Greetings to you in the name of the Lord. We are grateful to be assigned to serve the Ohio Episcopal Area as your new bishop. We are thankful for the grace of God who has accomplished great mission work through the faithful annual conferences of East and West Ohio. It is with great joy that we have been called at a time when the two annual conferences are now united and working together in solidarity. It is God who opened the way for us to achieve divine kingdom anew at this point of change, so we can learn God’s dream and directions together and build a faithful United Methodist Church.
We look forward to the work of the Holy Spirit as we pray with all of you who have worked hard. Since the last General Conference, we have been opening the door to great missions through the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit. We are at a point where everyone can become beloved children without discrimination and continue to achieve salvation and transformation. We resolve to overcome difficulties, restore the impactful role of the church in hope, heal the wounds we have received, and live as one big family in Christ.
We are humbled and thrilled to serve amongst you. May we ask for your prayers in this transition time. We are grateful to the sacrificial and vital leadership of Bishop Tracy S. Malone and Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, who are passing the mantle to us.
We will listen to your stories! We will learn about Ohio, a great state! My wife, Rev. Im Jung. and I will join you with simple obedient hearts to this great task. We believe God’s bountiful blessings! Thank you for your love to The UMC.
“The beauty of The United Methodist is that God takes such a vessel and uses it to transform lives, to change lives, and to grow people like me into faithful followers of Jesus Christ,” said Rev. Bruce Hitchcock, Northern Waters District superintendent. “It’s a beautiful thing to be part of The United Methodist Church.”
He is one of many people in the EOC who’ve shared how The UMC has transformed their lives. To schedule a time to record your story, e-mail Brett Hetherington.
View #BeUMC stories & the EOC #BeUMC website.
Our EOC podcast, Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation, explores what it means to #BeUMC.
Episode 43 is titled “Influence, Connection & Impact: Investing in Our Future Through Reading”. This episode features a conversation about the SHINE reading program partnership between Henrietta UMC and Firelands Elementary School. Through this mentoring ministry, church volunteers Support, Help, Inspire, Nurture, and Empower the first-grade students with whom they read once a week.
The Board of Missions encourages laity and clergy to learn about and support three new Advance Specials approved by Annual Conference 2024.
All In Community (EOC Fund 9984) engages churches, criminal justice professionals, and communities to restore hope and support healing during and following lived experiences with the criminal justice system. Begun as a West Ohio Conference ministry, and now an East Ohio Conference partnership, All In Community prepares and positions those involved to be in ministry with criminal justice-involved persons because they feel called to enact the teachings of Matthew 25 and/or because life circumstances require their caring response. Learn about and support All In Community.
Lift Her Up (EOC Fund 9168) is raising money for scholarships to empower female students in a Zimbabwe refugee camp who have been accepted to Africa University to be able to enroll at the Pan-African United Methodist-related institution of higher learning. Learn about and support Lift Her Up.
Royal Family KIDS Camp (EOC Fund 9965), part of the For The Children national program, is a week-long residential camp for abused and neglected children who are often part of the foster care system. The East Ohio Conference currently offers Royal Family KIDS Camps sponsored by Northampton UMC, Willoughby Hills UMC, and Strongsville UMC. The camps are a place of safety, love, and hope, and share financial donations. Learn about and support Royal Family KIDS Camp.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2024: The theme for the 55th session of East Ohio Annual Conference was “Faith Hope Love”. The services and sessions of the three days of Holy Conferencing were grounded in the prophetic promise recorded in Isaiah 40:31 (NIV). Read the AC 2024 recap.
GENERAL CONFERENCE: The top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church met April 23-May 3, 2024, for the postponed 2020 General Conference. Read about approved legislation and view videos from the worldwide gathering. View and download the GC summary resource.
WORLDWIDE REGIONALIZATION LEGISLATION: Will create relevance and equity across The UMC by enabling all regions of the Church to implement mission and ministry in the most effective ways for their context and culture. Must be approved by two-thirds aggregate votes of AC 2025. Learn more.
EOC STANDS AGAINST RACISM: Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, the Cabinet, Executive staff, and East Ohio laity and clergy are committed to stand against racism. Visit the Stand Against Racism resource page for small group studies, videos, podcasts, books, and more to learn how you can stand against racism.
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