commitment! Last year 140 East Ohio churches increased their giving to their apportionments over the year before. Again, I want to say thank you for your steadfast commitment. We continue to live and to engage in ministry in these challenging and chaotic times both in the Church and in the world. But praise be to God we have remained undeterred in our commitment as we live into our shared mission and vision in our connectional giving,” Malone said.
“For the 18th year, our East Ohio Conference paid 100% of our General Church apportionments. Let the Church say, ‘Hallelujah!’ Whether you are a smaller, medium-sized, or large membership church, I want us all to remember that your faithful and generous tithes and offerings they do make a difference here in the East Ohio Conference and around the world.
Click on the video box above to hear Bishop Malone’s message in its entirety.
Read a Budget Message from the Conference Council on Finance & Administration.
Annual Conference
Annual Conference 2023
The 54th session of Annual Conference is June 8-10 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron. The theme for this year’s conference is Faith Hope Love and the words of 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (CEB) will guide worship services and business sessions.
Once again, this year, the Conference has worked through the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau to partner with nearly one dozen hotels in and around Akron to secure blocks of rooms for those attending Annual Conference. Information for how to book rooms at EOC-partnered hotels will be available on the Annual Conference 2023 website when it goes live Monday, April 3.
Registration for Annual Conference 2023 will again be online only, beginning Monday, April 3 and ending Friday, May 12.
Register to Sing in the Annual Conference Choir
You are invited to sing in the Conference choir during this year’s Annual Conference, June 8-10 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron. Choir members are asked to register in advance so that Joe Leaman, this year’s director, can order music. Those who register will receive a rehearsal schedule closer to Annual Conference. If you have questions about the Annual Conference choir, please e-mail Melanie Glazer.
Learn more and register to sing in the AC choir.
Strategic Ministries
Secret Shopper Training
Serving God can take many different forms and one of them is helping congregation members view their worship experience as would a first-time visitor to the church.
You are invited to learn how to do that at Secret Shopper training on Thursday, May 11 from 9:00 a.m. – 12 noon at the East Ohio Conference office in North Canton. Jason Moore will lead the session, teaching participants how to see worship from the perspective of guests. This is an invaluable opportunity for clergy and lay church leadership.
Learn more about and register for this training on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
For questions about Strategic Ministries opportunities, please e-mail the Rev. Beth Ortiz, Connectional Ministries office Strategic Ministries director, or visit the Strategic Ministries pages on the Conference website.
Missions & Community Engagement
Board of Missions Grant Applications Deadline – April 10
Reminder that the deadline to submit applications for grants and scholarships from the Board of Missions is April 10.
Learn more and apply by April 10.
Creation Justice Movement Café – April 19
The Movement Café meets monthly online and is a place for United Methodists who share a passion for creation care and justice to gather to hear speakers, share in conversation, and express joys and concerns as we seek to care for God’s creation. Join us at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19.
Learn more and register to participate.
Midwest Mission Collection Truck at AC 2023 – June 8-10
The Midwest Mission truck will be at Annual Conference collecting donations. The truck will be staffed and located outside the John S. Knight Center in the parking lot on South Broadway Avenue in Akron. For times plus a list of the kits and items they have requested, see the link below.
Learn about times and items to be collected.
Farmer to Farmer Ministry Changing Lives in Liberia
You are invited to become partners in the Farmer to Farmer ministry making a difference in the lives of families in rural Harrisburg, Liberia. An outreach ministry of Celebration UMC (North Coast District) and Henrietta UMC (Firelands District) Farmer to Farmer is an East Ohio Conference Advance (Fund 9026) that has renovated churches, built an elementary school and a high school in Harrisburg, and began an agriculture program with an experimental farm to train farmers in crop production to help alleviate food insecurity caused by civil war.
There are two opportunities in the coming months to support the outreach of Farmer to Farmer. First, while the high school will open for students this September, financing is still needed to complete the library and science laboratory, as mandated by the Ministry of Education, with furniture, books, computers, and equipment. Second, there are openings on a work team to Liberia that Pryde Bass will lead the second week in November to help with the school, St. John Church, and the farm. The cost is $3,100 for two weeks, which covers roundtrip airfare, meals, ground transportation, and lodging. If you have questions about Farmer to Farmer, e-mail Pryde Bass or call him at (216) 401-4663.
Learn more about Farmer to Farmer.
Learn about and support all Advance Specials.
For questions about Missions & Community Engagement ministries and opportunities, please e-mail the Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement director, or visit the Missions & Community Engagement pages of the Conference website.
Health & Well-Being
Ohio Disability & Ministry Collaborative Newsletter
Don’t miss out on reading the latest newsletter from the Ohio Disability & Ministry Collaborative, an advocacy group of the East Ohio Conference and the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Read the newsletter on the DisAbility Awareness pages of our EOC website.
See MOSES Stage Production, Raise Funds for Flat Rock – September 25-26
Flat Rock Homes, a Health & Well-Being agency of the East Ohio Conference, invites you to be part of its first fun-fundraising, friend-making bus trip to Lancaster, PA to see the epic production of MOSES at Sight & Sound Theatre. September is a long way off but the team at Flat Rock Homes & Care Center asks your help in spreading the word of this great opportunity for all!
Learn more and register to participate.
For questions about Health & Well-Being ministries and opportunities, please e-mail the Rev. Kathy Dickriede, Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement director, or visit the Missions & Community Engagement pages of the Conference website.
Multicultural Ministries
Perspectives: Caring for God’s Creation – April 22
On Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 you are invited to learn further ways we can all take responsibility for caring for God’s creation. Perspectives: Caring for God’s Creation is an event designed to inform you, your church, and your community how to respond to our current climate realities. Experts and local organizers will share their perspectives offering insight on how we can live into a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world for all.
The event will feature six breakout presentations and keynote speaker Tim Van Meter, associate professor and coordinator of Ecological Initiatives at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. He is a leading expert and theologian in how Christians can work towards living in harmony with all of God’s creation. The breakout sessions are titled Climate and Hunger, Climate and Racism, Climate and Refugees, Ecotheology 101, Intergenerational Climate Care, and United Methodist EarthKeepers.
Learn more and register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
For questions about Multicultural Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Will Fenton-Jones, Connectional Ministries office Multicultural Ministries director, or visit the Multicultural Ministries pages of the Conference website.
Young People’s Ministries
Connecting Young Adults to the Church During Summer
United Methodist Communications has a great resource that shares eight tips to engage the young people in your church during the summer months when they may have more free time.
Learn tips for connecting youth to your church.
For questions about Young People’s Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Will Fenton-Jones, Connectional Ministries office Multicultural Ministries director, or visit the Young People’s Ministries pages of the Conference website.
Camps & Retreat Ministries
Summer Camp 2023: Every Summer Has a Story
Join us on the following dates to tour our Summer Camp sites, talk to the staff, and learn about this year’s programs. If these dates do not work with your schedule, please reach out to our Camp directors to arrange a visit on a different day:
- Camp Asbury: Sunday, April 16 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
E-mail: info@campasbury.org Phone: (330) 569-3171 - Camp Wanake: Saturday, April 29 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. (includes Resurrection Egg Hunt)
E-mail: info@campwanake.org Phone: (330) 756-2333 - Camp Aldersgate: Sunday, May 7 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
E-mail: info@campaldersgate.org Phone: (330) 627-4369
Please encourage the children, youth, and families of your congregation to include East Ohio Camps as a chapter in the story of Summer 2023. If you need Summer Camps brochures, send us an e-mail or call the Connectional Ministries Camps office at (800) 831-3972 ext. 108 or ext. 120.
View the programs offered at each camp and register for Summer Camp 2023.
Be a Part of Summer Camp Staff at Aldersgate, Asbury or Wanake
Summer Camp staff is a cornerstone of the ministry of East Ohio Camps. Our summer program requires a great number of staff to be successful and we are currently looking for outstanding Christian women and men for these summer staff positions: counselors, lifeguards, program staff, food service, maintenance, and administration. We offer great Christian community, excellent training, free room and board, opportunity for ministry, and growth in leadership skills.
Learn more and apply to be on Summer Camp staff.
CYF, ReachOut, and Lakeside Institute are for Youth!
Each year, youth from around Ohio are invited to gather at Malone University and Lakeside Chautauqua for great Christian community, in-depth Bible study, creative worship, mission projects, and lots of fun activities. Malone University hosts Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) on its beautiful campus in Canton. Lakeside Chautauqua has long been the place for young people to meet inside the gated community on the Marblehead Peninsula for Lakeside Institute and ReachOut.
Learn more about and register for CYF, ReachOut, and Institute.
For questions about Camps & Retreat Ministries opportunities, please e-mail the Rev. Gary Jones, Connectional Ministries office Camps & Retreat Ministries / Spiritual Formation & Christian Education director, or visit the Camps & Retreat Ministries pages of the Conference website.
Health Care Benefits
MDLIVE Telehealth Services Free Beginning April 1
MDLIVE offers benefits participants an opportunity 24 hours a day, seven days a week to consult with a board-certified physician by phone, secure video, or MDLIVE app. Beginning April 1, and continuing through the end of 2024, there will be no cost to HealthFlex participants and their covered dependents 10 years of age and older.
For acute, non-emergent medical needs, MDLIVE is a fast, convenient option that can save time and money. Participants can schedule virtual visits for common issues like the flu, allergies, ear problems and more, or to renew a prescription. No additional username or password is needed for primary participants to access MDLIVE for themselves and covered family members via their benefits login. Spouses enrolled in HealthFlex can access MDLIVE by logging into Virgin Pulse, visiting the Benefits page, and searching “MDLIVE Telemedicine” to log-in or register.
Learn more about Health Care Benefits.
For questions about Health Care Benefits, please e-mail Robin Whitacre, Benefits manager, or visit the Health Care Benefits pages of the Conference website.
Message in the Movies
All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front is based on a 1929 novel by the German writer Erich Maria Remarque. It became an international best-seller and the source material for an Academy Award winning 1930 film (and decades later, a 1979 television movie). It is one of the classic anti-war novels, based on the author’s own experiences of fighting for Germany in the Great War. It is a short book but unrelenting in its bleak narrative. Millions have read this book (many of them while in high school) and know the story.
All Quiet on the Western Front is impressive and powerful, a foreign language film deserving of its Oscar nomination as one of the best movies of 2022.
Events: March 20 – April 2
Click to view East Ohio Conference Calendar.
- Saturday, March 25
Transforming Evangelism – Advanced Course - Saturday, March 25
God Provides Meal - Sunday, March 26
“Faith Stories? We all have one!”
To submit your event to the East Ohio calendar use this form. (The East Ohio Conference only accepts East Ohio United Methodist local church, conference and general UM events for listing on the Conference calendar.)
Celebrations of Life
Please pray for the families of:
- Richard A. Yaussy, retired Elder, died March 9.
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.
To Subscribe
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Deadline for submission is Thursday, March 30, 2023. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.
East Ohio News 