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Why and How we Make Appointments Characteristics of A Successful Appointment
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Appointments for the week of May 12 Sidney Morris to Ebenezer UMC, Ijamsville, Md. Sidney Morris has been a member of Good Hope Union UMC in Silver Spring where he answered the call to ordained ministry and started the candidacy process in 2001. While at Good Hope Union, he served as the chairperson of evangelism, small group and class leaders, and singles ministry. He completed the License to Preach school in 2006 and is starting the Course of Study at Wesley Seminary this summer. His passions include witnessing, testimony, and outreach. Ebenezer UMC is located in the fast growing Urbana area of Frederick County. The church recently renovated a fellowship/community building and is seeking ways to utilize this facility in the community. It averages 30 in worship and paid 33 percent of its apportionments last year. James K. Pugh to Mount Carmel, UMC, Brookeville, Md. Jim Pugh served under appointment at Wesley Chapel UMC in Jessup in the early 1990's. Prior to ministry he served in The United Methodist Church as choir director, youth leader, missions chairperson, Sunday School teacher and lay speaker. Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Hofstra University in New York and a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary. Pugh shares that he feels blessed with gifts in teaching, preaching and music, and he is persuaded that God has called him to ministry at Mt. Carmel UMC to nurture, support, counsel, guide and train persons in leadership to help the church fulfill its mission of witness and service in the world. Mt. Carmel UMC, located in Brookeville, is a congregation that has several important ministries in the community. They include services for anyone in need in the community, aid for the community, community fellowship and worship. It has a worshipping congregation of 25, received three by profession of faith in the last year and paid 100 percent of its apportionment. Some of the mission and outreach ministries of the congregation include supporting Camp Carol Jean, a camp for children with cancer, through financial aid and the donation of time and supplies. Andre Johnson to the White Marsh/Joppa Charge (Asbury and John Wesley United Methodist churches) Andre Johnson is a native of Wilmington, Del. and served as the launch pastor for the Milton Avenue United Methodist Initiative in East Baltimore (2003-2007). There, his ministry focused on developing a new faith community in inner city Baltimore, the highlight of which was the establishment of a community Saving Station, and other outreach and worship opportunities for the community. Johnson had also served as a consultant and evangelist with various congregations in the Baltimore area and across the nation. He is the author of two books on pastoral leadership/ministry, and shares that he can best be described as a person who is passionate about sharing the Gospel, reaching out to the community and growing disciples of Jesus Christ. Johnson answered his formal call into ordained ministry over a decade ago at Gospel Tabernacle Baptist Church in Baltimore and enrolled in St. Mary's Seminary and University where he is completing studies for a Master of Arts degree in Theology. He sees his appointment to White Marsh/Joppa Charge as a wonderful opportunity to develop new ministries within the churches, especially in the areas of worship, education, community engagement, and ministry with young people. The White Marsh/Joppa United Methodist Charge is a two-point charge comprised of Asbury UMC in White Marsh and John Wesley UMC in Joppa. Both churches are historic African-American congregations with very deep roots in their communities. The churches are located in fast growing communities in Baltimore County (Asbury) and Harford County (John Wesley), and each averages about 25 people per Sunday in worship. The churches together received two people on profession of faith in 2006, and look forward to strengthening their overall ministries over the next few years. John Wesley and Asbury churches are excited about the appointment of Andre Johnson and see this as an opportunity for growth and renewed vitality in their efforts to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Don Leveroney to Fairview UMC This is Leveroney's first appointment. He has been very active as assistant pastor at Union Street UMC in Westminster Maryland and has recently been active in the congregation at John Wesley UMC under the guidance of the Rev. Alfreda Wiggins. He is also a certified candidate for ordained ministry and is matriculating at Carroll County Community College. He is a dedicated Christian person who loves people, and loves the preaching and teaching ministry. Fairview UMC is located in Taylorsville and is one of the oldest African-American churches in Carroll County. Although a small congregation consisting of 90 members, there is about a 50 percent average attendance record. The members are very dedicated and have had a record of paying 100 percent apportionments for years. A vision of a new church building free of debt that has been a dream for many years is about to be realized in a few months. The cost is $165, 000 and this congregation has raised about $130,000 thus far. The congregation has a vital worship service including a dance ministry. The goal is to continue to be involved in outreach ministry and to cooperate in more outreach ministry with neighboring congregations. Margaret Moon (Retired) to Union Bridge UMC Moon has served the Deer Park UMC (Reisterstown) and Bethesda UMC and is retiring this conference year but has accepted to pastor Union Bridge UMC , on a part-time basis. She has shown a love for people especially in small churches and is strong in teaching and has very strong organization skills. Union Bridge UMC is located in Union Bridge Maryland in the Western edge of Carroll County. The congregation averages 25 in worship and has been unable to pay full apportionments. One of the hopes for the future of this congregation lies in its' outreach to the Children and youth of the community. Several times during the week children and youth from the neighborhood gather in the church facility of Union Bridge UMC for fun, games and teaching. Many of them are from single parent and/or broken homes. The hope is that this program will grow and parents and others will join in this ministry and others that are ongoing at the church .The core membership of Union Bridge are dedicated to becoming an Acts 2 congregation in the near future. Appointments for the week of May 5 Michael Beiber, from Seminary Student to Student Pastor, Faith UMC, Accokeek, MD Beiber is a candidate for ordained ministry in the Washington East District and a first year student at Wesley Theological Seminary. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (B.A. in Psychology, 2006). He has served the local church as a youth minister, disciple Bible study leader, and middle and senior high Sunday school teacher. Faith UMC, located in Accokeek, MD, is a church dedicated to mission ministries. Faith serves the community through a food pantry, thrift store, and feeding the homeless weekly in Washington, DC. Faith has a worshipping community of 41 and received 8 persons on profession of faith last year. The church was able to pay 5% of their apportionments in 2007. Brian Darrell to Bethel UMC, Bakerton, WV This is Darrell's first appointment. He recently attended Pikeside UMC and served as lay leader as well as church council chair. Darrell is a graduate of Liberty University with his bachelor's in biblical studies, and is currently working on a degree in religion. Darrell is also in the candidacy program working to earn a local pastor's license. His greatest strengths are preaching and teaching. Bethel UMC has worshipped at its current site since 1916. It recently gave the former parcel of land that the parsonage stood on until a fire destroyed it to the community volunteer fire department. Plans are also underway to create a community center at the fire hall site. Bethel has faithfully paid its apportionments in full. Kelly DeRonda to Butler's Chapel-Jones Spring Charge, Hedgesville, WV DeRonda is continuing her service to God and the United Methodist Church by accepting her initial ministry appointment. She has been a registered nurse for over 20 years, working in a variety of settings. She held numerous nursing positions at the Martinsburg VAMC and is currently a contracted nurse with Stepping Stones Cottages, LLC, a community provider of services to children and adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. She graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor's in nursing and later with a bachelor's in corporate and organizational communication. She has been involved in ministry most of her life at Asbury UMC in Charles Town, WV. She was an active member of the youth group and served as a ministry intern during college. She has also participated in work camp projects, both as a youth member and leader. DeRonda taught a young adult Sunday school class for 12 years and assisted with the youth ministry. Her current participation at Asbury include: Wee Disciples board member (Asbury's pre-school Christian enrichment program), contemporary worship team, local lay speaker and lay leader. She is also involved in community service as a volunteer with Red Cross, American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, and Piedmont Garden Club. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, serving the community and listening to God's calling upon her life. Butler's Chapel UMC will celebrate 100 years of serving God and the community this fall. Years of sharing a pastor among two or three congregations, this year Butler's Chapel will be a single station. One of their most tangible ministries is the Prayers and Squares quilting ministry, where small lap quilts are made for folks in need of comfort and prayer. The group makes the quilts during the week and, on Sunday mornings, the quilts are tied, with each knot including a prayer. The whole congregation ties knots and prays for the person receiving the quilt. Ruth Dixon, from Seminary Student to Pastor, Waters Memorial UMC, St. Leonard, MD
Waters Memorial UMC, located in St. Leonard, MD, recently completed an addition to its building and has ministries that touch the lives of many in the community. Waters has a worshipping community of 80 and received 1 person on profession of faith last year. The church paid two thirds of its apportionments in 2007. Marilyn S. Faulkner, On Loan from the Desert Southwest Conference to Pastor, Chicamuxen UMC, Chicamuxen, MD Marilyn S. Faulkner, an ordained Deacon and associate member of the Desert Southwest Conference, has served under appointment for 6 years. Her appointments have included: South Mountain Community Church, a merger between a United Methodist congregation and United Church of Christ congregation, and Willowbrook UMC, a 1300 member church. Faulkner attended Claremont School of Theology and Fuller Theological Seminary and completed the Advanced Course of Study at Claremont. She is passionate about preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and community outreach. Chicamuxen UMC, located in southern Charles County, engages in several local and community ministries, including: Neighbors Eager to Serve (NETS), Christian Children's Fund, Children's Aid, Samaritan's Purse and Board of Child Care. Additionally, the church has supported the Hope Fund. Chicamuxen has a worshipping community of 39, received no persons on profession of faith last year, and paid 100% of its apportionments. Bruce Frame to newly formed Wiseburg--West Liberty Cooperative Parish (beginning March 1)
Wiseburg UMC serves the communities of White Hall, Wiseburg, Parkton, Freeland, and parts of southern Pennsylvania. The congregation is active in community ministries including Vacation Bible School, Baltimore County Christian Work Camp, and Angel Tree. It is a contributor to the HOPE Fund and pays 100 percent of its apportionments. There were no professions of faith last year and the average attendance is 57. West Liberty UMC serves the communities of White Hall, New Freedom, Parkton, and Shrewsbury, Pa. The congregation enables its building to be a community center supporting its day care center, a Boy Scout troop, and community youth activities. The congregation is involved in missions and pays 100 percent of its apportionments. There were four professions of faith last year and an average attendance is 45. Kimberly Hall from Trinity, Prince Frederick as associate to lead pastor at Epworth, Cockeysville, MD.
Epworth Church, located in Cockeysville, MD is a program church that began with a revival tent meeting in 1893. It continues to serve a large, racially diverse, and transient apartment community through a core membership that is both regional and local. The church reaches its community through a day care center, thrift shop, United Churches Assistance Network in Cockeysville, Manna house, Cockeysville Food Pantry and Volunteer in Mission trips. It emphasizes Christian education and has an active youth and young adult program. Epworth has two services on Sundays and has approximately 400 members. The congregation paid 100% of its apportionments and 11 members were received on profession of faith. Donald Hohne to Wesley Freedom UMC. Hohne has been appointed to Wesley Freedom and will be commissioned at the 2008 Annual Conference as a probationary member on the Deacon track. He describes his primary gifts as compassion, pastoral care, and presence for the sick, the hurting, and the grieving. From these gifts, and with God's guidance and grace, he has discerned his call to healthcare chaplaincy. In 2005, Hohne earned a master of divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary and has since completed 1600 hours of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). His CPE was done in various hospital settings that included cardiac care, oncology, and emergency/trauma medicine. He has also served as pastor to a local senior living community since completing seminary. In December of 2007, he left his former career as a mechanical engineer to follow his full time call into professional chaplaincy. He now serves as a chaplain for the GBMC Hospice of Baltimore (Gilchrist Hospice), providing pastoral care at end of life for patients, their families, and those who care for them. His appointment to Wesley Freedom will be served through his Deacon ministry as a professional chaplain. Wesley Freedom UMC is located on the corner of Johnsville Road and Route 26 in Eldersburg, MD. The original church, Wesley Chapel, was built in 1822 and is in the historical registry. Wesley Freedom's cornerstone was laid in 1869. In 1991, a new sanctuary was built and as recent as 2007, a building expansion program was completed. Traditional, contemporary worship services and Sunday school are offered at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Average weekly attendance is 450, with Sunday School enrollment averaging 350. The youth program is very active with a membership in both Junior and Senior UMYF averaging 60 to 70 members. Fifty of its youth attended "Rock 2008." The church paid 47 percent of its apportionments last year, but is on track to pay 100% within the next three years. Its missions/outreach program is very active with VIM trips, outreach at Springfield Hospital, Transition Care Nursing Home, Hearts Place, Angel Tree, ESCAPE, Thanksgiving Baskets, and its own soup kitchen, "Feed My Sheep." It has a very active Stephen Ministry program since 1999 and has ministered to more than 60 care receivers. Wesley Freedom's United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men are very active. Its mission is to "invite, receive, nurture, challenge and send forth committed Christian disciples." Stephen Phillip (Phil) Logan, On Loan from the Southern Baptist Church to Solomons UMC, Solomons Island, MD Logan was ordained in the Baptist Church in 1980. He received his M. Div. and Ph. D. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville, KY. He has served as Youth Pastor, Lead Pastor, Adjunct Professor at Belmont University, and Editor of LifeWay in Nashville, TN. Additionally, while teaching in the Calvert County School system, he served three years as minister of nurture and discipleship at Trinity UMC, Prince Frederick. Solomons UMC, located on Solomons Island, is the friendly church by the water. They serve the community on the Island and beyond. Many visit the church by boat and find spiritual nurture. The church is active in mission locally and globally including S.M.I.L.E., an ecumenical community outreach ministry. The church recently paid off the mortgage on its new addition. Solomons has a worshipping community of 82, received 5 persons by professions of faith in the last year, and paid 100% of its apportionments. Joanna Marceron from Butler's Chapel-Jones Spring Charge, Hedgesville, WV, to Leetown UMC, Kearneysville, WV
Leetown is a growing Acts 2 congregation in Kearneysville, West Virginia. It averages 60 people in worship between the Sunday morning service and Saturday night's "Jesus in Blue Jeans". The congregation actively serves the community through volunteering and collecting for the food pantry at Jefferson County Community Ministries, participates in work Harry E. Smith, Jr. from Asbury/John Wesley UMC Charge, Germantown/Clarksburg, MD to Community of Faith UMC, Clarksburg, MD Smith has served under appointment at the Asbury/John Wesley UMC Charge, Germantown/Clarksburg, MD since January 2007. He previously served as the assistant to the pastor/youth minister at St. Paul UMC in Oxon Hill, MD. His home church is Emory UMC in Washington, DC. He served there as director of community outreach, men's ministry chair, and co-chair of the mentoring ministry. He obtained a bachelor's degree in urban & regional planning from the University of the District of Columbia. He obtained his master's of divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in May, 2007. Smith is a committed leader and pastor. He enjoys working with people and is particularly passionate about the physical, emotional and spiritual development of young people. Community of Faith UMC is the product of a three-church merge which included St. Marks UMC in Boyds, MD, Asbury UMC in Germantown, MD, and John Wesley UMC in Clarksburg, MD. The merge became effective on Easter morning 2008. Community of Faith UMC is currently worshiping in the former John Wesley UMC building in Clarksburg, MD. Community of Faith has a congregation that is excited and encouraged about the possibilities to expand the ministries of the new congregation as well as the exciting potential for the growth of missions and outreach into the community. Appointments for the week of April 28 Reverend Kecia Ford from Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. to Sharp Street UMC, Sandy Spring, Md. The Rev. Kecia Ford has served as the associate pastor in the capacity of Director of Christian Education for Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church; also as Vice President at Large and First Vice President of the Eastern Region, Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC) Young Adult Ministries and Evangelism Board. She is also an active member of the national Evangelism Board of (PNBC). Ford is an adjunct professor and doctoral mentor at Richmond Virginia Seminary. She earned a B.S. in Behavioral Science from the University of Maryland, University College; a Master’s of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from United Theological Seminary. Her gifts are preaching, teaching, and administration with a strong interest in evangelism, of which, her doctoral dissertation resulted in a book entitled, “Fishing In Mixed Waters”. Sharp Street UMC, located in Sandy Spring, is a congregation that has several important ministries in the community. They include The Sharp Street Food Pantry, S.H.A.R.P. (Sharp Street Hosts an Academic Resource Program) Suspension Program, Health Seminars, Teen Let’s Rap Sessions, Annual Community Picnic and Parade. It has a worshipping congregation of 130, received 15 members by profession of faith in the last year and paid 100 percent of its apportionment. Sharp Street is also active in the following mission programs: Feeding the Homeless in Washington D.C. and local shelters; UMW Sponsorship of a Congolese Woman; International Committee on Outreach Sponsorship of a sister church, Content Full Gospel Church of God in Kingston, Jamaica; shipped clothes and school supplies to Ghana and Jamaica; Thelma E. Ricks Scholarship Fund; Get in Shape for 2008 Health and Fitness Program; Angel Tree Prison Ministry. Sharp Street has a lively faith development ministry consisting of Bible study and Bible study retreats. Nick Bufano from New York Annual Conference to Union UMC, Baldwin, Md. Nick Bufano and his family are new to the Baltimore-Washington Conference, coming from the New York Conference. He served there, along with his wife, as the manager of Camp Wannakee and served a two-point charge part time. He is currently a member of Mays Chapel UMC and involved in the candidacy process in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Bufano is an English teacher at Woodlawn High School. His gifts for ministry include preaching and connecting with people of all ages. Union UMC, located in Baldwin, is a small country church with a big personality. The members are active in various ministries including missions, both locally and globally. They practice hospitality to the community by opening their building and by hosting festivals and dinners. The congregation supports a part-time pastor. Union paid its apportionments in full and received four new members on profession of faith. Paulette Jones from Wesley student to Union Memorial in Davidsonville, Md. Paulette Victoria Jones is a member of Hall UMC and will graduate Wesley Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in May. For the last two years, she served as a student intern with the congregation at Magothy UMC. Her focus in ministry are in the area of prison /ex-offender, education and mission. For 30 years, she was a public school educator focusing on classroom instruction, administration and teacher support. She enjoys traveling and has visited Russia, Bella Ruse, Austria, Germany, Italy, England, Mexico, Canada, and had two extended stays in Zimbabwe. When she has free time, she volunteers at the Ordnance Road Detention Center as a tutor of mathematics and an aide in the sewing class. She views this appointment as another opportunity to be in the process of becoming a “Holy Gem” made out of ordinary stones. Union Memorial UMC is located in rural Anne Arundel County on Rt. 424 in Davidsonville. The church has a long and proud history. Most of the members grew up in the vicinity and have moved away but still come back to worship at Union. The church supports several community outreach efforts, works ecumenically with area churches, and has several outstanding choirs. Union Memorial is known for its strong music ministry and for the ways it actively involves its youth in the full ministry of the church. The church pays its full apportionments and is a supporter of the Hope Fund. Alisa Lasater from Western North Caroline Conference to Capitol Hill UMC in Washington, D.C.
Alisa Lasater, served Myers Park UMC in the Western North Carolina Conference since 2004. As the associate pastor of local missions and young adults, she has relished opportunities to equip the congregation to recognize injustices in the community and engage in ministries of socio-economic and racial reconciliation. Furthermore, she loves working with twenty- and thirty-somethings who are hungering to encounter God and live out their faith with authenticity. A graduate of Duke Divinity School, she has also served as Mission Associate at Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church, a Northern Virginia congregation comprised primarily of currently or formerly unhoused neighbors, and as Director of Youth Ministries at Central UMC in Albuquerque, N.M. Lasaster looks forward to joining Capitol Hill UMC in dynamic ministry fueled by prayer and driven by the Holy Spirit. Lloyd Marcus, retired pastor, to the Hereford Charge, Hereford, Md. Rev. Dr. Lloyd Marcus began preaching just before his 27th birthday and has been doing so for 53 years. He has served the Holy Temple of Truth, Metropolitan, Andover, St. John’s, Mount Winans, and Fairview churches. Marcus served Fairview Church in his retirement. His favorite Scripture is Psalm 34:1 and his focus and gift he brings to minstry is always on praising the Lord. He looks forward to serving the four churches of the Hereford Charge. The churches of the Hereford Charge are located across northern Baltimore County. They include Gough, Pine Grove, Union Memorial, and St. Luke United Methodist churches. The churches work collaboratively on various mission programs and youth events. The congregations support the Hereford Food Pantry and various mission projects. They continue to work cooperatively, weekly worshipping in various configurations of the four churches. The churches have strong lay speakers who enable the variety of worship experiences each week. Three of the four churches on the charge were able to pay 100 percent of their apportionments. St. Luke’s had five professions of faith, Gough had three, Union Memorial two, and Pine Grove had none. Dennis Schulze from Clynmalira, Monkton, Md. to Bentley-Springs, Mt. Zion Charge, Parkton, Md. Dennis Schulze will retire from full-time ministry after 43 years at this annual conference session and will continue to serve in his retirement at Bentley Springs-Mt. Zion Charge. Schulze has been pastoring Clynmalira UMC which became a station church in 2004. He served the Monkton Clynmalira Charge since 1996. Prior to that he served Wesley Chapel in Lothian, Tom’s Creek in Emmitsburg, Wesley Memorial, Forest Memorial, and Mayo Memorial UMC. He has a passion for missions and has led many Volunteer in Mission teams to Oklahoma, Costa Rica, and Appalachian Service Project trips. He is a gifted preacher and enjoys teaching Bible study. In his spare time, Schulze enjoys making furniture. Bentley Springs/Mt. Zion Charge is in Northern Baltimore County, close to the Pennsylvania state line. The churches are small, country churches that have an appeal to the communities they are in for their warm and friendly hospitality. They sponsor numerous events which are open to the community and so place the churches at the center of community life. The congregations are active in both local and global missions and have a strong United Methodist Women, youth groups and lay led Bible studies. The congregations paid 100 percent of their apportionments. Mt Zion had four professions of faith last year and Bentley Springs had one profession of faith. Appointments for the week of April 14, 2008 Evan Young from Guide in the Washington Region to Assistant to the Bishop
The Bishop's Assistant works closely with the bishop to carry out the ministry of leadership within the conference. The bishop's assistant serves as a part of the appointment cabinet and the extended cabinet, oversees all spiritual leadership development initiatives and works with the Board of Ordained Ministry. Representing the bishop at important city, state and federal events and activities is also part of the role. William T. Chaney Jr. from West Baltimore UMC to Discipleship Adventure Guide with the Western Region.
As a Discipleship Adventure Guide on the Western Region, Chaney will be responsible for coaching, equipping and supporting approximately 30 pastors and their congregations so that the pastors stay seven or more years in the same appointment and grow Acts 2 congregations; developing the congregations to bear Acts 2 fruit through the Discipleship Adventure; and resourcing other Guides and the conference in a specialty area so that conference goals and objectives are met through the specialty area. George DeFord from Senior Pastor, Metropolitan/Indian Head Cooperative Parish, in Indian Head, to Discipleship Adventure Guide on the Annapolis Southern Region George DeFord has served under appointment for 26 years in five churches: St. Marks in Laurel, Mt. Zion in Baltimore, Ebenezer in Washington, D.C., Metropolitan in Indian Head, and Metropolitan/Indian Head Cooperative Parish. He has served within the conference on the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and Washington East District Committee on Ordained Ministry. DeFord is very active beyond the local church including: serving as cluster coordinator of the United Methodist Churches in Western Charles County; Chaplain and Director of Outreach and Prison Ministries with the Ministers Alliance of Charles County and Vicinity; member of Neighbors Eager to Serve (NETS) and supporter of Safe Nights. He is a graduate of Howard University School of Divinity (M. Div. 1980) and (D. Min 1996). He was ordained an Elder in 1988. DeFord is passionate about outreach ministries, social justice ministries, leadership development and teaching. As a Discipleship Adventure Guide on the Annapolis Southern Region, George will be responsible for coaching, equipping and supporting approximately 30 pastors and their congregations so that the pastors stay seven or more years in the same appointment and grow Acts 2 congregations; developing the congregations to bear Acts 2 fruit through the Discipleship Adventure; and resourcing other Guides and the conference in a specialty area so that conference goals and objectives are met through the specialty area. Susan Keirn Kester, on loan from the Texas Annual Conference to Discipleship Adventure Guide on the Annapolis Southern Region
As a Discipleship Adventure Guide on the Annapolis Southern Region, Kester will be responsible for coaching, equipping, and supporting approximately 30 pastors and their congregations so that the pastors stay seven or more years in the same appointment and grow Acts 2 congregations; developing the congregations to bear Acts 2 fruit through the Discipleship Adventure; and resourcing other Guides and the conference in transitional and interim ministry as a specialty area so that fellow Guides are resourced in the area and conference goals and objectives are met through that specialty area. Nicole Christopher on loan from the Alabama-West Florida Conference to Severna Park Associate, Severna Park, Maryland Nicole Christopher recently graduated from Emory University's Candler School of Theology with an M. Div. and a concentration in Women in Theology and Ministry. While at Candler she interned for a year at the Atlanta Urban Ministry's, Women's and Children's Soup Kitchen. She also worked for a year at Druid Hills United Methodist Church as a seminary intern; preaching, writing liturgy and teaching. During seminary Christopher was selected as a Ministry Fellow by The Fund for Theological Education and received a grant with which she created an Indian travel seminar to study Liberation theology and oppressed women and children. Nicole received her B.A. from Millsaps College in 2004. Her passions include social justice work, outreach, missions and camping and retreat ministries. She is a native of Pensacola, Fla. Christopher will be commissioned as a Probationary Elder in her home conference in June and looks forward to serving in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Severna Park UMC is one of the largest churches in the Annapolis District. This regional church holds three worship services on Sunday morning, in which around 400 people worship. It has many young families, a very strong program ministry for people of all ages, and many small groups. The youth program attracts large numbers of teenagers with 100 of them involved in the summer youth ministry with the Appalachia Service Project. Severna Park is actually involved in countless mission and ministry opportunities. The church pays full apportionments and is a contributor to the Hope Fund. George E. Hackey Jr. from Senior Pastor, Sharp Street UMC, Sandy Springs, to Senior Pastor, Metropolitan/Indian Head Cooperative Parish, Indian Head, Maryland
The Metropolitan/Indian Head Cooperative Parish, located in Indian Head, is a multi-site ministry which includes two ministry centers: Metropolitan UMC and Indian Head UMC. This Cooperative Parish is committed to missions and outreach; engages in several community ministries including Neighbors Eager to Serve (NETS), Share, Safe Nights, and Christmas in April; and is a contributor to the Hope Fund. It has a worshiping community of 147, received 4 persons by professions of faith in the last year and paid 100% of its apportionment. The Metropolitan/Indian Head Cooperative Parish is located near the new National Harbor Project and looks forward to the opportunity to grow with its community. Michael Howes to First UMC, Hyattsville, as associate pastor.
First UMC in Hyattsville, is a congregation that has several important ministries in the community. They include Meals on Wheels, Community Place Café, and an Immigration Clinic. It has a worshiping congregation of 400, received 10 persons by profession of faith in the last year and paid 100% of its apportionment. The Mission/Outreach ministries of the congregation include HIV/AIDS ministry testing site, VIM Trips twice a year, Shalom School, CROP Walk, Steel Pans Café, Child Enrichment Center, active Youth/Young Adult Ministries, and Disciple Bible Study, as well at short term study opportunities. Robbie R. Morganfield from Tennessee to St. Mark's UMC in Laurel.
In addition to his ministry obligations, Morganfield served as executive director of the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University, which trained mid-career individuals seeking to transition into jobs as daily newspaper journalists and provided continuing education to journalists and journalism educators and has spent nearly 20 years as a journalist. Ordained at the St. James Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ark., Morganfield has strong interests in developing effective preaching-teaching ministries, as well as evangelistic and social outreach to youth, young adults and men. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and has been active in the Tennessee Chapter of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. A native Mississippian, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Mississippi, a Master's degree in Journalism and Educational Policy & Leadership from Ohio State University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Texas Christian University. His Ph.D. studies at Maryland are focused on the history of church and religious media, and the role ministers have played in them. St. Mark'S UMC, located on the corner of Eighth Street and Route 198W in Laurel, is a congregation that has a proud and rich heritage. St. Mark's was founded in 1890 and the windows in the sanctuary have been designated as a historical landmark in Prince George's County. St. Mark's has ministries for all ages, including Children's Church, Vacation Bible School, Bible studies, Outreach, United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, Young Adults, Mentoring Program for Male Youth, and the Winterhaven Homeless Project. Last year St. Mark's received 32 members on profession of faith, worship attendance averaged 125, and the church paid 100 percent of its apportionment. The church's mission is to "Come together to praise God, celebrate God's love, and grow together in Christ by equipping the people of God to implement and spread God's word to the world." Larry D. Sellers Sr. on loan from the Northern Illinois Conference to West Baltimore United Methodist Church in Baltimore. Larry D. Sellers Sr. has served under appointment in the Northern Illinois Conference and comes to the Baltimore-Washington Conference having last pastored Grace-Calvary United Church in Chicago. He is a graduate of the University at Chicago with a BA in communications, Loyola University of Chicago with an MBA and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary with an M. Div. Larry has served as a trustee of Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, member of the Connectional Table of the Chicago Southern District, NIC, intern with the Global Board of Pensions and Health Benefits, Chaplain of Christ Advocate Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill., and board member of the Marcy-Newberry Association. He recently married the Rev. Dr. Irance E. Reddix M.D., of Randallstown. .Seller's great love of ministry includes community organizing, youth and young adult ministries, teaching the Word, pastoral care and helping individuals and congregations to enter into a more intimate relationship with Christ. West Baltimore UMC is located on the corner of Greenwich Ave. and Charing Cross Road and now celebrates its 165th year of worshiping and celebrating the life of Jesus Christ in this West Baltimore Community. This is evident in its support of members who have done mission service in Chile and the Gulf Coast. The congregation continues to fulfill its mission locally and globally. The church's average attendance is 40 and it paid its apportionments 100%. West Baltimore is a church that welcomes everyone, a Reconciling Congregation. The church is the home of the Catonsville Dinner Theater and also of the newest ministry "Grace Café," which is a place where the unchuched can come, relax, share a meal and learn about the love of Jesus Christ. Above all the church is striving to become an Acts II Congregation Appointments for the week of March 31, 2008
James Farmer has been under appointment since 1983. His appointments have included: Tom's Creek/Trinity Charge in Emmitsburg. Tom's Creek UMC grew to become a station church after two years and he served there another eight years. Farmer served Clinton UMC for six years before moving to Trinity UMC in Prince Frederick where he served for eight years. His next appointment was to extension ministry where he served on conference staff as a Guide in the Annapolis Southern Region and then as assistant to the bishop. Farmer has served the Conference on the District Superintendency Committee, Personnel Committee, Board of Christian Education, as a consultant for strategic planning, on the Board of Ordained Ministry, Conference Relations Committee, and most recently as a member of the Discipleship Council. He received his seminary education at Wesley Seminary, Course of Study, and has a passion for leadership in the church, worship/preaching, and helping the church to develop its disciple making. Farmer is a gifted visionary pastor. Severna Park UMC is one of the largest churches in the Annapolis District. This regional church holds three worship services on Sunday morning, in which around 400 people worship. It has many young families, a very strong program ministry for people of all ages, and many small groups. The youth program attracts large numbers of teenagers with 100 of them involved in the summer youth ministry with the Appalachia Service Project. Severna Park is actually involved in countless mission and ministry opportunities. The church pays full apportionments and is a contributor to the Hope Fund. Alice K. Ford from Wesley UMC, Rochester, N.Y. to Millian Memorial UMC, Rockville, Md. Alice Ford has served the Wesley parish in Rochester since 2005. For a portion of the time that she served at Wesley UMC, she also worked in the office of Bishop Violet L. Fisher. Prior to serving in the Western New York Conference, she served Whiteside UMC and Pleasant Grove UMC in the Tennessee Conference. Ford is a graduate of the School of Theology of the University of the South, receiving her M. Div. in 2004. She was commissioned a Probationary Elder in 2004 in the Tennessee Conference and ordained as elder in 2007 in Western New York. Prior to serving in ministry, Ford was a software and internet programmer for 20 years. Her other conference-related work includes serving as the Chair of the Conference Council on Ministry in Western New York and serving on the Council for Accountable Discipleship with the General Board of Discipleship. She also served as the associate director for the Office of Pastoral Formation in the Tennessee Conference under the direction of the Rev. David Lowes Watson. She has a passion for working with multicultural transitional congregations who are redefining their ministries and working with inner city youth. Millian Memorial UMC, located in the diverse community of Wheaton Woods in Rockville, began in a movie theatre in 1952. Through its mission efforts last year, the congregation supported mission/outreach ministries, including a food pantry on site, a pastor's benevolent fund, the Montgomery Avenue Women's Center, Linkages to Learning at Wheaton Woods Elementary School, Asbury Methodist Village, the Reeder's Home, Africa University, Nothing But Nets, the HOPE fund, and a missionary to Nicaragua, Nan McCurdy. Since 1967 the Millian Methodist Preschool, a ministry of the church, has reached out to neighborhood children, with 135 children last year. Hospitality is extended to community groups such as AA, NA, the Parent Resource Center, Girl and Boy Scouts. An active music and arts program includes four hand bell choirs, chancel and children's choirs, and a puppet ministry. The average worship attendance is 178, and 29 adults were received by profession of faith in 2007. Millian has a faithful tradition of paying 100 percent of its apportionments.
Thomas Young, Jr. has served under appointment in the Baltimore-Washington Conference for 28 years. He has served in a wide variety of appointments and positions in the conference. Some of those include being the conference associate evangelist in proclamation, working with youth and music, and Coordinator for the Cumberland-Hagerstown Youth, during which time he organized ski trips and a concert by a Nashville Gospel Star on the Cumberland-Hagerstown District. Young has served in the past on the former Diaconal Board of Ministry, on the Baltimore-Harford District Board of Ordained Ministry and on the conference Board of Ordained Ministry. He graduated from Bridgewater College in Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy and Religion in 1978 and earned his Master of Divinity Degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in 1982. He has received training as a chaplain in hospitals and in crisis intervention. Young was ordained an Elder in 1983. His passion lies in the proclamation of the Word and in creating various styles of worship experiences. He also enjoys arranging and performing different styles of music, including a new view on some of the hymns found in The United Methodist Hymnal. Ridgeley Charge is made up of two churches in Ridgeley, W,Va. Calvary UMC is located in the town of Ridgeley just over the "blue bridge" from Cumberland. Calvary's traditional worship style and excellent Sunday School programs y draw new people to study God's Word and learn to live as Christians in their every day lives. Calvary is vital to the community not only as a spiritual center, but also as a meeting place for a number of community organizations, including Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, AA, a quilters' group, and others. Calvary's Brown Bag program provides food assistance to several families. The church is also a gathering place for the community at its monthly all-you-can-eat breakfast. Holy Cross UMC is located centrally in Carpendale, W.Va. The church serves the community through its After School program which currently serves 30 children with homework help, Bible teaching, and a hot meal every Wednesday. Vacation Bible School has drawn as many as 70 children during the summer months. Holy Cross' brown bag program serves more than 40 families with food assistance. Those who enjoy a variety of music and lively worship love to participate in Holy Cross' blended worship service that includes country gospel, traditional hymns and contemporary music. Holy Cross UMC was built in 1967 and was the last Evangelical United Brethren Church built before the Methodists and Evangelical United Brethrens merged in 1968. Appointments for the week of March 24, 2008 Rodney Rydell Hudson from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) to Ames Memorial UMC, Baltimore, Md. Rodney R. Hudson is an ordained Elder in Full Connection in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME). He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the College of Charleston, South Carolina, and a Masters of Divinity degree from the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at the Virginia Union University. He has been a preacher in the CME Church since September 16, 1974, serving the Central Indiana-Ohio Annual Conference as the President of The Christian Youth Fellowship and as the annual Conference music director for the CME Christian Youth Fellowship Choir (Indianapolis District). Hudson has been employed in various staff capacities in Protestant churches all over the United States, serving specifically as a minister of Christian education, minister of evangelism and as minister of worship and liturgy. He has conducted music workshops throughout the Scandinavian Peninsula on the topic of African-American Music, from the Negro Spiritual to Hip Hop. Hudson served his country as a soldier in the United States Army during the Gulf War. He was honorably discharged in1998 after serving as an Airborne Paratrooper for the 18th Airborne Corp. Recently he has been a teacher in the Prince George’s County Public School System where he taught third-graders and 9th- 12th grade high school students English Literature. He has been married for the past 15 years to Delfreida Hudson. They are the proud parents of four children, Christopher, Daniel, David and Ayonia. It is noteworthy to mention that Delfreida Hudson also served her country as a captain in the U.S. Air Force during the Iraq War. She now is employed in the Prince George’s County Public School System as supervisor of operations and procedures for the payroll department. Hudson’s motto is: “A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, a never dying soul to save and fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill: O may it all my powers engage to do my Master’s will.” Ames Memorial UMC is located at the corner of Baker and Carey Streets near Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore. This congregation has served the people in the community known as Sandtown for more than 150 years. Ames is known for its spirited worship that includes a male choir, Chancel Choir, a Mass Choir and the historical lineage that includes Praying Bands. The average attendance is 180. Ames did not pay apportionments in 2007.The church has plans to have a stewardship emphasis this year in order that arrearages can be addressed and to move forward with full apportionment payments in the future. Among its current ministries are a food pantry, clothing ministry, Shalom Zone.
Brenda Mack has served under appointment as a probationary Elder at John Wesley/Asbury United Methodist churches (a cooperative parish on the Cumberland District) and Ebenezer UMC in Ijamsville since 2006. She has worked as an associate pastor, Christian educator, youth minister and pastor.She is married to the Rev. Burton L. Mack of Asbury UMC of Frederick. Before entering the ministry she raised six children, worked as a case manager, worked with young women with addictions, and provided companionship and hospice care to the elderly. Mack earned a B.A. in the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Maryland and a Master of Divinity at Howard School of Divinity and Wesley Seminary. She is excited when she is able to impart a small measure of spiritual knowledge to those seeking an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. Her passions include teaching, preaching, studying the word of God and caring for the hurting.
Chews Memorial UMC is located near West River. It is a financially sound and unified family church with a strong music ministry. Chews UMC has a strong Bible study and intercessory prayer group, and eight lay speakers. One of the strengths of the church is the dedication of its long-time members. The church averages about 80 people in worship, had 11 people join on profession of faith last year, and participates in Thanksgiving baskets for the community, collection of school supplies, and support for the Lighthouse Shelter. Chews has paid its apportionments in full and is a supporter of the Hope Fund. Richard Brown-Whale from Dundalk UMC, Dundalk Md., to Camp Chapel UMC, Perry Hall, Md.
Camp Chapel UMC is located in the town of Perry Hall in East Baltimore County. In 2007, the church celebrated its 200th year in ministry. While maintaining its character as one of the oldest existing congregations in the Baltimore area, the church has demonstrated a capacity to continue to grow and change with its community. Today, the town of Perry Hall is experiencing extraordinary residential and commercial growth, which presents excellent opportunities for the church to reach new believers. Camp Chapel Church is an Acts 2 congregation that averages over 180 worshippers per weekend, received eight people on profession of faith in 2006, and paid 100 percent of its apportionments in 2007. The people of Camp Chapel are friendly, hospitable, accepting, and welcoming, and offer a strong music program, a variety of styles of worship, and many opportunities to be of service in the name of Jesus. As a result, the church appeals to an increasingly diverse population. The church has a long tradition of opening its hearts, minds, and doors to all, regardless of who they are, and because of that many of the people who have made Camp Chapel their spiritual home have done so because they feel that they are safe, valued for who they are, and cherished as children of God and co-members of the Body of Christ. The church is on a faith journey together and continues to await new spiritual challenges.
Fallston UMC in Fallston is an Acts 2 congregation that averages more than 400 worshippers per weekend in its two worship celebrations. The church received 48 people on profession of faith in 2006, and paid 100 percent of its apportionments in 2007. Fallston UMC lists children and youth programs as one of its primary strengths. The Sunday School program reaches more than 200 children every week. Additionally, the church has an annual Bible School that serves the community as well as the church members, and special programs throughout the year. The youth program serves more than 40 youth, grades 7-12. The church is actively involved in mission. Notable are ongoing missions programs including Easter, Backpack, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Adopt-a-family programs have contributed to over 120 families annually; Operation Christmas Child; Sharing Table, blood drives, Blanket Sunday, Trick or Treat for Unicef, and Hope House – where the church parsonage serves as a transitional home for low-income families.
Pikeside UMC is located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. With a worshipping congregation of approximately 130, Pikeside's vision statement is that God calls us to be a reflection of Jesus' love by meeting the needs of the community. Under the direction of the NOW committee, Pikeside's mission and focus are on the "3 R's" -- Receive Jesus, Reflect His Love, and Respond Outwardly. Pikeside is the proud sponsor of several important ministries including Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Mothers of Pre-Schoolers. While paying 100 percent of their apportionments, the congregation is also excited to be undergoing major renovations to their sanctuary to be completed in the next few weeks.
Joseph A. Conte has been appointed to extension ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary as the Director of Church Relations, effective Jan. 1, 2008. Conte has served under appointment in the Baltimore-Washington Conference since 2002 at Camp Chapel UMC in Perry Hall and Middleton UMC in Middletown. An ordained Elder, Conte received a M.Div. from Wesley Theological Seminary and the Doctor of Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2007. His passions for ministry include community-building and developing capacity for technological innovation within the church. At Wesley, two of the areas that Conte will be focusing on are developing the student-pastor track and developing curriculum and teaching in the area of technology. He shares that he sees this new appointment as an opportunity to connect the interests of the church with the resources of the seminary.
Rev. James “Jay” L. DeMent is a second-career pastor from Bradley, Ill. He has served under appointment in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference for 11 years. He was a graduate of Christian Theological Seminary of Indiana with an MDiv and ordained Elder in 2006 by the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. With his wife Chris, he came to Maryland in June of last year to be closer to their daughter Amanda, son-in-law Terry and grandson Gavin who is 2. He has been serving Idlewylde UMC “on loan” from Illinois beginning July 1, 2007. DeMent has a passion for preaching and uses a blue-collar wisdom in sharing the Scriptures. Idlewylde, located on Regester Avenue between York Road and Loch Raven Boulevard, began as a “society” in 1915. The average worship attendance is 48. Through its mission efforts last year, the Lois T. Murray School, Charles Hickey School, Board of Childcare, Assistance Center of Towson Churches, and “Souper Bowl” received support. In addition 10 workers were sent to New Orleans in March. The congregation reaches out to the community through its Christian nursery school, Christian Movement, Sign-language classes, the Annual Bunny Brunch, and a Fall Children’s Festival. Hospitality is extended to community groups such as the Idlewylde Community Assoc., AA, Alanon, COPS, and Herring Run Watershed. The average worship attendance is 48 and there were no professions of faith in 2007. Apportionments were not paid in full. St. Johns is located in historic Lutherville. Its ministries include hospitality to the community through Assistance Center of Towson Churches, Crop Walk, Scouting, A.A., Overeaters Anonymous and various other community groups. The church has both traditional and contemporary worship services, Sunday School for all ages, and a community-oriented Vacation Bible School. The average attendance is 55 and there were no professions of faith in 2007. Apportionments were not paid in full.
Barry Dillon has served the West Morgan Parish since 2005. Prior to ministry in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, he served in the North Georgia, East Ohio and West Virginia Conferences respectively while furthering his education. He has recently served the annual conference as an advisor to the Apportionment Task Force. He graduated seminary from the Candler School of Theology. His gifts include preaching, teaching, and children’s and youth ministry. He especially enjoys leading small Bible and education/leadership programs. Hedgesville UMC in Berkeley County, W.Va., one of the oldest congregations in the conference, has been in continuous ministry for more than 200 years. In addition to housing the ecumenical community food bank, the congregation maintains a hospital equipment lending closet and receives two second-mile offerings each month for mission and outreach in the community and through UMCOR. The congregation has sponsored several members in international mission opportunities through VIM and is currently sending its first member into candidacy for ordained ministry. Hedgesville UMC actively participates in the Berkeley County Cluster and has provided leadership in the cluster's partnership with Habitat for Humanity, building three homes in Berkeley County and one in southern West Virginia in conjunction with the West Virginia Council of Churches. The congregation is closely linked to the Falling Waters campus of the Board of Child Care, providing leadership in the auxiliary and working cooperatively on projects and worship. Hedgesville paid 100 percent of its 2007 apportionment and received nine people on confession of faith.
Faith Fairchild Lewis has served under appointment for four years. Her appointments have included: Metropolitan Memorial UMC in Washington, D.C.; and Eldbrooke UMC in Washington, D.C. Lewis is a graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary, receiving her M. Div. in 2004. She was commissioned as a Probationary Elder in 2006. She has a passion for outreach, evangelism, youth ministry and pastoral care and is gifted in communications. Olivet UMC, located in Lusby, is engaged in several community ministries including SMILE, Project Echo, Safe Nights, and Safe Harbor, a women’s shelter. Olivet has a worshipping community of 85, received 10 people by professions of faith in the last year, and paid 100 percent of its apportionment. William C. Maisch from Clarksburg UMC, Clarksburg, Md. to Sandy Mount United Methodist Church, Finksburg, Md. William “Bill” Maisch has served under appointment in the Baltimore-Washington Conference for almost six years. From 2002-2005 he served as student pastor for the Dickerson-Forest Grove Charge. Since 2005, he served as pastor of Clarksburg UMC. He anticipates being ordained an Elder this May. Maisch is a retired Air Force pilot, staff officer, and commander. He holds bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and physics, and graduate degrees in administration (highest honors), international relations (high honors), national security studies (high honors), and divinity (highest honors). He served as a clergy representative to the Montgomery County Committee Against Domestic Violence and is a force for ecumenical ministries and community interaction within Clarksburg. His passions for ministry are preaching, teaching, pastoral counseling, facilitating identification/employment of individual and corporate spiritual gifts, and assisting congregations in exploring, discovering, and enacting ways of bringing the church, community, and world together through Christ’s Great Commandment and Great Commission. Sandy Mount UMC is an active church in a rural setting, while serving in many ways a more suburban population. The current average worship attendance is 150 each Sunday in two services, one contemporary service with joint opening with the Sunday School and a traditional service. The church takes pride in the fact that they have paid 100 percent of its apportionments for several consecutive years. The Sunday School is for all ages and Sandy Mount has finally, after many years of trying, added a senior high youth fellowship to complement the existing junior high youth group. The church supports, through its volunteers, prayers and donations, many mission outreach endeavors both local and global, including serving missions around the world, being a Global Mission Partner Church, and local missions to the homeless, poor, and imprisoned .Sandy Mount has a weekly and monthly Bible Study that is led by the pastor and additional short time classes offered throughout the year. The women and men both enjoy their own prayer breakfast groups. The church has recently retired the debt on its new education wing and currently has the YMCA Preschool program using it during the week .The church also is the sponsor of GSA, CSA, and BSA Scouting groups. Daniel Montague from Waters Memorial, St Leonard, Md. to Sleepy Creek Charge in Berkeley Spring, W.Va.
The gifts that God has given him include preaching, worship leading, teaching, listening and pastoral presence. He served the district in the area of Religion and Race. He is inspired by John 10:10 in which Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."(NIV) Sleepy Creek Charge, consisting of three churches, Mt. Zion, Grace, and Cherry Run is situated near Berkeley Springs, W.Va. Mt. Zion UMC has an active UMW group, which supports an overseas missionary. Mt. Zion is currently building a kitchen and fellowship hall, which will provide the community with a much-needed gathering place. The church hopes that making their facility available will strengthen its partnership with the community. Mt. Zion has active worship leaders and lay speakers. It gave $6000 to the Hope Fund last year. Grace UMC began a pre and post-school program in response to the significant need in the area. Volunteers work each day with the students on homework, physical activities, and sponsor them in 4-H programs. Grace sent 21 youth to ROCK this year and works hard to support financially its children and youth in summer camps. Monthly singles dinners are also an outreach opportunity. Cherry Run UMC also has an active women's circle, which takes the leadership in supporting local ministries. An addiction support group started this year as the need became evident in the area. All three churches pay 100 percent of their apportionments. Together, this past year, nine professions of faith were celebrated.
St. Luke’s UMC had its start in 1834 when 43 Negro slaves asked for and received permission to hold Sunday School in the Asbury Chapel, which is now known as Reisterstown UMC. In 1850, a few slaves worshiped at the Asbury Chapel marking the integrated fellowship of this church. Those who chose to worship separately, met at Uncle Charles Brown’s house at Old Fort House until the Negro church could be built. In 1855, George Kephart, who owned Walnut Grove Farm, gave the Negro community property for a cemetery and schoolhouse. Later, permission was obtained to also build a church on this property. Money was raised through various subscriptions and a donation from Reister Russell. This church was known as the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church of Baltimore County. Today, the church still stands and continues to be vibrant part of the Reisterstown community. As the membership has expanded over recent years, there are plans to build a new church to accommodate the needs of the growing Reisterstown and Owings Mills community. The average worship attendance is 150 and the church has paid 100 percent of its apportionments. LaDelle Feemster from Emory, Washington D.C. to Asbury, Fredrick, Md.
Asbury UMC in Frederick, is a congregation with more than 205 years of ministry. It serves a predominantly African-American congregation that has several significant ministries in the community and is the meeting place for other community organizations such as the NAACP, CASA of Maryland, and African American Cultural and Heritage (AARCH), Inc. Some of the ministries it supports include The Religious Coalition, Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, National BMCR, CROP Walk, and Eliminating the Achievement Gap for minority school children. It is a worshipping congregation of approximately 125. It has faithfully paid 100 percent of its apportionments and contributed to the Hope Fund. It temporarily supported five families displaced by Hurricane Katrina who lived in Frederick. Asbury UMC formed a not-for-profit entity (Asbury Redevelopment Trust, Inc.) to address the restoration of two vacant houses across the street from the church. Appointments for the week of March 11, 2008 Miguel Balderas from associate pastor, First UMC, Hyattsville, Md. to senior pastor, Oxon Hill UMC, Oxon Hill, Md. Miguel Balderas has served under appointment in the Baltimore-Washington Conference for eight years. Previously, he served as a pastor in the Methodist Church in Mexico for 10 years. His appointments in the Baltimore-Washington Conference have included: First UMC in Hyattsville and Casa del Pueblo in Washington D.C. He has served on the conference Commission on Sessions and the Committee on Hispanic Ministries. Balderas is a graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary, receiving is M. Div. in 2002 and D. Min. in 2007. He was ordained an Elder in May 2007. Balderas has a passion for teaching, preaching and multi-cultural ministry. Oxon UMC, located in Oxon Hill, is a multi-cultural congregation committed to several community ministries including: Warm Nights, Bread Ministry, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and Scouting. The congregation has a worshipping community of 121, received 9 people by profession of faith in the last year, and paid 42 percent of its apportionment. It is a contributor to the Hope Fund. Oxon Hill UMC is located near the new National Harbor Project and looks forward to the opportunity to grow with its community.
Marianne Brown will graduate from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D. C. with an M. Div in May and will be commissioned as a probationary member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. While raising three children, Brown worked in local government administration and finance for 16 years, and earned her Bachelor of Arts in English. She graduated with honors from University of Maryland, University College, in 2004. During this same period, Brown worked on a local community task force for the development of a shelter for victims of domestic violence and served as an advocate for victims seeking assistance. As a student pastor, she served Ayres Chapel on the Norrisville Charge, Araby, and the Rohrsville Charge. She is passionate about preaching, teaching and learning, and the use of creative arts to help interpret Scripture and deepen our connection to God. Arnolia, located at the Baltimore Beltway and Joppa Road in Baltimore, is a congregation founded in 1910. It extends hospitality to the community by opening its doors to various outside groups and actively supports the Assistance Center of Towson Churches, Africa University and the Baltimore County Christian Work Camp. Arnolia recently embraced the membership of Wilson UMC in a merger. Apportionments were paid in full, the average attendance is 155 and there were three professions of faith last year.
Gail Button has served Grace Falls Road UMC since July 2001. During her seven years at Grace, she has worked with the congregation to design and implement new ministries for families with young children, including a contemporary family worship service with a Sunday school component and a Children’s Chapel program for more than 60 children who attend the congregation’s preschool. Button received her M. Div degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in May 2000 and is currently completing a D. Min program at United Theological Seminary, with a focus in Biblical storytelling for digital culture. Her passions include teaching and developing creative liturgy. Prior to her appointment at Grace Falls Road UMC, Button worked as a software engineer for more than 25 years. She also served Fairview UMC on a part-time basis for a year. Messiah UMC is a worshiping congregation in Glen Burnie of about 70 people. It also has a Hispanic congregation worshiping in the building. The congregation worships with praise songs and traditional music, runs a preschool for the community and is active in a prayer shawl ministry that has sent more than140 shawls to places as far away as Japan and Russia. The congregation is a covenant sponsor of NCEON outreach, and is active in Camp Joy, Paw Paw Mission, Homeless Winter Relief, and Heifer International. Messiah pays its full apportionments and contributes to the Hope Fund.
Robert D. Carter has served under appointment for 30 years. His appointments have included: Calvary UMC in Waldorf; Fork/Waugh Charge; Eastport UMC in Annapolis, Smithville UMC in Dunkirk, and Galesville UMC in Galesville.. He has served on the Conference Commission on Equitable Compensation, Conference Council on Youth Ministry, and Conference Demographics Team. Carr is a graduate of Candler School of Theology, receving his M. Div. in 1977. He was ordained an Elder in 1978. He has a passion for preaching, worship leadership, and teaching. Calvary UMC, located in Waldorf, is engaged in several community ministries including Safe Nights, a Food Pantry, and Parents Day Out. Calvary has a worshipping community of 129, received 4 peeople by professions of faith in the last year, and paid 42 percent of its apportionment. Shiloh UMC, located in Bryans Road, is actively engaged in community outreach ministries such as Neighbors Eager to Serve (NETS). It is presently developing the Beacon Community Center which will be a recreational, educational, and outreach center serving Western Charles County. Shiloh has a worshipping community of 36, received 3 people by professions of faith in the last year, and paid 100 percent of its apportionment.
Terri Cofiell has served Hedgesville UMC since 1996, Her previous appointments include First UMC in Hyattsville, Trinity UMC in Frederick, Magothy UMC of the Deaf in Pasadena, Gallaudet University and St. Elizabeth’sHospital/Hearing Impaired Services Division. She currently serves on the Discipleship Council, the Board of Ordained Ministry, and as chair of the Frederick Committee on the Superintendency. She is a former member of the Frederick Committee on Ordained Ministry, the CCYM Confirmation Rally Design Team, and has served as a teacher for Leadership Days, Youth Assembly, and the School of Mission and as a mentor for Local Pastors and candidates for ordained ministry. She has also written extensively for the United Methodist Publishing House and Abingdon Press. Cofiell received her M. Div from Wesley Theological Seminary in 1986. She was ordained a Deacon in 1985 and an Elder in 1988. Her gifts include preaching and teaching, multi-sensory worship design and connecting youth and young adults to life in the church. She has a passion for helping people to discover, embrace and use their Spirit-given gifts and for challenging the church to embody the Kingdom of God.
Sarah Babylon Dorrance was in international marketing prior to going into the ministry. She will graduate from Wesley Theological Seminary with a M. Div this coming May and will be commissioned as a Probationary Elder of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Dorrance has a passion for mission, teaching, preaching and discipleship in the local church. She has served on the Latino Advisory Board for the Frederick District, has been an intern at Faithpoint UMC, and was instrumental in bringing her home church, Calvary UMC in Mt. Airy, to a new level of serving in the mission field. She has also directed the youth choir at Calvary UMC for the past 10 years. Dorrance recently co-authored a book titled “Reclaiming the Wesleyan Tradition: John Wesley’ s sermons for Today.” She is very excited about receiving her first full-time appointment at Taylorsville UMC. Taylorsville United Methodist Church, in Mt. Airy, has been serving the people of western Carroll County for more than 125 years. The average worship attendance is 79 and in 2007 the church paid 100 percent of its apportionments. The church’s United Methodist Men and Women serve the community and world through outreach programs, work projects, and mission activities. Church activities also include Vacation Bible School, a mother-daughter banquet, Christmas bazaar, Bible study groups, Friday Family Game Nite, and an annual church picnic. The congregation supports missionaries in Alaska, Turkey, China and India. Taylorsville is continuing to search for ways in which they can reach out to the community to invite people to experience God’s love through the ministry of the church.
Paul Kim has served under appointment for 28 years in a variety of church settings in the Greater Philadelphia area; Seoul, Korea; and the Baltimore-Washington Conference. He served First Korean in Baltimore, Hampden and Mt Vernon in Baltimore; Mt. Vernon Place in Washington D.C., and Mowatt Memorial in Greenbelt. He is a graduate of Drew Theological Seminary and Regent University, where he received his D. Min. Kim has served several congregations in cross-cultural and multi-cultural appointments. His strengths include small group ministry and community networking. Clynmalira, located in Monkton, is a rural congregation in existence for 162 years. Clynmalira means "clean air" in Welsh. The congregation is involved in local mission work and puts on a dinner theater each year. Clynmalira has a worshipping congregation of 78, received one person by profession of faith last year, and paid 100 percent of its apportionment.
John Rudolph has served Middleway UMC since 2005. Prior to the ministry, he was a public school teacher, coach and administrator. He is married to the Rev. Melissa Rudolph. He graduated from Shepherd University with a major in economics and received his M.Ed. from the University of Virginia in Administration and Supervision. He is gifted in building relationships, storytelling and interactive and energetic preaching. He looks forward to graduating from Wesley Theological Seminary and becoming commissioned as a Probationary member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference in May. Trinity UMC, located in Emmitsburg, is a congregation that has several important ministries in the community. They include an after-school program, support of the Latino Ministry in Frederick, and the West Virginia Work Camp. It has an average worshipping congregation of 67 and received 13 new members this year, four by profession of faith. It pays 100 percent of its apportionments and is a contributor to the Hope Fund.
Melissa Rudolph has served Leetown UMC and Kabletown UMC in West Virginia, beginning as a student local pastor in 2001. Prior to that, she spent five years as a ministry intern and youth director at Asbury UMC in Charles Town, W.Va. She was ordained an Elder in 2007. Before ministry, she was a journalist and also studied International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C. Rudolph is completing her Doctor of Ministry in Worship, Spirituality, and Preaching at Drew University. She was a presenter at last year's emergingumc: a gathering at the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville. She also led the Northeastern Jurisdiction delegation as a young adult delegate to the United Methodist Church's first quadrennial Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly in Johannesburg, South Africa. Currently, she serves on the conference Worship Planning Team. Rudolph is passionate about preaching, spiritual development and visioning for the future of the church. Christ Church of Ballenger Creek, located in Frederick, is a joyfully evangelical United Methodist congregation with a vibrant contemporary worship style. The church has several important ministries in the community including Beacon House, the Frederick Soup Kitchen, the Exodus project, Hope Alive and Good News Jail and Prison Ministry. It supports at least 15 missionaries in the United States and around the world; has a thriving youth ministry of more than 35 attending regularly; and has more than 15 active small groups. The church has a worshipping congregation of 145, received eight people by professions of faith, received another 13 by confirmation and paid 100 percent of its apportionment. It has sent groups on mission trips to the Dominican Republic, Alaska and Cleveland.
Kathy Spitzer has served at the Sleepy Creek Charge for the past seven years. Prior to ministry she was a public school teacher, teaching all grades from kindergarten to eighth grade over a 30- year span. She has served in the past on the ethic committee, an LGBT dialogue team, the on- site committee of Camp Harmison, and on the worship committee for 2007 annual conference. She graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary, Christ For the Nation Institute in Dallas, Texas, and Oasis, a spiritual direction program. Her gifts are pastoral care, preaching, teaching and nurturing. She has implemented a listening program in the elementary school, initiated a pre-post school program, and helped to bring Habitat for Humanity into Morgan County. Arden UMC is a church with a proud history and a bright future located in a growing community near Martinsburg, W.Va. It has a worshipping community of 100 people and has a strong music and mission program. Its children and youth programs are a high priority. The congregation recently built and dedicated a new Family Life Center which it is utilizing as an outreach facility to the community. It has always paid 100 percent of its apportionments.
Appointments for the week of March 3, 2008 Walter Beaudwin from Chicamuxen UMC, Chicamuxen, Md., to Smithville UMC, Dunkirk, Md.
Smithville UMC in Dunkirk is growing as a purpose-driven ministry. The congregation is engaged in community ministries such as Project Echo, the Calvert Food Bank, and CareNet. Smithville has been active in missions. The congregation has a worshipping community of 75, received one person by profession of faith last year, and paid 100 percent of its apportionment. It is a contributor to the Hope Fund. Susan Hallager from Severna Park UMC, Severna Park, Md., To Emory UMC, Upperco, Md.
Emory United Methodist Church is located on Maryland Route 91 about halfway between Finksburg and Fowblesburg. The original church, built in 1856, was used as both a schoolhouse and a place of worship. The current church was built in 1907 and the old building continues to function as a social hall and Scout hut. Worship is at 10 a.m. each Sunday with an average attendance of between 90 and 100. It has an active youth program with 25 youth attending “Rock 2008” in Ocean City. Vacation Bible School had 36 kids attend last summer. The church’s active missions & outreach program has included several trips to the Dominican Republic to help build a church and school. The congregation is also very active with Carpenter’s Kitchen and various projects to help the needy. Project Linus is an active group in the church, sewing and provides blankets to sick and abused children. Apportionments have been paid at the 100 percent level for the last 10 years. Emory’s vision is to be a family of Christians sharing God’s love through worship, service and fellowship. Earl Edward Mason from St. John’s/Govans–Boundary UMC Cooperative Parish, Lutherville, Md., to Grace UMC, Upperco, Md.
Grace United Methodist Church, located on Black Rock Road three miles east of Hampstead, has served its local community for almost 150 years. Sunday School at 9:15 serves all ages, and worship at 10:30 is a blend of old and new. Traditional and praise Communion services alternate monthly, with the latter providing an opportunity to experiment with different worship styles and invited music groups. The average worship attendance is 78 and the church has paid 75 percent of its apportionments. As participants in the Discipleship Adventure, its members seek to be Christ’s Body by devoting the first half of their monthly Church Council meetings to study. Grace UMC’s love for the children who come through our doors is expressed in its strong Vacation Bible School program and extends to its strong youth programs. In addition to regular United Methodist Youth Fellowship, these include open gym nights, “Club 7.7” (named for Matthew 7:7 –ask, seek, find), winter and summer UMYF retreats at Camp Harmison and annual mission trips, which most recently included Red Bird Mission, Ky. Its monthly mission offerings support work close at home and around the world. Members participate in the “Partners in Care” program of the Maryland National Guard to help families of servicemen and women who have been deployed. Its mission statement declares that “Grace United Methodist Church is a family of Bible-believing Christians who strengthen and encourage each other to grow in our faith. We serve God through ministry and mission in our community and world. We proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to all people.” Sue Shorb-Sterling from Olivet UMC, Lusby, Md, to Salem UMC, Brookeville, Md.
Salem UMC, located in Brookeville, was founded in 1833. The members of Salem are dedicated to spreading God's word through a variety of ministries in the local community and beyond. Locally, this includes serving meals monthly at the Lord's Table; collecting food for the community food bank, and celebrating communion regularly at a nearby nursing home. In addition, crews of adults and youth have participated in the Appalachian Service Project for the past eight years and its youth are enthusiastic participants at the annual ROCK event. Other ministries include Vacation Bible School, adult and children's Sunday School, Disciple Bible Study, an annual Women's Retreat and a youth group. Salem UMC has an average worship attendance of 90, received four people by affirmation of faith, six by re-affirmation and paid 100 percent of its apportionments for 2007. It is a contributor to The Hope Fund. John Warren from Oxon Hill UMC, Oxon Hill, Md., to Concord-St. Andrews UMC, Bethesda, Md.
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After a career in accounting and most of her adult life in leadership in the United Methodist Church, Ruth Dixon is now a candidate for ordained ministry in the Washington East District and first year student at Wesley Theological Seminary. Her leadership has spanned the local church, the district and the annual conference. She has also been a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences.
Bruce Frame has served under part-time appointment at Wiseburg UMC in White Hall since 2003. Prior to entering ministry, he was the director of public and congressional affairs for the Federal Transit Administration. Before that, Frame was the press secretary for 16 years for U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes. He currently serves as secretary of the conference Commission on Communications and assistant secretary of the Board of Beneficence, an independent charitable foundation. He is a graduate of the course of study at Wesley Seminary, holds a bachelor's from the University of Delaware, a masters from Duquesne University and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore. His passions include teaching and engaging, encouraging, and empowering laity to go out in mission and ministry.
Hall has served as associate pastor at Trinity in Prince Frederick and Mount Zion in Highland. She is a graduate of Wesley Seminary where she received her M.Div degree. She also received a Masters of Fine Arts from Howard University in film/scriptwriting and a bachelor's degree in mass communications from Bennett College. She will be ordained an elder at annual conference in May. Her gifts for ministry include preaching, teaching, and reaching all age groups, especially young adults. She enjoys traveling, visiting museums, theater, reading, and baking.
Marceron has served God through the United Methodist Church for over 40 years as a Christian Educator answering a new call into pastoral ministry just last year. As a Christian Educator, she has served at Ager Road, Trinity Annapolis, Parkwood, and Saint Andrew's United Methodist Churches. She is certified in christian education and congregational care and consecrated as a diaconal minister. Her first appointment was at Butler's Chapel/Jones Spring Charge in Martinsburg and Hedgesville WV commuting from Harwood, MD. She has been the treasurer for the BWC Christian Educators Fellowship, served on the advisory board of the Equipping Lay Ministries Program at Wesley Seminary, and was a curriculum trainer for Cokesbury, Seasons of the Spirit and Bible Quest.
Evan Young has grown and developed congregations in each of his appointments. He has served the Boyds Charge, Asbury in Washington, Nottingham-Myers and started the Living Springs Congregation. Since last July, he has been a Guide in the Washington Region, working with 30 pastors and their congregations. Young is a gifted leader, communicator, pastor and administrator. He enjoys working with people, developing leaders and growing the church. He has served in a variety of conference roles, which have included the planning team for annual conference and new church planning team.
William Chaney has served at West Baltimore UMC for two years. Previous to this he served as a church planter in Grayson, Georgia. William has also served as an organizational consultant with Chaney and Associates, LLC with clients including North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church, the Sixth Episcopal District of the AME church (Georgia), the Church Multiplication and Training Center in Fort Wayne, Ind., and various congregations throughout the southeast. He is a graduate of Candler School of Theology with a Masters of Divinity and certificates in Black Church Studies and Christian Education. Chaney is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in sociology of religion at Union Institute and University and serves on the design team for the Center for Community Transformation at Wesley Seminary.
Susan Keirn Kester has served under appointment as a United Methodist pastor for 27 years. For the past six years she has served in the Texas Annual Conference as creator and founder partner of Praxis with Grace, a clergy/congregation consulting ministry, and as interim minister for several large membership congregations. She was also instrumental in the development of the DOVE System for Ministerial and Candidacy Records. Prior to serving in the Texas Annual Conference, Kester served in the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference. Her appointments included: Wilmington District Superintendent; Senior Pastor, Grace UMC; Assistant General Secretary, General Board of Global Ministries; Director of Communications for the Peninsula Annual Conference; and Pastor, Bethel UM Charge. Kester is a graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary (M. Div. 1982). She was ordained as an Elder in 1984. Kester is a trained coach and is gifted as a consultant in the areas of transitional and interim ministry, conflict mediation and clergy ethics.
George E. Hackey Jr. has served under appointment for 12 years at Sharp Street UMC in Sandy Spring. Hackey completed the Course of Study and Advanced Course of Study at Wesley Theological Seminary. He will be received as an Associate Member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference at this year's Annual Conference. He has received numerous awards for his work with youth and the community. Under his leadership, Sharp Street UMC grew from a part-time appointment to a full-time appointment which averages 130 in worship. He is also known in the community for the establishment of the B-Sharp Program which is an outreach ministry that provides supervised study time to suspended students. Hackey has a passion for outreach, evangelism, youth ministry and Christian Education.
Michael Howes is an ordained pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention. He has served since 2006 as pastor of youth at Ashton UMC. Previously, he served churches in Maryland and Texas as lead pastor, and as minister to single adults, college students and older adults. He holds the M.Div. degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1991. He has been a participant in the emerging church movement for more than a decade and has a special interest in helping people who are drawn to Jesus but disinterested in the institutional church connect with God. He is excited to serve with the people of FUMC and especially enjoys helping people see everyday life and relationships as places where God's Kingdom is expanding.
Robbie R. Morganfield served as an associate minister for almost three years at Clark Memorial UMC in Nashville, Tenn., prior to coming to the Baltimore-Washington area in September 2007 to begin Ph.D. studies in Journalism & Public Communication at the University of Maryland in College Park. Since his arrival, Morganfield also has served as executive minister of Shaw Community Ministry, an outreach effort of the United Church of Christ that sponsors various programs aimed at promoting success among disadvantaged youth and families in the historic Shaw area of Washington, D.C.
James Farmer from Assistant to the Bishop at the Conference Center in Columbia, Md. to lead pastor at Severna Park UMC, Severna Park, Md.
Thomas E. Young, Jr, from Pikeside UMC in Martinsburg, W.VA., to the Ridgeley Charge in Ridgeley and Carpendale, W.Va.
Richard Brown-Whale has served under appointment in the Baltimore-Washington Conference since 1980 at Dundalk UMC, Shiloh-Mt. Zion Charge in Hampstead, St. James-Stone Chapel-Salem Parish in Baltimore, and Memorial UMC in Baltimore. Additionally, he has served for more than 12 years in extension ministry as a missionary on assignment with the World Division of the General Board of Global Ministries. For the majority of that time, he served as a pastor, professor, administrator and superintendent in various African countries and Grenada. An ordained elder, Brown-Whale has served within the conference for a number of years as mission secretary and liaison with the General Board of Global Ministries. He received a M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from Claremont School of Theology with a dissertation project titled “Africanizing Worship in the Mission Churches of Africa.” Brown-Whale is a part of a clergy couple with his wife, Kimberly Brown-Whale serving as pastor of Essex UMC. Some of his gifts and passions for ministry include worship, preaching and teaching, along with helping people realize opportunities for discipleship through mission outside the church.
Lory Cantin is a native of Washington, DC, and has served for the past two years as the student associate pastor at Solomons UMC, where her work has focused on ministry with children and youth, along with education ministries. Cantin describes herself as a person who likes to help others put the pieces together. For more than twenty years she worked in the insurance industry specializing in property and causality claims. There she developed a love for disaster response work, helping people put their lives together after devastating occurrences, all across the United States. When at home, she enjoyed years as a local church educator, church wide volunteer and district lay speaking educator. She answered her formal call into ordained ministry several years ago and enrolled in Wesley Theological Seminary where she will graduate with a M.Div. this May. She will also be commissioned as a probationary Elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. While at Wesley, Cantin pursued her interests in the Bible in art, Christian formation and biblical exegesis. Her hobbies include scrap booking, gardening and keeping up with her high energy family. She sees her appointment to Fallston UMC as a wonderful opportunity to develop new ministries with small groups, and to help further develop the worship and education ministries of the church, especially with young people.
Bob Cook received his M. Div. degree in 1980 from United Theological Seminary. He has served the Bentley-Freeland Charge, Shenandale Charge, Lewistown UMC, Flintstone Charge, Rawlings UMC, Calvary UMC in Ridgeley, and the Wesley Charge in Cumberland. His gifts include sharing with others the disciplines of meditation and prayer, discipling others through Biblical preaching, and pastoral care. His talents are all phases of new home construction and remodeling, including a few decks and many above ground swimming pools. These talents have proved an asset for VIM trips, the latest which was to Pascagula, Miss. Recently, he had the privilege of going to the Holy Land to edify his teaching and preaching ministry.
Daniel Montague has served Waters Memorial UMC since 2002. Prior appointments include Pikeside UMC in Martinsburg, Bolivar Charge in Harpers Ferry, and Lewistown in Thurmont. Montague transferred from the Virginia Annual Conference in 1992. He was a student pastor at Wesley Seminary, serving Mowatt Memorial UMC in Greenbelt. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and is proud to be a "Hokie" for Christ.
Patricia A. Pride has served under full-time appointment in the Baltimore Washington Conference for 22 years. She has been preaching the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for 32 years. Her chosen vocation prior to the call to ministry was social work Pride is a licensed certified social worker who specialized in psychiatry. She has treated children, adolescents and adults. She received a Masters Degree of Social Work from the Atlanta University School of Social Work. Pride also received a master’s of Divinity degree from the Howard University School of Divinity. The churches she has served are in Prince George’s County and Baltimore City. Those churches are multi-cultural, integrated, and African American. Geographically they are urban, suburban and rural. They include Ames Memorial, New Waverly, Homestead, Strawbridge, St. Marks, Church of the Redeemer and Christ UMC. Pride strongly affirms that God deserves the best and she endeavors to motivate the Christians under her care to do their best for Christ and the Church.
LaDelle Feemster has served as assistant pastor at Emory since 2004. She is an Elder in the AME Church and a graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary who has planted and developed ministries in several congregations. Before coming to Emory, she was employed at the Congress of National Black Churches as an administrative assistant for the Theological Education and Leadership Development Programs in D.C., helping to build the capacity of churches across mainline African-American denominations; employed at the Emory Beacon of Light, Inc. as the interim executive director leading and developing programs that meet the needs of a multi-ethnic community; and served as a missionary volunteer in Kenya, teaching hermeneutics, church history and psychology. Her passions include preaching, teaching, discipleship and mission.
Gail Button from Grace Church, Falls Road, Md., to Messiah UMC, Glen Burnie, Md.
Robert D. Carter from Senior Pastor, Calvary UMC, Waldorf, Md. to Senior Pastor, Calvary/Shiloh Charge, Waldorf, Md
Terri Cofiell from Hedgesville UMC in Berkeley County, W.Va., to Harmony UMC in Falling Waters, W.Va.
Sarah Babylon Dorrance to Taylorsville UMC, Mt. Airy, Md.
Paul Kim from Mowatt Memorial, Washington D.C., to Clynmalira, Monkton, Md.
John Rudolph from Middleway UMC in Kearneysville, W.Va. to Trinity UMC in Emmitsburg, Md.
Melissa Rudolph from Leetown UMC, Kearneysville, W.Va. to Christ UMC-Ballenger Creek, Frederick, Md.
Walter Beaudwin has served under appointment at Chicamuxen UMC for the past three years. He will graduate from Wesley Theological Seminary and be commissioned as a probationary member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference in May 2008. Beaudwin has a passion for mission, preaching, and disciple making.
Susan Hallager was a professional horse trainer prior to going into ministry. She has served Severna Park since 2003. She began pastoral ministry in the Dakota Conference in 1993 as a student pastor in Bantry, N.D., and served in the Baltimore-Washington Conference as the student pastor of the Morgan Charge in West Virginia from 1994 to 1998. She has served twice as a church planner, as an interim pastor for Leetown UMC, and as the associate of Grace UMC in Hagerstown. Hallager has a BA in behavioral psychological from Minot State University. She graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary in 1998 with an MDiv and was ordained an Elder in 2001. She has served on the Frederick District Committee on Ordained Ministry, the Commission on Religion and Race, as an IMAP instructor, on the Congregational Life leadership team; as a coach, and as a mentor and guide for ministry candidates. She currently serves on the arrangements committee for annual conference, COSROW and the Connectional Table. She has led workshops on women’s issues, domestic violence, church finances and church development. Hallager’s community ministries have included advocacy for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, the Board of Campus Ministry for Minot State University, and the Maryland State Police Chaplain and the Emergency Critical Response Team for Maryland. She is passionate about social justice, evangelism, worship, spiritual growth and connecting people to Jesus.
Earl Mason has served St. John’s/Govans-Boundary United Methodist Cooperative Parish since 1998. In 2005, St. John’s was joined with Govans- Boundary UMC as a cooperative parish, with both congregations pooling their talents to help each other in ministry. Mason is an Elder who graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary and has served in the parish ministry for more than 30 years. He has served as a member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference Committee on Religion and Race, member of the Baltimore-Washington Camp Harmison Committee, co-chair of the Baltimore-Washington Committee on Africa, and sub-district Council on Ministries chairperson. His wife Linda and he see ministry as partnership. Linda has served as a district representative to the Baltimore-Washington Board of Church and Society. During his ministry he has served as chairperson of the Board of Directors for the interfaith Consortium, a body of 168 groups providing ministry in the Cumberland area. He also helped found and charter the Board for Community Support Systems in southern Maryland, which started food give-a-ways at three locations twice weekly, a thrift store, a children’s Christmas present give away, as well as other projects. Following his schooling and ordination, Mason served in several appointments: Curtis Bay UMC (Student Pastor), Monkton Charge, Darkesville-Paynes Chapel UMC Charge, Kingsley UMC, and St. Luke’s UMC in Martinsburg, W.Va. Mason believes everything we do must be seen in the light of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. This can best be done, he said, by participating in the means of grace such as worship, Bible study and service; and by working with other churches and denominations.
Sue Shorb-Sterling has served under appointment at Olivet UMC in Lusby since 2002. She began answering her call to ministry as a student pastor at Pleasant Grove UMC in Reisterstown in 1998. Prior to the ministry she worked as a children’s librarian and storyteller for the Carroll County Public Library. She graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary magna cum laude in 2002 with a M. Div. In 2005, she was ordained Elder. While at Olivet, she has been leading the congregation in redevelopment efforts. She currently serves as a board member of SMILE Ecumenical Ministries and Calvert Interfaith Council. Shorb-Sterling is active in the Southern Maryland Emmaus community and currently serves as the Community Spiritual Director. Her passion is to reach people for Christ and develop their faith so they can become more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. She sees her strengths as hospitality, spiritual formation, developing spiritual leaders and storytelling.
John C. Warren has served under appointment at Oxon Hill UMC in Oxon Hill, St. John UMC-Presbyterian in Columbia, Simpson-Hamline UMC in Washington, D.C., Mt. Zion UMC i