Living the Connection: The Continuing United Methodist Church

A Season of Transitions

posted on June 27

A Season of Transitions

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…”  Ecclesiastes 3:1

Move week is a bittersweet season for United Methodists.  After all these years of service, I find myself a bit wistful in the last week of June. I will miss those who are moving and am eager to embrace those are arriving. (I also count myself grateful to be staying in place. It is a joy to serve with you.)

We will miss our dear colleagues who are being appointed to new places, as well as our admired colleagues who are entering the retired relationship. This June, we congratulate the following clergy on their retirements:

  • Jill Alventosa-Brown
  • Cecil Donahue
  • Roger Green (re-entering retirement)
  • Barry Lemons

We also give thanks for those who retired mid-year:

  • Andy Lambert
  • Susan Mitchell
  • Don Newman
  • Mark Smith

Literally centuries of service and devotion are represented in the work of these persons, and we are grateful for all the ways they shared their gifts with many churches across our great connection.

We also bid farewell to pastors who have blessed us richly, who are moving on to new districts and new appointments:

  • Veranita Alvord – To First UMC Brevard
  • Joshua Barnes – To Family Leave
  • Noah Glover - From seminary to Rock Grove (Salisbury)
  • Savannah Glover - From seminary to Central (Concord) Associate
  • Oliver Helsabeck – To the Winston-Salem Wesley Foundation
  • Amy Higgins (Lay Pastor) – To Clear Springs UMC-Fairview UMC (Denton)
  • Johnny Lord – To Good Hope (Lexington)
  • Melissa Lowe – To First UMC (Gastonia)
  • Ryan Mendenhall – To Shiloh UMC (Lexington)
  • Logan Miller – To Glen Alpine UMC
  • Donna Smith - To Mount Olivet (Lexington)
  • Joe Tarpley – To Skyland UMC (Asheville)
  • Earnest Watkins – To St. Luke’s UMC (Asheboro)
  • Mark Weekley – To Blair Road UMC (Mint Hill)
  • Brandon Wrencher - To Personal Leave

We rejoice that the following persons who are moving are not leaving our district. We are glad we get to keep you:

  • Steve Bergkamp – Remaining at Old Union UMC, adding New Salem UMC
  • Jason Boggs – Now serving full-time at First Liberty UMC-Bethany UMC (Liberty)
  • Andrew Brown – From Mount Pleasant UMC to Main Street UMC (Reidsville)
  • Garrett Collins – Adding Network Parish Associate to his appointment at Mayodan UMC
  • Daniel Han – From staff of Greensboro Korean UMC to Hopewell UMC Trinity
  • Tim James – From Hodgin Memorial UMC - Centenary UMC (Stoneville) to Center UMC
  • Matthew Johnson – Remaining at Glencoe, adding Fairgrove UMC (Reidsville)
  • Wanda Lancaster – Remaining at Gideon Grove - Palestine, adding Mt. Carmel UMC (Stokesdale)
  • Sharon Lee – Now serving Gethsemane UMC as a station church
  • Kirk LeJeune – From Covenant UMC HP to Pleasant Garden UMC
  • Nikki Raye Rice - To Morehead UMC - St. Timothy’s UMC Collaborative
  • Pat Spicer – From Extension Ministry to Matthews Chapel UMC -Centenary UMC (Stoneville)
  • Allan Van Meter – From Archdale UMC to Mount Pleasant UMC (Greensboro)
  • Craven Williams – From Covenant UMC HP to Bethany UMC - Flat Rock UMC

It is a joy to see many of these persons stepping out into new forms of ministry and adding additional ministries to their daily labors. We appreciate their deep commitment. It is always a joy to see clergy and laity move to their next levels of leadership.

We welcome the following clergy/laity who are joining us from other districts and conferences:

  • Jeremy Benton – To West Market Street Greensboro (Associate)
  • Carol Carkin - To Gibsonville UMC
  • Kim Foster – From Bethel AME to Bethel (Glenola) UMC - Liberty Grove UMC
  • Paul Freeman – To Lay Staff of Morehead UMC - St. Timothy’s UMC Collaborative
  • Andrew Huff – To Lay Staff of Covenant UMC High Point
  • Mike Lee – To Archdale UMC
  • Ellen Spruill – To Midway UMC - Chapel Hill UMC (Reidsville)
  • Kim Troy-Richardson – To St. Johns UMC (Greensboro)
  • Rich Tuttle – To Fairfield UMC

We also give thanks for the ministries of the Good Neighbor Movement and Hodgin Memorial UMC, which closed this year. We also thank Debra Turner and Lisa Johnston for their service as they conclude their ministries this season.

Please join me in expressing appreciation to all these persons. We are grateful for our connection. Thanks also to the Missional Network Leaders who will welcome them this week, and to all who will bring them into the fold of ministry here. Blest be the tie that binds.

Gratefully,
Rev. Bev Coppley
District Superintendent

A Season of Transitions