May 30, 2023

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
Amy Barr	Centerburg, Marengo & Sparta UMCs	MO
Linda Bradley	Andover UMC	WR
Sue Chidley	Seybert Bellevue UMC	FL
Lisa Courtwright	East Palestine Centenary, East Fairfield, East Palestine Emmanuel, Good Shepherd, Mt. Zion, Rogers, & Trinity UMCs	MV
Matt Darrin	Howland, Hubbard, & Braceville UMCs	MV
Christiane DePestre	Western Reserve UMC	MV
Lori Douglas Weaver	Savannah, Olivesburg & Nova UMCs	MO/FL
Gregory Kendrick	St. Matthew & Cory UMCs and North Coast District Glenville Strategic Ministry	NC
Michelle Lucarelli	Barnesville Main Street & Belmont UMCs	SH
Lea Mahan	Peninsula UMC	CN
Leslie Mahaney	Cadiz Scott Memorial	OV
Sam Martin	Firestone & Lakemore UMCs	CN
David Miller	Smith Chapel UMC in EOC and Stockport & Oakland UMCs in West Ohio	SH
Michael Namy	West Salem UMC	FL
Michael Nickolich	Uniontown, Clearview & Greentown UMCs – associate pastor	CN
Ja’Alycia Richmond	Wedgewood & Akron First UMCs – associate pastor	CN
Ruth Roth	Rochester & Brighton UMCs	FL
Darla Schnegg	Powhaten & Amity UMCs	SH
Andrew Scott	Garfield Hts. & Hope UMCs	NC
Jan Sprague	Polk & Red Haw UMCs	MO
Sandra Stover	Martel, Canaan & Ebenezer UMCs	MO
Christy Suffecool	Mt. Tabor UMC and EOC Connectional Ministries office Young People’s Ministries co-director	TW
Bohyun Yu	North Fairfield & Mansfield Korean UMCs	FL/MO

View the complete list, including retirees and those concluding their ministry. 2023 Appointments and Changes of Status

#BeUMC

To download the video above, first click the share button in the upper right corner of the video window, then click the Vimeo link. Then, on the Vimeo page click the download link underneath the video window.

“I am United Methodist because I was born into it, but I remain United Methodist because in the last 2,000 years there has been no greater force for change in society then the Church. In my role with the Methodist Foundation of Ohio I have traveled to Liberia and seen villages receive clean water for the first time or seen midwives receive medical training they had never had before,” said Pastor Brian Sheetz, executive director of the Methodist Foundation of Ohio.

He is one of many East Ohio Conference laity and clergy sharing the ways our denomination is making a daily difference in their lives and in their ministries. E-mail Brett Hetherington, EOC Communications specialist, to arrange a time to share your #BeUMC story of the ways your life is being transformed through The United Methodist Church.

View #BeUMC stories & the EOC #BeUMC website.

Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation
Each episode of our East Ohio Conference podcast, Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation, explores what it means to #BeUMC.

Episode 10 is titled “Influence, Connection and Impact: Annual Conference Offering”. This episode features Bishop Tracy S. Malone and past and present clergy and lay recipients of the Annual Conference offering highlighting many ways that ministries of the East Ohio Conference are positively impacted because of generous contributions made to the Annual Conference offering.

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.

Annual Conference

Annual Conference 2023 – June 8-10
The 54^th session of Annual Conference is June 8-10 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron. Registration opened April 3 and closed May 12. There will be no onsite registration. Annual Conference members who did not register by the deadline may attend conference but will not receive a voting device.

The theme for this year’s conference is Faith Hope Love and the words that will guide worship services and business sessions come from 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (CEB):

“We always thank God for all of you when we mention you constantly in our prayers. This is because we remember your work that comes from faith, your effort that comes from love, and your perseverance that comes from hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.”

Annual Conference 2023 Website
The most up-to-date information about Annual Conference 2023 is posted on the AC 2023 website. There you can:

view and download the Pre-Conference Workbook, found under the Resources tab.
view and download the agenda, found under the Resources tab.
learn about the worship service speakers, the clergy who will be commissioned or ordained, and those who are retiring.
view the livestream of each session and service, beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 8.

Visit the Annual Conference 2023 website.

Services and Celebrations

Thursday, June 8 @ 9:00 a.m.
Service of Commemoration and Holy Communion
Speaker: Bishop Tracy S. Malone – East Ohio Conference, UMC

Friday, June 9 @ 9:00 a.m.
Morning Worship
Speaker: Rev. Angela Lewis – Superintendent of the Canal District

Friday, June 9 @ 12:00 p.m.
Board of Ministry Celebration of Retirement
Reflections: Bishop Tracy S. Malone – East Ohio Conference, UMC

Friday, June 9 @ 4:30 p.m.
Service of Commissioning and Ordination
Speaker: Rev. Jay Rundell – President of Methodist Theological School in Ohio (MTSO)

Saturday, June 10 @ 9:00 a.m.
Morning Worship
Speaker: Rev. Dr. David Palmer – Senior Pastor of Kent First UMC

Faith Working Through Love Learning Session – Friday, June 9
Dr. David Field, the Ecumenical staff officer for Faith & Order and Theological Dialogue for the Council of Bishops of The UMC will lead this engaging session at 10:15 a.m. on Friday, June 9. We will explore together the teachings and practices of our Christian faith that underscore our core theological convictions as United Methodists.

Annual Conference Offering
The Annual Conference 2023 offering (Fund 9214) will be received during the afternoon business session on Thursday, June 8. Bishop Tracy S. Malone has challenged Annual Conference members to share about the offering with their respective local church(es) and then bring with them to this year’s conference a check from the collective of the congregation(s) to support the offering, which will benefit:

EOC Volunteers in Mission teams
Heart 4 the City in Akron
Bishop’s Discretionary Fund

“There are no limits on what God is able to do. We serve a God not of scarcity but a God of abundance,” said Malone during Episode 10 of the Storyboard: Faith, Witness, Transformation podcast that posted Monday, May 23 and focused on the many ways the Annual Conference offering benefits many ministries in the East Ohio Conference and across The United Methodist Church.

Donate to the Annual Conference 2023 offering.

Proposals and Resolutions
The following proposals and resolutions will be presented to Annual Conference 2023:

Ministry Opportunity Tables
Throughout Annual Conference June 8-10 clergy and laity can interact with representatives of nearly three dozen local church, district, conference, and general agency ministries who will have display tables throughout the John S. Knight Center.

View the list of participating ministries.

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.

Clergywomen Gathering at Annual Conference – June 7
All East Ohio Conference active and retired clergywomen are invited to the Clergywomen’s Gathering and Afternoon Tea at the conclusion of Clergy Session Boundaries Training on June 7. The gathering will take place at 4:00 p.m. in the OMNOVA Solutions Room on the main floor of the John S. Knight Center. Please e-mail Rev. Marta Mathatas with any questions about the tea.

Learn more and RSVP to attend the Clergywomen’s Tea.
View other special meal opportunities at Annual Conference 2023.

Childcare
Those in need of care during Annual Conference for children six weeks old to 10 years of age can enroll them at Kozmic Korner Pre-School and Child Care Center in Akron. The Center, which is approximately one mile from the John S. Knight Center, charges a daily rate per child. The Connectional Ministries office is offering a $100/child scholarship for parents in need of assistance with deferring the cost of care. Camp Wanake is offering daycamp for children ages 5-17 whose parents stay on the grounds and commute/shuttle to Annual Conference.

Learn more about childcare and enroll children by June 1.

Connectional Ministries

Meet the New Connectional Ministries Office Young People’s Ministries Co-Directors
The Connectional Ministries team is expanding to better resource and equip local churches in their ministry to and with the youth and young people of their respective congregations and the communities they serve. Pastor Christy Suffecool of Mt. Tabor UMC (Tuscarawas District) in East Canton and Tim Beck of Wadsworth UMC (Canal District) will join the Connectional Ministries office team as co-directors of Young People’s Ministries on July 1.

Executive Director of Connectional Ministries Rev. Ed Fashbaugh said that the decision to move from one full-time to two part-time staff members is the result of reimagining the role of the Young People’s Ministries director to better serve churches that are challenged with reaching more younger and diverse people.

“What is exciting about this shift is that God has brought us two people who love Jesus and are passionate about young people’s ministries but are wonderfully diverse in their own rights. Between the two of them they have experienced youth ministry in many different settings and contexts, and together they bring a wealth of experience and knowledge. I am excited to have Christy and Tim join our team!” he said.

The primary mission of the Young People’s Ministries co-directors will be resourcing and assisting local churches, districts, and the East Ohio Conference in assessing and removing barriers to the full inclusion of young people in the life and ministry of the Church. They will also assist in developing strategies and resources for leadership development training, continue building upon existing Young People’s Ministries networks and teams, and ensure the resources of Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM), Young Adult Ministry, and the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry align with our shared vision for the East Ohio Conference and the mission of The United Methodist Church.

“I want to help churches and leaders connect with young people in meaningful ways. This is an opportunity for Christy and me to be change agents in the East Ohio Conference,” Beck said. “Together, I believe we will facilitate organic, relational connections between churches and young people, empowering leaders to walk alongside students as they discover their God-given purpose in life.”

“I am looking forward to helping churches find the barriers that are holding them back from having the youth ministries they want to support,” Suffecool shared. “Sometimes it takes an outside view to give us a fresh perspective on how we are doing things. I’m excited to bring an encouraging energy to the ministry of young people in our local churches.”

“Christy and Tim will bring their passion, gifts, and years of experience to help resource and equip local churches for reaching diverse, younger people, and forming them as disciples of Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Tracy S. Malone.

Meet Pastor Christy Suffecool and Tim Beck.

Resilient Leadership Pages Added to the EOC Website
“A resilient leader demonstrates the ability to flourish even in the face of adversity, hardship, and chaos. Resilient leaders develop the necessary skills to pivot from the challenges and work to increase their ability to learn how to lean into the new possibilities and the opportunities for growth. The East Ohio Conference has developed resources for clergy and laity to help increase their capacity for greater discipleship and resilient leadership so that they can respond adaptively to the challenges they face in their personal lives and in their ministry in the local church and in the communities they serve,” said Bishop Tracy S. Malone.

The new Resilient Leadership pages of the Conference website, linked under the Resources tab of the Conference website and on the sidebars of the Connectional Ministries office page and the Strategic Ministries page, bring together in one place information about books, videos, podcasts, and websites that focus on resilient leadership.

Visit the Resilient Leadership page of the East Ohio Conference website.

Leadership Interest Survey
The East Ohio Conference Leadership Committee has revised and published a Leadership Interest Survey to be completed by those with a desire to serve on a Conference board or committee. Completing the survey does not mean you will be nominated. As vacancies arise in positions nominated by the committee, they will review the names submitted. If you have any questions about the survey or the Leadership Committee, please e-mail Rev. Dr. Ivy Smith, chairperson of the Committee.

Complete the Leadership Interest Survey.

For questions about ministries of the Connectional Ministries office, please e-mail the Rev. Ed Fashbaugh, executive director of Connectional Ministries, or visit the Connectional Ministries pages of the Conference website.

Young People’s Ministries

YAC Recharge Rally Registration Deadline is June 2
This year’s Youth Annual Conference for students in grades 6-12 is a rally day of fellowship, fun, and worship at Camp Wanake from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. This year’s theme is Recharge, and the focus scripture is Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

The deadline to register for the YAC Recharge Rally is June 2. The cost to participate is $20 per person which includes a t-shirt, lunch, and dinner. Worship will conclude at 8:00 p.m. and the day will end at 10:00 p.m. after a “barn riot” and campfire. Groups travelling a long distance can inquire with the Camp Wanake office about the availability of overnight accommodations.

Register for the YAC 2023 Recharge Rally on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.

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.

Multicultural Ministries

Peace with Justice Sunday – June 4
On Peace with Justice Sunday United Methodists are reminded of our responsibility to seek peaceful solutions, create and support peace-related ministries in our conferences, and learn about peaceful, just efforts around the world. Historically, Peace with Justice Sunday has been celebrated with an offering on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Half of the offering is disbursed through the General Board of Church and Society and half through the Conference Church and Society Committee. The offering supports programs that advocate for peace and justice at home and around the world.

Learn more about Peace with Justice Sunday.

Juneteenth – June 19
Juneteenth (June 19) marks the day in 1865 when U.S. federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and ensure all African Americans were freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed.

Learn more about Juneteenth.

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.

Celebrations of Life

Please pray for the families of:

Mike Corwin, Local Pastor, died May 24.

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.

Classifieds

Details of listings may be found here.

Positions Available

Cook – Children’s Place Learning Center located in The UMC in Stow
Classroom Staff Member – Children’s Place Learning Center located in The UMC in Stow
Director of Music and Organist – Church of the Saviour UMC in Cleveland Heights
Director of Children’s and Youth Ministries – Bay UMC in Bay Village
Children and Youth Coordinator – Galena UMC
Director of Youth Ministries – Carrollton First UMC

To submit a classified ad please e-mail swilliams@eocumc.com.

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Deadline for submission is Thursday, June 8, 2023. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.