By Rick Wolcott*

Multiply Ohio is a movement initiated by Bishop Hee-Soo Jung and the Office of Fresh Starts & New Beginnings to expand the reach of the gospel through partnership, innovation and multiplication. Its goal is to launch 100 new faith communities across the Ohio Episcopal Area by 2030. On October 29, more than 200 clergy and laity leaders from 80 churches across the state gathered in the Ohio Stadium Recruit Room on the campus of The Ohio State University to vision next steps together.

“You are here by invitation. Your district superintendent believes in you and in the ministry your church is doing. We want you to leave here with vision of what God can do in your church, in your ministry and in your community,” said Terri Rodriguez, Fresh Starts & New Beginnings field and operations manager.

In her opening devotion, Northern Waters District Superintendent the Rev. Angela Lewis challenged leaders to focus their congregations on seeing and reaching their communities.

“What if we looked beyond our buildings and saw our neighbors and we looked beyond our programs and saw new possibilities. What if the question was no longer simply ‘How do we get more people in our churches?’ but instead, ‘How do we get our churches into the lives of more people?’” Lewis implored. “One church opens its doors, another opens its table, another releases a leader, another invests in a dream, and together we reach people none of us could have reached alone. That’s what we call multiplication.”

In his address, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung expanded on the message he shared with clergy and laity in their Multiply Ohio invitation. The bishop asked leaders to focus on the changing mission fields around them.

“Today, I want to speak about three convictions that must shape the future of Multiply Ohio. Three convictions. Three invitations. And one great movement of the Holy Spirit. First, we need the breath of God. Second, we are a Resurrection people. Third, every soul matters; we must go!” declared Bishop Jung.

“We must learn to trust the Holy Spirit. A church willing to empty itself in love becomes free to embrace God’s future! A church willing to share becomes free to multiply. A church willing to listen becomes free to learn. A church willing to serve becomes free to love. And a church willing to trust the risen Christ becomes free to live again! That is the movement we seek through Multiply Ohio,” the bishop said.

The morning and afternoon sessions of the Multiply Ohio event featured table conversations and several testimonials from participants of last year’s event who have explored starting new ministry opportunities in their communities over the past 365 days. Speakers included Rev. Lindsey Funtik of Strongsville UMC, Rev. Paula Stewart of Gaines UMC, Rev. Matt Anderson of Bucyrus UMC, and Scioto Ridge UMC Director of Youth and Young Adults Dustin Sable.

“In 2021, like millions of Americans over the past decade, I left the church. And for nearly a year, I left my faith entirely. And, yet, even in the midst of that dark night of the soul the love of God found me and welcomed me back home. That is what I carried into last year’s Multiply Ohio,” Sable shared. “When it came time for Q&A with the Bishop I raised my hand, shared some of my story and asked him how the Conference was thinking about reaching ex-evangelicals like me. Without missing a beat, he looked at me and said, ‘you’re going to do it.’”

Sable then used the bishop’s message to him to encourage the leaders in the room.

“All across Ohio, there are neighborhoods aching for a community of faith to call home. There are forgotten places crying out for fresh expressions of church. Who’s going to do it? Look around this room. With God’s help, we’re going to do it,” Sable said.

The keynote speaker was Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Cruz, executive assistant to the bishop in the North Georgia Conference. He came to the gathering with an understanding of the challenges many have when it comes to change. At their respective Annual Conference sessions this year, the North and South Georgia Conferences each voted to unify and become the Georgia Conference effective January 1, 2027.

One bishop serving two conferences offers new possibilities in Georgia and Ohio. It also brings change for clergy and laity still recovering from the pandemics of COVID and disaffiliation. Cruz reminded leaders that perseverance is a necessity in the pursuit of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

“Anything significant that happened in the Bible, it was done when it was overwhelming. It was done when it was scary. It was done when it was hard. It was done in the midst of resistance. If you think you are doing something significant for the Kingdom and you’re not facing opposition, you may be doing it for the wrong kingdom,” Cruz said. “Anything significant from history that advanced the gospel of Jesus Christ it was hard. Why? Because Christianity is not a playground. It is an absolute battlefield. I hope and I pray that we are moving into a season where we stop fighting each other over buildings and we can get back to the business of fighting the devil over people.”

The Multiply Ohio event concluded with Bishop Jung leading a covenant of renewal and sending. Afterwards participants headed to the football field for a group photo and optional tours of the locker room and the marching band facilities. Sponsors of the Multiply Ohio day of visioning were the Christian Family Credit Union, Ohio Public Risk Insurance Agency, the United Methodist Foundation of West Ohio, the Methodist Foundation of Ohio, the Korean Ministry Plan, and Methodist Theological School in Ohio.

View The Road to 100, a list of new faith communities in Ohio.

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