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BISHOP'S OFFICE

Dear Clergy and Laity of the East Ohio Conference,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

The Fall season is one of the busiest seasons in the life of the local church. Pastors and churches are preparing for their annual church conferences and completing their year-end reports. Pastors are planning for sermons and special worship services for the Advent and Christmas season. And families are making plans to spend quality time together.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I invite us to focus our thoughts on giving praise to God for the joy and blessings in our lives for which we are thankful. As we move towards Advent and Christmas, I encourage us to give our undivided attention to celebrating and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus coming into the world and into our lives to love, to save, to heal, to reconcile and to make all things new.

From November 20, 2022 - January 1, 2023, I am calling for a respite. During this time, all meetings and conversations related to matters of disaffiliation should be paused, not to be resumed until after New Year’s Day.

My prayer is that this sacred time will allow all of us space to breathe and refocus, and to place our attention on where it needs to be during this Holy Season.

Now “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”  Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)

Peace and Blessings,

Bishop Tracy S. Malone