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BISHOP'S OFFICE

Core Values of Appointment Making by the East Ohio Conference Cabinet

We, the Cabinet of the East Ohio Annual Conference, remain convinced that we have abundant resources, a compelling mission, a meaningful legacy, and a bright future that continues to be discovered. There is no more strategic resource at our disposal than creating a missional match of pastoral gifts and congregational needs and aspirations for vital and effective ministry. With this reality ever present, we strive to make transformative appointments for the empowerment of local congregations and for the overall mission that we share “to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

In recognizing the weight of our decisions and their impact upon everyone involved, we strive to be guided by the Holy Spirit, common sense, larger missional strategy, and the forms and materials produced annually by each church, pastor, and district superintendent.

It states in ¶ 202 of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2016 that, “The local church is a strategic base from which Christians move out to the structures of society.” Therefore, enhancing and strengthening the ministry of the local church is of paramount importance for the overall mission of the Church. In our ministry of supervision it is our responsibility to appoint gifted pastors to serve local churches within our East Ohio Conference.

Each year there are pastoral moves. These are due to retirements, seminary graduation, growth in the church, or strategic needs in another congregation. Many circumstances can lead to the reappointment of a pastor and our ongoing consultation with the Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) assists our understanding of the needs, potential, and effectiveness of a pastoral appointment.

Whenever the Cabinet gathers to engage in appointment-making we begin with worship, prayer, and communion. Throughout the day, we pray often to lift up the specific congregation we are discussing and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we identify and evaluate potential pastoral leaders to serve there. Honest and seeking prayer undergirds every pastoral appointment.

Our discussions begin with the stated missional needs of the local congregation, which are identified through: our consultation process, the annual charge conference reports, and our individual impressions of the congregation. The input of every member of the Cabinet is valued as we identify, lift up, and evaluate the names of potential pastors to bring about the best possible match with the church. In doing so, we consider the entire pool of available clergy, including those appointed beyond the local church, those who may be seeking to relocate to this area from another annual conference, graduating seminary students, and local pastors who have the needed gifts and abilities.

Pastors are appointed to serve for one year at a time. Annually, each pastor and the congregation they currently serve are assessed to evaluate the missional needs, fruitfulness of ministry, and the potential for the continued match in the coming year. Understanding that there is neither a minimum nor maximum number of years that a pastor may serve in any appointment, it is our shared responsibility to ensure that the appointment: is fruitful in reaching new people, making disciples, and maturing the faith of those within the congregation and those in the wider community; and is engaging in effective mission and outreach.

As a Cabinet, we affirm our commitment to be bold and courageous in our ministry of appointment-making. Any pastor can be appointed to any church regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, physical ability, or any other dimension of their personhood. In addition, it needs to be noted that a new appointment does not always mean an increase in salary. At times a reduction in salary may be necessary to appoint the pastor who will be the best relational match with the local congregation. We recognize that this is a difficult reality for our pastoral families but our commitment to create good pastoral and congregational matches is our highest priority.

To God be the glory.

The East Ohio Conference Cabinet

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2023 Appointments/Changes of Status

Bishop Tracy S. Malone announces the following clergy appointments and/or changes of status
which, unless otherwise noted, are effective July 1, 2023.

Districts: (CN) Canal · (FL) Firelands · (MO) Mid-Ohio · (MV) Mahoning Valley · (NC) North Coast · (OV) Ohio Valley 
(SH) Southern Hills · (TR) Three Rivers · (TW) Tuscarawas · (WR) Western Reserve

2022-2023 Appointments
Pastor	Appointment	District	Effective
Abby Auman	Strongsville UMC	NC
Norma Bates	Charlestown UMC	CN	10/23/22
Peggy Garner	Minerva UMC	TW	9/1/22
Karen Goss	East Liverpool First UMC	MV	1/1/23
Nathan Howe	Kent UMC	CN
Allison LeBrun	Boardman UMC	MV
Tim Morrison	Chaplain, University of Mount Union	TW	9/1/22
David Rinkes	Pleasant Grove, Tippecanoe & Londonderry UMCs	SH	8/1/22
Shannon Sampson	Boundary Cooperative (Bayard, Carroll County Mt. Zion, Carroll County Pleasant Grove, East Rochester & New Franklin UMCs)	TW	1/1/23
Donald Smith	Woodland Park & Girard First UMCs	MV	1/1/23
Sondra Snode	Fields UMC	NC
Rebecca Stephens	Bucyrus UMC, co-lead pastor	MO
Victoria Troutman	Cardington Circuit: Center & Fairview UMCs	MO	9/1/22
Christine Ulman	Boundary Cooperative (Bayard, Carroll County Mt. Zion, Carroll County Pleasant Grove, East Rochester & New Franklin UMCs)	TW	1/1/23
Scott Walsh	Willoughby Hills UMC	WR

2022-2023 Retirements
Pastor	Retiring From	District	Effective
Gail Angel	Fredericktown UMC	TR	6/30/23
Josh Arrington	Collins and West Hartland UMCs	FL	6/30/23
Dogba Bass	Aldersgate UMC	NC	6/30/23
Max Beery	Willoughby Hills UMC	WR	6/30/23
Diane Bell	Milan Edison Memorial & Sandusky Trinity UMCs	FL	6/30/23
Layton Broome	Hayesville & Lakefork UMCs	MO	6/30/23
Mollie Brown	Westlake UMC	NC	6/30/23
David Cann	Oberlin Rust & Oberlin First UMCs	FL	6/30/23
Kevin Coleman	Community UMC	NC	6/30/23
Marilyn Coney	Tiffin Faith UMC	FL	6/30/23
Michael Corwin	Bucyrus UMC	MO	6/30/23
Lee Cubie	Mt. Vernon Hopewell UMC	TR	1/1/23
James Ellis	Brighton, Nova & Rochester UMCs	FL	6/30/23
Kenneth Gifford	Poland & Youngstown Trinity UMCs	MV	6/30/23
Thomas Joyce	Fields UMC	NC	6/30/23
Jerry Krueger	Boardman First UMC	MV	6/30/23
Teresa Krueger	Ohltown UMC	MV	6/30/23
David R. Miller	North Bloomfield & Orwell UMCs	WR	7/1/22
Brian Oglesbee	Norwalk First UMC	FL	6/30/23
David Palmer	Kent First UMC	CN	6/30/23
David Scavuzzo	Strongsville UMC	NC	6/30/23
T. Mark Slay	Kennonsburg UMC	SH	6/30/23
David J. Smith	Johnsville Grace & Steam Corners UMCs	MO	6/30/23
Steven M. Smith	Cambridge Christ UMC	SH	6/30/23
Ruth Trigg	Rittman UMC	CN	6/30/23

2022-2023 Concluding Ministries
Concluding Ministries denotes those clergy retiring from an appointment they accepted after having previously retired; and retiring Local Pastors who have either not completed the five-year Course of Study or have not served 10 years of service without interruption as an Episcopal-appointed Local Pastor.
Pastor	Concluding From	District	Effective
Frank Zugaro	Charlestown UMC	TW	9/30/22
Michael Padula	Tiffin Harmony UMC	FL	1/1/23
Raymond Robert Miller	East Palestine Centenary UMC	MV	1/1/23