God has richly blessed our conference with faithful and committed lay persons. Our laity through our churches form a powerful witness of God’s grace and God’s call on the lives of all people.
At the 2020 Susquehanna Annual Conference, held virtually on October 3, Joyce Davis was elected as our new Annual Conference Lay Leader. Joyce brings immense skills, experience, and passion to her new role.
Joyce comes to the ministry of Annual Conference Lay Leader with a long resume in journalism, broadcasting, and media relations. She has served as director of communications for two Harrisburg mayors.
Prior to her moving to Harrisburg, Joyce was a distinguished reporter. While in college, Joyce worked for New Orleans Times-Piscayune. She worked there for 18 years as a reporter. Joyce also served as the Middle East foreign editor for National Public Radio as well as senior foreign editor, deputy foreign editor and director of news staffing for NPR. In 2003 Davis became the associate director of broadcasting for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague, Czech Republic. While there, she supervised radio and internet services to Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the countries of Central Asia.
Joyce is the founder of The World Affairs Council of Harrisburg. This is the first regional affiliate of a larger program aimed at education of Americans on international affairs and promoting an appreciation for cultural diversity and global awareness.
As a committed disciple of Jesus Christ, Joyce cares deeply for the Church and for all people. She is an active member of The Journey, a new United Methodist Church in Harrisburg. Her husband, Russell Goodman, is a local pastor in the Susquehanna Conference.
I would like to give a special thank you to John Konieczny who served wisely and faithfully as the Conference Lay Leader for the past eight years. As an active member of the full cabinet, John was an inspiration and a guiding voice, especially in support of our laity and their partnership in ministry with our clergy.
John has brought great skills to the Cabinet table. With his background in Human Resources, John was instrumental in working with others as the personnel policies for the conference office were rewritten. He was invaluable in providing support and guidance to make sure the policies were consistent and in line with governmental regulations.
John also distinguished himself in the larger church. He was elected as the Chair of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Lay Leaders Association. As Chair, John also served on the Vision Table of the Jurisdiction.
Thank you, John, for your service to the Cabinet, to our Annual conference, to the wider church, and to me. Thanks be to God for John’s gifts and graces of leadership. John’s wife, Diane, is actively involved in ministry at their local church and the conference.
I am grateful to both John and Joyce for their willingness to serve. We are so privileged to serve our beloved church together because of God’s faithfulness in raising servant leaders among us.
Thanks and praises be to God!
In Ministry with You,
Jeremiah J. Park
