Bishop Tracy S. Malone announces the following clergy appointments and/or changes of status which, unless otherwise noted, are effective July 1, 2024.
| 2024 Appointments | |||
| Pastor | Appointment | District | Effective |
| Pamela Buzalka | Geneva & Harpersfield UMCs | Northern Waters | |
| Sam Mohn | Church Hill & Youngstown Trinity UMCs | Central Valley | |
| Cindy Patterson | Church of the Saviour UMC – Associate Pastor | Northern Waters | |
#BeUMC
“I am United Methodist because of grace. I love The United Methodist Church! I’m passionate about inclusion and diversity, everyone having a place at the table and not only a place at the table but a voice. A voice where they know they are worthy of being heard, being seen, being loved just as they are – and I found that in The United Methodist Church,” said Pastor Charlene Thomas.
E-mail Brett Hetherington to record your video story of transformation through The United Methodist Church.
View #BeUMC stories & the EOC #BeUMC website.
Each episode of our East Ohio Conference podcast, Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation, explores what it means to #BeUMC.
Episode 31 is titled “Influence, Connection & Impact: Ministering to Children in Foster Care”. The episode features Bishop Tracy S. Malone leading a conversation with clergy and laity from two of the churches in the East Ohio Conference that host a life-changing week of Royal Family KIDS Camp each summer that ministers to six- to 12-year-old children in the foster care system.
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 2024
Thursday, June 13 – Saturday, June 15
John S. Knight Center in Akron
The 55th session of East Ohio Annual Conference will convene using our quadrennial theme “Faith Hope Love” and guided by Isaiah 40:31 (NIV): “… but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Annual Conference 2024 Website
Visit the AC 2024 website to meet the Class of 2024 commissioners, ordinands, and retirees; meet this year’s worship and learning session speakers; read the proposals and resolutions submitted by the March 15 deadline; find hotels offering discounted room rates; learn about special event lunches; download the AC 2024 logo for use in church and district newsletters; and much more.
Visit the Annual Conference 2024 website.
Sign-up to be a Volunteer at Annual Conference 2024
If you are interested in volunteering at Annual Conference on June 13-15 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron, please fill out this survey with your availability and where you’re willing to serve. One of the volunteer coordinators will contact you with more information closer to the date.
Sign-up to Sing in the Annual Conference Choir
If you would like to sing in the Annual Conference choir, please e-mail Joe Leaman of Montrose Zion UMC, this year’s AC choir director.
Worship Services
Thursday, June 13 @ 9:00 a.m.
Service of Commemoration and Holy Communion
Preacher: Bishop Tracy S. Malone, East Ohio
Friday, June 14 @ 9:00 a.m.
Morning Worship
Preacher: Rev. Allison LeBrun, Boardman First UMC
Saturday, June 15 @ 9:00 a.m.
Morning Devotion
Preacher: Rev. Philip Wilden, New Concord UMC
Saturday, June 15 @ 2:30 p.m.
Service of Commissioning, Ordination and Retirement
Preacher: Bishop Lanette Plambeck, Dakotas-Minnesota
Time of Learning
On Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15, Rev. Dr. Ronald Bell, director of Healing and Resilience for Discipleship Ministries and The Upper Room, will lead a time of learning and reflection on the themes of wholeness, well-being, and resilience.
Offering
The Annual Conference 2024 offering will benefit these ministries, with each receiving 1/3 of the offering to be received in-person, online, and via U.S. mail:
- All in Community Ministry (Fund 9984)
- Royal Family KIDS Camp (Fund 9965)
- Bishop’s Discretionary Fund
Missions & Ministries
The Midwest Mission truck will be onsite at the John S. Knight Center Thursday, June 13 (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and Friday, June 14 (8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.) to receive donations. Donate year-round by dropping off items at Gay Street UMC, an official depot for Midwest Mission.
View and download the Midwest Mission flyer for AC 2024.
Learn about the Gay Street UMC Midwest Mission drop-off site.
Financial & Administrative Services
Wespath General Conference Legislation Webinar – April 2
General Secretary Andy Hendren will co-host a webinar in which he and others will address important questions from conversations with delegates regarding Wespath’s General Conference legislation. The webinar is Tuesday, April 2 from 3:00 – 3:45 p.m. Eastern.
The webinar will delve into the proposed Compass retirement plan and its impact on clergy; Wespath’s response to petitions proposing additional investment exclusions/screens; an announcement on broadening Wespath’s fund offerings; and other legislative matters, including the petition to close the Retirement Plan for General Agencies (RPGA). A 15-minute Q&A session will follow the legislation presentation. A recording of the event will be made available to all registered attendees.
For questions about Financial & Administrative Services ministries and opportunities, please e-mail Vera Rebrovich, executive director of Financial & Administrative Services, or visit the Financial & Administrative Services pages of the Conference website.
Missions & Community Engagement
Bridges Out of Poverty Training – April 27
The Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement team is partnering with Alliance Christ UMC to offer Bridges Out of Poverty training from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. The workshop offers a comprehensive approach to understanding poverty through the triple lens approach of individual, community, and structural/policy.
Participants will review poverty research, examine a theory of change, and analyze poverty through the prism of the hidden rules of class, resources, family structure, and language. Rebecca Coiner and Shi Ann Cunningham of OhioGuidestone will lead the workshop. The cost to register is $30, which includes the required book and lunch. The registration deadline is Sunday, April 21.
Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
Nehemiah Mission Celebration Breakfast – April 27
The Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland, an EOC Health & Well-Being ministry (Fund 9136), invites all clergy and laity to attend a breakfast in celebration of its 20 years of mission and ministry. The breakfast will be Saturday, April 27 from 9:30-11:00 a.m. at the Mission located at 6515 Bridge Avenue in Cleveland. Register today to enjoy a great meal, hear from Executive Director Rev. Michael Parisher, and tour the Mission. A suggested donation of $25 can be made electronically during registration.
Register for the Nehemiah Mission breakfast.
Download the Nehemiah Mission breakfast flyer.
Information Meeting for Guatemala Discovery Mission Journey – April 28
You are invited to a 1:30 p.m. April 28 Zoom information meeting about the January 3-10, 2025, Discovery Mission Journey to Guatemala. The purpose of a Discovery Mission Journey is to help young adults engage in a cross-cultural experience. The April 28 meeting is not a time to commit to the trip but to explore the project and meet team leaders. Information pertaining to cost and projects will also be shared. To receive the Zoom link for the meeting and/or to ask questions about the journey, please e-mail Jeannette Burkhardt or e-mail Rev. Kimberly Arbaugh.
Northeast Reintegration Center Visit Day – May 16
All East Ohio laity and clergy are invited to visit the Northeast Reintegration Center (2675 E. 30th St., Cleveland) from 5:30-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 16. This is a ministry opportunity in partnership of the Connectional Ministries office Missions & Community Engagement team, All in Community, and The Fredrick Douglass Project for Justice. Registration is required – and space is limited. On the registration link please indicate “UMC” in the group/institutional affiliation box and select “NE Reintegration Center” as the location.
Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
Download the Fredrick Douglass Project for Justice flyer.
Register for NE Reintegration Center Visit.
Apply for a 2024 Mustard Seed Migration Grant Today
The General Board of Global Ministries and United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) invite local churches to apply for a grant of up to $2,000 to engage in new, one-time community-based ministries focused on migrants and refugees.
Learn more about and apply for the Mustard Seed grant.
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.
Multicultural Ministries
Just Action Event to Address Redlining & Evictions in Akron – May 10
How do we stand against racism? What is our responsibility as people of faith and as United Methodists to speak to the history and present challenges in our communities? One way is to host the conversation. The East Ohio Conference, along with the Living Water Association United Church of Christ, is setting the table for a moral conversation to take place Friday, May 10 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Akron-Summit County Library.
Just Action is a practical guide to help us ask the question, “How can we begin to undo the damage caused by policies like redlining?” and to discuss how we can address the eviction crisis in Akron today. The Just Action series of programs to address housing needs and inequalities in our community will include a housing legal clinic; a documentary screening and panel; book club discussions; and a presentation by Leah and Richard Rothstein, authors of Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law. The book is “a blueprint for concerned citizens and community leaders” to address ongoing issues caused by segregation.
The East Ohio Conference Connectional Ministries office Multicultural Ministries team and the East Ohio Anti-Racism Task Force invite you over the next two months to read The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America or Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law and to host a book discussion. The Multicultural Ministries team will also host virtual book discussions leading up to the Friday, May 10 event that will feature Leah Rothstein in-person at the library and Richard Rothstein joining virtually. The event is free and open to the public.
Learn more about the May 10 Just Action event at the Akron-Summit County Library.
Read “United Methodists Stand Against Racism: May 10 Just Action Event to Address Redlining and Evictions in Akron”.
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
Youth Annual Conference – June 7-8
Join the fun June 7-8 as the youth of East Ohio gather for Youth Annual Conference 2024 at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky. Friday, June 7 will be a day of waterpark fun and connecting with fellow youth from all around our East Ohio Conference. On Saturday, June 8 we will participate in hands-on missions, worship together, and experience learning sessions centered around spiritual growth and leadership development. Lunch is included with the Saturday registration. If you have questions about YAC 2024, please e-mail Pastor Christy Suffecool, Connectional Ministries office Young People’s Ministries co-director. We look forward to seeing you June 7-8.
Learn more and register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
For questions about Young People’s Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Pastor Christy Suffecool or e-mail Tim Beck, Connectional Ministries office Young People’s Ministries co-directors, or visit the Young People’s Ministries pages of the Conference website.
Camps & Retreat Ministries
Tour the Camp Sites & Meet the Staff in April and May
You are invited to come tour our EOC camp sites, talk to the staff, and see what is being offered for Summer Camp 2024.
- Camp Asbury in Hiram – April 7 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
- Camp Wanake in Beach City – April 27 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m., which includes the Resurrection Egg Hunt
- Camp Aldersgate in Carrollton – May 5 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
If these dates do not work with your schedule, please contact the sites directly via phone or e-mail to schedule your own visit.
- Camp Asbury at info@campasbury.org or (330) 569-3171
- Camp Wanake at info@campwanake.org or (330) 756-2333
- Camp Aldersgate at info@campaldersgate.org or (330) 627-4369
Register Now for Summer Camp 2024
Summer camp has always provided opportunities for campers, young and old, to have fun in the sun. Children, youth, and adults come together to learn new skills, have new experiences, and make new friends all under the guidance of our trained, creative, and compassionate staff. We look forward to partnering with your congregation as you include Summer Camp as part of the spiritual formation of your children and youth. If you have questions or would like to receive a Summer Camp 2024 brochure, call the EOC Camps office at (330) 499-3972 ext. 139 or send an e-mail to camps@eocumc.com.
Learn more about and register for Summer Camp 2024.
Meredith Mateer to Begin Ministry at Camp Aldersgate
Rev. Gary Jones, Connectional Ministries office Camps & Retreat Ministries director, announces that Meredith Mateer will be joining the staff of East Ohio Camps as the director of Camp Aldersgate.
Mateer is a long time Aldersgate fan, having been a camper, summer program coordinator, and summer program director. She shares, “When I think of the most important and impactful people and places in my life, Camp Aldersgate is at the center. It is where I first accepted Jesus, where I learned about leadership and serving others, and where I met people who are my dearest friends to this day. I am who I am today because I went to and worked at Camp Aldersgate.”
Mateer will begin her service as the director of Aldersgate on April 1, 2024. Meredith’s husband and family will be supporting Meredith in her new position.
Join us in welcoming Meredith Mateer to Camp Aldersgate.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.
Disaster Response
Workday at Camp Wanake – April 13
The Disaster Response Committee invites you to join its members for a Camp Wanake workday on Saturday, April 13. Lunch will be included in the workday that will begin at 9:00 a.m., conclude by 3:00 p.m. and be centered around minor repairs, bench-building, painting, and tree trimming.
Volunteers will be led by members of the Disaster Response Committee and certified members of Early Response Teams. Construction experience is not required but volunteers must be 18 years old (16 years old if accompanied by an adult). If you have questions about the workday, please e-mail Tom King, Disaster Response chairperson.
RSVP for Camp Wanake Workday by April 8.
Workday at Camp Asbury – April 27
The Disaster Response Committee invites you to join its members for a Camp Asbury workday on Saturday, April 27. Lunch will be included in the workday that will begin at 9:00 a.m., conclude by 3:00 p.m. and be centered around repairing a cabin damaged by a fallen tree and building changing areas attached to cabins.
Volunteers will be led by members of the Disaster Response Committee and certified members of Early Response Teams. Construction experience is not required but volunteers must be 18 years old (16 years old if accompanied by an adult). If you have questions about the workday, please e-mail Tom King, Disaster Response chairperson.
RSVP for Camp Asbury Workday by April 8.
Events: April 1 – April 14
Click to view East Ohio Conference Calendar.
- Wednesday, April 3
Navigating the Chaos of Reentry - Saturday, April 6
Gonder Place Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony - April 12 & 13
Lay Servant Advanced Class – Go Preach Pew to Pulpit - Saturday, April 13
Free Community Meal in Lakewood
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:
- Lorraine S. Thompson, surviving spouse of the Rev. Ernest Thompson, died March 7.
- Wynn A. Lembright, retired Elder, died February 17.
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
- Director of Children’s Education – Gay Street UMC in Mount Vernon
- Christian Education Director – Asbury UMC
Items Available/Wanted
- 28 robes available – Edison Memorial UMC in Milan
To submit a classified ad please e-mail swilliams@eocumc.com.
To Subscribe
To subscribe to E-News and all East Ohio Conference news updates, enter your email address in the “Follow News via Email” widget on the right sidebar. Information from this E-News may be copied and used in your local church. The next scheduled edition of the E-News is Monday, April 15, 2024.
Deadline for submission is Thursday, April 11, 2024. Send articles to swilliams@eocumc.com.
East Ohio News 