By Rick Wolcott*

“I take joy to be a partner in ministry with all of you,” Bishop Tracy S. Malone said to clergy and laity during launch rallies in each of the new four districts of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church. “I am your partner in faith, your partner in ministry as we all seek to work together to fulfill the mission of the making of disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

The bishop, members of her Cabinet, Conference staff, and lay and clergy leaders in each district worshipped and celebrated together January 27 and January 28 in the West Plains District, the Northern Waters District, the Central Valley District, and the South Forest District.

“Unshakeable Confidence” was the title of Malone’s message, which was grounded in two passages of Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-3 and Psalm 11.

“Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we are still living with and still working through the trauma, the grief, and the loss associated with disaffiliations and separation within the Church,” said Malone. “If we are honest, there is some anxiety here today and some uncertainty about the future of The United Methodist Church. Anxiety and uncertainty about, ‘What will ministry and life look like now in the East Ohio Conference transitioning from 10 districts to four districts with a new leadership structure?’

“Oh, I know that there is some anxiety. There’s anxiety around the fact that we just learned last week that the Jurisdictional Special Session just voted and approved forming two new episcopal areas, meaning that the East Ohio Conference and the West Ohio Conference will remain two conferences but will be sharing one episcopal leader effective September 1. And we’ll find out in July who the new bishop will be for this new episcopal area,” Malone said. “Oh, there is some anxiety! In times like these, in the midst of uncertainty, we must rely on the promises of God, place our trust, and be confident that the same God who has brought us this far is the same God who will not leave us now.”

Malone declared, “We don’t know what the future holds but I stand here to tell you that I have an unshakeable confidence in the One who holds the future, Jesus! What I’m asking for us today and every day is to keep the main thing the main thing. Let us focus on discipleship. Let us focus on stewardship. Let us focus on mission, sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ, teaching the way of Christ, the character of Christ, being in ministry with the poor and being in ministry with the marginalized and being in ministry with the vulnerable and being in ministry with the hurting and being in ministry with the oppressed. Let’s keep the main thing the main thing.”

At each rally the bishop repeated the invitation she made to clergy and laity a few months earlier, to be a Yes! Church – one that is committed to worshipping, praying, loving, growing, serving, listening, and connecting.

“Let us keep saying, ‘yes’ to Christ. God is able to do far more abundantly than what any one of us can ever think or even imagine with our collective, ‘yes, Lord!’ said Malone. “God’s vision can become a reality when we continue to say, ‘yes.’”

As congregations and faith communities remain focused in the new year on our shared vision for how the East Ohio Conference will continue to live into the mission of The United Methodist Church, the bishop encourages clergy and laity to expect more in 2024.

“Expect more of God, expect more of yourself, and expect more from us,” Malone said. “Expect more hope, more power. Expect more resilience and more faith. Expect more confidence in God’s promises. Expect more love and more peace and more justice. We don’t give in, we don’t give up, but we stand on the promises of God. Expect more vison and more direction for your own life and for your church’s life. Expect more purpose, more clarity. Expect more discipleship and more stewardship and more mission and more togetherness and more unity. When we expect it, we work for it.”

Learn more about being a Yes! Church and download the study guide.

New District Leadership Model

During the rallies district superintendents shared the names of laity and clergy who are stepping into new leadership roles as districts shift to the new Simplified Accountable Structure model that consists of a District Leadership Board, a District Mission and Strategy Team, and a District Committee on Ministry. Moving to this new structure will help to re-direct more attention to the local church while providing greater flexibility with resources.

“This is an exciting time to be in ministry,” said Rev. Ed Fashbaugh, executive director of Connectional Ministries. “We are excited for what God is going to do, is doing, and will do with The United Methodist Church. And I want you to know that when you call the East Ohio Conference Connectional Ministries office and you share your heart, your dreams, your hopes, or your challenges we are going to respond, ‘How can we help?’ We will do our very best to help you and your church do whatever we can to help you continue our mission of reaching people for Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world.”

Fashbaugh then explained that directors in the Connectional Ministries office will serve as liaisons to the four new districts. Each liaison will work with the superintendent and the lay leader of the district to which they are assigned, and with the chairs of the district’s leadership board, the mission and strategy team, and the district committee on ministry to enhance existing relationships, foster new ones, and strengthen the connection of the East Ohio Conference.

West Plains District Rally @ Ashland First UMC

Rev. Nestor Nazario is the district superintendent and Rev. Donna Van Trees is the district superintendent associate of the West Plains District.

Nazario said to clergy and laity during the first district gathering on January 27, “God has provided the West Plains District with 99 United Methodist congregations that are called to live into the mission of making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Ninety-nine communities of faith with members who are seeking to follow the steps of Jesus in making the reign of the love of God a reality for the people we interact with. How can we do this? We can do this by adopting, as the bishop just said, a Yes! Church attitude. Every church in our district should seek to be a Yes! Church. Yes, to accepting God’s call in making a difference in the community where God has placed us. Yes, in partnering with community leaders to lend a helping hand in addressing community needs. Yes, to working not as individual congregations but in collaboration with other United Methodist churches and ecumenical partners so that together we can be the light and salt we are called and expected to be.”

West Plains District lay leader & District Leadership Board chairperson: Rick Hatton
West Plains District Mission and Strategy Team chairperson: Jon Butler
West Plains District Committee on Ministry chairperson: Rev. Tal Lewis
Connectional Ministries office liaison to the West Plains District: Rev. Kathy Dickriede

View and download the video of the West Plains District rally.
Learn more about being a Yes! Church and download the study guide.

Northern Waters District Rally @ Mayfield UMC

Rev. Bruce Hitchcock and Rev. Angela Lewis are the district superintendents of the Northern Waters District.

“There is no vision, there is no mission, there is no strategy apart from the person and the work of the risen Christ. We are the Church because Jesus Christ is. We are the Northern Waters District because Jesus Christ is and has made it so,” Hitchcock said to clergy and laity at the kick-off rally of the district on January 27. “I’m going to ask you every time I see you SPRCs (Staff Parish Relations Committees) and SPRC chairs, ‘How are you loving your neighbor the way Christ expects you to?’ Pastors, I’m going to ask you the same thing, ‘How are you loving your communities in the way that Jesus expects you to love them?’”

“We need to live into who we are as followers of Christ,” Lewis implored. “I want to challenge us to be some praying people, pray in, for, with, and over your church and your community. As you’re driving in and as you’re going out just ask God for a prayer. Allow God’s Word to be alive in you. Let somebody see Jesus on the inside of you.”

Northern Waters District lay leader & District Leadership Board chairperson: Dr. Liz Piatt
Northern Waters District Mission and Strategy Team chairperson: Susan Achberger
Northern Waters District Committee on Ministry chairperson: Rev. Robin Dillon
Connectional Ministries office liaison to the Northern Waters District: Will Fenton-Jones

View and download the video of the Northern Waters District rally.

Central Valley District Gathering @ North Canton Faith UMC

Rev. Edgar Brady and Rev. Cara Stultz Costello are the district superintendents of the Central Valley District.

“Cara and I are being deployed to serve the local churches in the new Central Valley District two-by-two. Each of the superintendents in the four new districts are serving two-by-two. This kind of serving has Biblical roots,” Brady said to clergy and laity during the January 27 kick-off rally in the district. “You’ll remember Jesus told his disciples he sent them out in partnership to share the love of God.”

“In The United Methodist tradition, we call the joining of loving intention and action connectionalism,” Stultz Costello shared. “That is our intention, mine, and Edgar’s, the whole Cabinet with the Bishop, all the annual conference in service with you. Together, with the Holy Spirit, together in partnership with all of you clergy and laity on the Central Valley District of The United Methodist Church we will take up our crosses and follow Jesus for the salvation of the world.”

Central Valley District lay leader & District Leadership Board chairperson: Jesse Chapman-Secrest
Central Valley District Mission and Strategy Team chairperson: Dianne Shoemaker
Central Valley District Committee on Ministry chairperson: TBN
Connectional Ministries office liaison to the Central Valley District: Rev. Beth Ortiz

View and download the video of the Central Valley District rally.

South Forest District Gathering @ Cambridge First UMC

Rev. Kelly Brown and Rev. Laura White are district superintendents of the South Forest District.

“Our hope is that we will become known as the Yes! district,” White encouraged laity and clergy during the January 28 district launch rally. “We will be committed to saying, ‘yes!’ so that we have 100% fruitfulness toward the mission, and 100% connection to each other. Part of our commitment will be a ‘yes!’ to following the Yes! Study Guide.”

Brown then outlined workshops, Zoom calls, and service opportunities that are on the calendar for this year designed for laity, clergy, congregations, and faith communities to come alongside one another and live into the pillars of being a Yes! Church: commitment to worshipping, praying, loving, growing, serving, listening, and connecting.

“Pastor Laura and I are organizing a Summer of Service. We will be there, and we are inviting all the churches, all the laity, and all the clergy to join us for these mission opportunities,” Brown said.

South Forest District lay leader & District Leadership Board chairperson: Diana Hall
South Forest District Mission and Strategy Team chairperson: Rock VanFossen
South Forest District Committee on Ministry chairperson: Rev. Dr. Kimberly Arbaugh
Connectional Ministries office liaison to the South Forest District: Rev. Gary Jones

View and download the video of the Forest District rally.
Learn more about being a Yes! Church and download the study guide.

*Rick Wolcott is executive director of Communications for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.