The United Methodist Church
Electing Delegates to General/Jurisdictional Conferences
General Conference will meet May 8-16, 2028, in Minneapolis, with 708 laity and clergy from around the world gathering to discern and make decisions on behalf of The United Methodist Church. In July 2028 the Ohio Episcopal Area will host the North Central Jurisdictional Conference.
As part of our business during the 2027 session of the East Ohio Annual Conference, we will elect lay and clergy delegates to the 2028 General and Jurisdictional Conferences (GC/JC). Our East Ohio Annual Conference will provide six delegates (three lay, three clergy) to the General Conference and an additional six delegates (three lay, three clergy) to the Jurisdictional Conference.
Prior to AC 2027 clergy will receive a book of bios of those clergy who have indicated interest in being elected a delegate and laity will receive bios of laity candidates. If you have questions about GC/JC delegates, please e-mail Conference Secretary Rev. Nathan Howe.
Learn about being a GC/JC delegate.
Information for EOC Clergy
All clergy members in full connection are eligible to be elected as delegates and may express their desire to do so by submitting biographical information to be shared with voting members.
Submit a clergy bio by January 31, 2027.
Information for EOC Laity
Lay delegates are elected from a pool of candidates nominated during charge conference meetings and then are invited to submit biographical information to be shared with voting members. Lay members may also be nominated from the floor of Annual Conference or may nominate themselves. To be eligible for nomination, laity must have been professing members of a United Methodist congregation for at least two years and active in the church for at least four years prior to nomination.
#BeUMC
Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation
Episode 90 Belonging: Flourish Retreats
The Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation podcast highlights East Ohio Conference ministries using the core values of the #BeUMC campaign: Disciple Making; Belonging & Inclusion; Influence, Connection & Impact; and Experience of God through The UMC.
Episode 90 “Experience of God Through the UMC: Flourish Retreats” features a discussion with Dr. Stephen Knisely, Pastor Charlene Thomas, Rev. Beth Ortiz and Rev. Edgar Brady about Flourish Retreats, an opportunity for clergy to disconnect from the busyness of life and reconnect with God.
“As clergy, so often we have tied our call with productivity or efficiency, and I think a key part of Flourish is remembering that God loves who we are and that just being present with God is an action,” said Ortiz.
“I think it’s important for us clergy to get together, for us to realize we’re part of this larger wonderful thing called The United Methodist Church and we’re not the only person dealing with church problems and church things,” shared Knisely.
Listen to previous Storyboard podcast episodes.
View clergy and laity sharing their #BeUMC stories.
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 Conference Communications, or e-mail Kay Panovec, executive director of Local Church Communications & Engagement.
Bishop’s Office
The Grace of Remembering: A Reflection for All Saints Sunday
All Saints Sunday has become one of the most meaningful days in the Christian calendar for me.
I grew up in a Korean family shaped by Confucian traditions of honoring our ancestors. At certain times of the year, the family gathered, food was prepared with care and those who had gone before us were remembered. We remembered names, stories, sacrifices and the roots from which our family had grown.
When I became a Christian when I was 16 years old, I was taught that following Jesus meant refusing to participate in those ancestral rites. I did so with conviction. At the time, I believed that such refusal was a necessary expression of Christian faithfulness. It also created pain and tension within my family.
Years later, All Saints Sunday brought an unexpected theological healing to that memory.
I watched the church light candles and speak the names of those who had died. We remembered parents and grandparents, pastors and teachers, friends and faithful members of the church. We gave thanks for their lives and entrusted them to the mercy of God. Something within me was restored.
The church, I realized, also knows how to remember.
Christian faith does not require us to cut ourselves off from those who came before us. Rather, it teaches us how to remember them within the grace of God.
Read the Bishop’s All Saints Sunday Soul Food message in its entirety.
Annual Conference 2027
The Annual Conference Design Team has set the dates for East Ohio Annual Conference 2027. Bishop Hee-Soo Jung will call the conference to order at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9 to open the Service of Commemoration and Holy Communion. Annual Conference 2027 will conclude at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 12. During next year’s sessions hosted at The College of Wooster, Annual Conference members will elect delegates to the 2028 General and Jurisdictional Conferences and will vote on the proposal to create a new unified Ohio Conference that would be effective January 1, 2028.
A Coordinated Clergy Session will be held in early May 2027. The date and location will be announced once details are finalized. A Laity Session will be held during Annual Conference 2027 following the morning worship service on Thursday, June 10.
Ohio Episcopal Area Task Team
Benefits Sub-Team Update #2
Since September 2025, staff and volunteer leaders from East Ohio and West Ohio have been working together to understand in detail the benefits offered by each Conference, who is eligible, how benefits are funded, where programs differ and where they are already aligned.
The central message of today’s update is retirement benefits already earned under the legacy plans remain secure and will not be reduced because of Conference unification. United Methodist clergy pension and retirement plans are established at the denominational level through General Conference and are administered by Wespath. East Ohio and West Ohio clergy and retirees therefore participate in the same denominational plans.
The legacy plans include the Pre-1982 Plan, the Ministerial Pension Plan (MPP) and the Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP). Assets supporting these plans are held in trust and may be used only to provide plan benefits. Wespath reports that these legacy obligations are well funded and substantially de-risked. Benefits already earned will continue according to the applicable plan provisions and each participant’s elections.
Read the complete November 2 Benefits sub-team update.
Read the October 5 Benefits sub-team update.
Financial & Administrative Services
2027 Healthcare Options
Open enrollment for selecting your 2027 healthcare plan opens Wednesday, October 28 and closes Thursday, November 12, 2026.
For your planning, you should know that available medical/behavioral health/Rx plans have been simplified from the six offered in 2026 to four in 2027.
Learn more and view the plan options.
For questions about Financial & Administrative Services ministries and opportunities, please e-mail Vera Milanovic, executive director of Financial & Administrative Services, or visit the Financial & Administrative Services pages of the Conference website.
Communications
Strengthening Local Church Communications
The local church is where lives are changed and we learn to live out our faith in the world around us. When we are busy, we can overlook the importance of sharing opportunities to get involved and stories of lives changed.
Bishop Hee Soo Jung recently announced the creation of the Office of Local Church Communications & Engagement. We offer practical tools, training, coaching and resources to help churches communicate more effectively and build on their existing strengths. Support includes templates and best practices for websites, social media, photography, video and storytelling. And we are just getting started.
We build networks among local church communicators to strengthen relationships across the connection. These networks offer opportunities for churches to learn from one another, draw on shared experience and share ideas.
The people of The United Methodist Church have compelling stories of faith, mission and generosity. We help churches discover, develop and share those stories to reach more people and celebrate the ways God is moving in congregations and communities across Ohio.
The goal is not to communicate for local churches but to build their capacity, strengthen their connections and help their stories reach farther.
Equip churches. Connect people. Amplify local church stories.
To learn more, please e-mail Kay Panovec, executive director of Local Church Communications & Engagement.
Mission Engagement
EarthKeepers Commission Service – November 10
The Global Ministries EarthKeepers program trains United Methodist laity and clergy to address local environmental concerns and the systemic structures that give rise to those concerns. It is a response to the call to practice social and environmental holiness in the Council of Bishops’ 2009 document, “God’s Renewed Creation: A Call to Hope and Action,” as well as calls for action in the 2021 document, “Climate Crisis Response,” and the 2025 letter, “COB Response: UM Creation Justice.”
Five EarthKeepers from the East Ohio Conference will be commissioned during an online service at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10.
Learn about those being commissioned & view the service.
Young Adult Mission Service with GBGM
Partnering with community organizations, Global Mission Fellows learn while they serve, helping those in need while furthering their own professional development in a cohort of likeminded young adults. Fellows address a variety of issues, including migration/immigration, education, public health, poverty and more. The program has two tracks based on where fellows serve: U.S. and International. Applications are now being accepted for the 2027-2029 cohort. If you have any questions about being a Fellow, please e-mail Kate Colbow, GBGM secretary for the East Ohio Conference.
Learn more and apply to be a Fellow.
All In Community Christmas Miracle Volunteers Needed
The Christmas Miracle will again be in all Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Corrections facilities this year. All In Community (EOC Fund 9984) needs you to make these events at multiple locations around Ohio a success, Volunteers are needed for the day of the event inside the institution, plus there are other volunteer opportunities to help prepare for them.
Learn more and register to assist.
For questions about Mission Engagement ministries and opportunities, please e-mail Mariellyn Grace, Connectional Ministries office Mission Engagement director, or visit the Mission Engagement pages of the Conference website.
Multicultural Ministries
Friendsgiving Retreat – November 21
Planned by the West Ohio LGBTQ+ ministry task group, with support from the Multicultural Ministries team of the Ohio Episcopal Area and Methodist Theological School in Ohio, this retreat is open clergy and laity, queer family and allies and ecumenical friends. The day will include opportunities to worship together, connect in identify-based affinity spaces, share stories, engage in creative expressions and connect with community over the holidays. There is no cost to attend but participants are asked to register in advance to assist the planning team.
Register for the Friendsgiving retreat.
Download the Friendsgiving flyer.
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.
Engagement with Children, Youth & Young Adults
2026 Family Advent Resources Available
The 2026 Ohio Episcopal Area Family Advent resource is available on the Conference website for download and use. The intergenerational resource is designed to foster faith-filled conversations and Spirit-led actions throughout the season. The resource includes a centering activity, scripture, a devotional, questions to ponder together, an activity, a prayer, a challenge to complete together and a blessing. The scripture follows the UMC Discipleship Ministries lectionary.
As you journey towards Christmas this year, remember that you are not alone in the waiting and that we often experience God’s love through our relationships with others. If you have questions about these resources, please e-mail Rev. Ann Marie Carley, director of Engagement with Children, Youth, and Young Adults for the Ohio Episcopal Area.
Download the Family Advent resource.
Reset Retreat – January 15-16
Leaders of ministry with children, youth and young adults are encouraged to register for the Reset retreat to be held January 15-16 at the Embassy Suites Akron-Canton Airport. The retreat is an opportunity for leaders across the Ohio Episcopal Area to step away from the everyday demands of ministry and reconnect with God, one another and the work we’re called to do.
Through idea sharing, interest-based conversations, meaningful connection and opportunities to explore the questions that matter most, we’ll learn from one another and discover fresh resources for ministry. We’ll also make intentional space for prayer, silence, stillness and solitude, listening well to God, to the children, students and young adults we serve, and to one another. Together, we’ll create space to reflect, refocus, and reset our ministry for the year ahead. Please contact the event Coordinator, Anne Horvath, by e-mail with any questions.
Register on the Events Registration page of the EOC website.
For questions about Young People’s Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Ann Marie Carley, director of Engagement with Children, Youth, and Young Adults in the Connectional Ministries office. You may also e-mail Tim Beck, associate director of Engagement with Youth, or visit the Engagement with Children, Youth, and Young Adults pages of the Conference website.
Faith Formation & Lay Ministries
The Expanding Connection Book Club – November 17
You are invited to join us on November 17 for a moving discussion of the book What We Remember Will Be Saved: A Story of Refugees and the Things They Carry by Stephanie Saldana. Through stories of refugees and the meaningful objects they carry, this book helps us consider memory, loss, resilience and hope. Together, we’ll reflect on how listening to another person’s story can expand our compassion and deepen our shared humanity.
If you have questions about the book club, please e-mail Julie Carter, director of Faith Formation & Lay Ministries.
Learn more and register for the book club.
Resource of the Month
The Spiritual Formation and Christian Education team is excited to begin sharing a featured resource each month for local congregations. These resources are selected to support discipleship, faith formation, Christian education and spiritual growth in a variety of ministry settings. We invite you to explore each month’s resource and discover new ways to deepen spiritual growth, encourage life-long learning and strengthen discipleship within your congregation.
Getting Through What You’re Going Through by Tanner Olson
This month, the Spiritual Formation and Christian Education Team is highlighting Getting Through What You’re Going Through: Notes and Poems for Hoping and Becoming by Tanner Olson. The book offers a collection of reflections and poems designed to meet readers where they are, acknowledging life’s challenges while gently pointing toward hope, grace, and God’s presence.
Olson writes for those who may feel stuck, weary, or uncertain about the path ahead. Rather than offering easy answers, he creates space for honest emotions and reminds readers that hope can often be found in the ordinary moments of life. Through faith-filled reflections, readers are encouraged to trust that God is at work even when the journey feels unclear. May you be reminded that wherever you are on your journey today, God’s presence goes with you, and you are not walking alone. If you have a question about the resource, please e-mail Rev. Tammy Palermo or e-mail Julie Carter.
Learn more and purchase the Tanner Olson resource.
For questions about Faith Formation and Lay Ministries opportunities, please e-mail Julie Carter, Connectional Ministries office Faith Formation & Lay Ministries director, or visit the Faith Formation pages of the Conference website.
Clergy
Online Candidacy Summit – January 8-9
Attention church leaders: are there people in your congregation who display a gift for serving and who you feel may be called to a life of ministry? The Candidacy Summit is the first step in exploring a call to ministry.
Please take an opportunity to encourage those individuals and to ask them to speak with their pastors. Persons cannot register for the Candidacy Summit unless they are recommended by their pastor and district superintendent. Since there is essential paperwork due prior to the summit, please speak to these people right away. Don’t delay. The last day to register for the Summit is December 1.
If you have questions about the Candidacy Summit, please e-mail Rev. Karen Wolcott, EOC Candidacy Summit coordinator.
Learn more about the Candidacy process.
Events: November 2 – November 15
Click to view East Ohio Conference Calendar.
- Saturday, November 14
Walk thru the Bible - Saturday, November 14
Holiday Hub and Cookie Walk
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:
- Mary I. Aufrance, surviving spouse of Pastor Robert Aufrance, died October 19.
View obituaries.
To submit the obituary of an EOC clergy, a clergy spouse, a child of a clergy person, or a 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
- Acknowledgement & Donor Stewardship Assistant – The Africa University Development Office (AUDO)
- Children, Youth, & Family Coordinator – Jefferson UMC
- Office Assistant – Greensburg UMC in Green
- Custodian – East Shore UMC in Euclid
- Volunteer Coordinator – Urban Mission
- Food Service Manager – Urban Mission
- Music Director – Canfield UMC
- Choir Director – Bucyrus UMC
Items Available/Wanted
- Three large file cabinets with various choir music – Brighton UMC in Wellington
- 70 sturdy, solid oak-framed upholstered chairs – Northampton UMC in Cuyahoga Falls
To submit a classified ad please e-mail swilliams@eocumc.com.
To Subscribe
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Thursday, November 12 is the submission deadline for the next E-News. Send articles to eoccommunications@eocumc.com.
