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Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Remembering Our Heritage
Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist
September – 100 years ago
At the annual session of the Central New York Conference beginning September 26, 1923, the superintendent of the Elmira District, which included much of Tioga and Bradford Counties, discussed the dire situation of Pennsylvania’s rural churches by saying his district “extends into a state in which 300,000 acres of land lie idle” with “9000 vacant farms.” He added that “Rutland asks to be united with Mainesburg and Elk Run” and “what is left of the Terrytown charge asks to become a part of New Albany and Overton.”
In addition to sometime appointments in school houses and halls, the Rutland charge (Tioga County) included 4 church buildings [Austinville, Lawrence Corners, Roseville, South Rutland] and a parsonage, while the Terrytown charge (Bradford County) included 3 church buildings [Hollenback, New Era, Terrytown] and a parsonage. Details about each of these appointments, whether discontinued or still active, is available at the conference archives and on archives portion of the conference website.
October – 50 years ago
Sunday, October 28, 1973, was the date for two unique music-oriented celebrations in the southern part of the conference.
The Sunday morning service at York Aldersgate was an Interaction Worship Service planned and presented by the youth of the church. A capacity congregation actively involved themselves in the gathering that featured the Aldersgate Youth Singers and the Lycoming College Concert Band. The service began with the youth of the church and the band participating in the opening processional “The March for Peace”. The youth shared various messages and the vocal and instrumental selections were “distinctly musical messages of depth and feeling.”
Sunday evening almost 1,000 persons attended a 90 minute program of singing and celebration at Faust Junior High School in Chambersburg. The event was organized by five area United Methodist pastors and featured several local groups: “The Joyful Noise” and “The Faith and Hope Singers” of Chambersburg, “The New Life Singers” from Walnut Bottom, and a group of ministers’ wives known as “Peace, Love and Joy Singers.” Inspiration for the event came from an evening of musical celebration at that year’s annual conference featuring some of those groups.
Discovery Place: Discovering a New Path Forward
As the Discovery Place evolves into a new stage of fruitful use, we are working to evaluate resources and make sure that what we offer back to you is helpful for your growth and development as our Conference vision statement mandates: to grow spiritual transformational leaders, equip vital congregations and create new places for new people, and connect with each other and the world so that alive in Christ together, the Susquehanna Conference will embody the beloved community of disciple-making congregations.
In the months to come, please use the Discovery Place website catalog (www.rqmweb.com/search.asp?q=susumc) to find interesting resources for Bible study, small group study, and training resources for your local ministry. There are three ways to search: by key words, title, or author. It is acceptable to borrow resources for preview. As always, you can have resources mailed or, if you are in the neighborhood, pick them up at the Conference Office – 303 Mulberry Dr, Mechanicsburg, 17050. Connie Waggoner, our receptionist, will be happy to see you and connect you with your ordered resources.
Contact Kim Shockley – kshockley@susumc.org – if you want to browse through the resources that are being deleted from active service. These resources are being deleted because they are not used well, are in a format that is not easily usable (VHS), or have simply aged out.
Thanks for your continued support of Discovery Place!
Discovery Place Resource Center
303 Mulberry Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050717-766-7968
email discovery@susumc.org
web www.discovery-place.org
Mission Central
Thank you, Susquehanna Conference of The United Methodist Church!
We are incredibly grateful for your support. We appreciate your financial donations, material donations and ongoing commitment to volunteering at Mission Central.
We are incredibly grateful for our faithful volunteers, whether you are here every week or once in a while or work remotely, you are making a huge difference. We are incredibly thankful for our donors—material and financial. The in-kind goods from corporations and manufacturers allows us to partner to connect God’s resources with human need. The material donations allow us to improve the lives of others. Our financial donors allow our warehouse to run smoothly and assist in paying down our mortgage. We are so grateful to have churches, businesses, foundation, organizations, individuals and others contributing in this way.
Thank you to the partners who work with us, in-house and not, to ensure that the goods we receive are distributed to those in need. You allow us to expand our reach. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. You are helping us to drive this critical mission of “connecting God’s resources with human need.” Thank you for making a difference! Please continue to support Mission Central in any (and every!) way that you can.
As we move forward, here are some ways you can get involved:
- Volunteer – just email us at volunteer@missioncentral.org to get involved!
- Join our Mission Fare, September 28 at Buhrig’s Gathering Place – for details, go to www.missioncentral.org.
- Bid in our October online auction – follow Facebook for additional details.
- Collect kits and kit supplies – they go a long way in helping others. Right now, we are collecting school supplies (rulers, pens, pencils and paper) as well as laundry detergent and deodorant.
- Give financially – every dollar assists someone in need.
Thank you for your support!
Commentary: In the Master's Hands
Douglas Hoy, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator
I remember attending the Pennsylvania Farm Show a few years ago and viewing the butter sculpture on display in the Main Hall. I was always amazed at how much time and effort went into creating these dairy displays. The sculpture for the 2023 annual show took fourteen days to create and the sculptors spent that time creating their masterpiece in an enclosure cooled to a temperature between 50 and 60 degrees. It’s quite a contrast to the artists at outdoor festivals whom I’ve watched create ice or wood sculptures in a fraction of that time, in very different conditions, using some very rudimentary tools. In both instances, the result was a wonderful piece of art.
God works in much the same way. Sometimes it takes Him years to sculpt us into a masterpiece. He pulls away the layers slowly and methodically to give us our spiritual shape. Other times, He is very capable of transforming our lives overnight. The environments in which He finds us can be varied. Yet, like the sculptor, God knows exactly what His design plans are and creates us with purpose. In His time and through His effort, we are individually handcrafted and uniquely made.
And, Isaiah 64:8 reinforces this. “But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.”
As God works in us, we need to be open to His guiding and leading. And, like the clay used by the potter, we need to have some water…Living Water…to make us pliable and shape-able. We also need to be centered on the Master Potter’s wheel, spending time in scripture so we don’t start to wobble and crumble when life starts to turn.
Did you know that, after the Farm Show is over, the butter from the sculptures is recycled…used for another purpose? These works of art, and others like them at fairs across the nation, are used to produce soap, animal feed, tires, and renewable energy. We, as God’s masterpieces, are transformed from our old lives into something new that is not intended to just sit on a pedestal. He created us for a purpose.
In her article “The Potter and the Clay – Bible Lessons on How God Molds Us,” Diane Shirlaw-Ferreira explains that God is a very skilled potter. “He took a shepherd boy and molded him into a King. He took a grumbling fisherman and molded him a leader of the Church. He took a Hebrew who was ‘dull of speech’ and molded him into the leader of a nation. And most of all, He molded Himself into human form, the form of an infant, a baby lying in hay in a manger; to set the captives free; to give us eternal salvation!”
Imagine yourself as a lump of clay, sitting on the table, and allowing God to transform you—making you into His masterpiece. What is He preparing you for? Is it a children’s ministry in your church? Are you being shaped to share your musical talents during worship? Or, maybe you are being sculpted to be a caring, Christian presence in someone’s life as they recover from a disaster in their life. Whatever it is, remember, you are God’s masterpiece. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10). Your heart, body, and mind were formed and shaped into something He can use for His glory. And, you were “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) to accomplish His plan in your daily life.
Disaster Response Coordinator
Email: drc@susumc.org
Phone: 717-766-7441, ext. 3402
Website: www.susmb.org
Facebook: @SUSDisasterResponse
Twitter: @UMCDisasterResp
Weaver, Little League “Uncle” for 24 Years
For the past 24 years, Conference Superintendent Rev. Dr. Gary Weaver has been an “uncle,” or host for the Little League World Series held in South Williamsport every August.
This year stood out for an “excited and humbled” Weaver as he and his host partner Doug Alexander cared for the first Cuban team to play in the series, which has run for 76 years.
Assigned by a random draw, volunteer “uncles” are assigned to teams to help them get to practices and games on time, arrange for uniform fittings, help coordinate media interactions, and help facilitate other daily tasks.
With the help of interpreters—the team members spoke Spanish—Weaver and Alexander got to know each of the Cuban players and managers on a personal level, and formed ties that will last far beyond their time together.
Letters to the Church
Following is an edited version of the 2023 Susquehanna Conference Memorial Service message by Rev. Catherine E. Boileau. You can view a video of the service here. Rev. Boileau’s message begins at 30:40.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6
You know those moments.
I went back in and my dad motioned [with a slight wave] and I didn’t understand what he was trying to say. I reached into my bag for my pen and my journal and handed it to him and he wrote, “Bye-bye”. I said to my dad that I didn’t understand why he wrote that and he wrote that he’d heard everything the doctor said. Oh Dad.
And so we sat for [who knows] how long in that sacred space, what the Celts call those thin spaces where eternity and mortality all come together, a space they say where God is only three feet away.
You know those spaces.
Times seems to stand still, even while the clock is ticking. So we sat in that holy space. Finally, he motioned for the pen and the journal and not knowing what to expect now from him—but we lean in don’t we? We want to hear every word because we know they’re gifts—my engineer, pragmatic father wrote these words, “So, don’t forget to cancel the bank card.” Oh, Dad!
Now lest you think that my dad had thousands or millions of dollars to protect, that’s not the case. Or that his checking account was most important to him, that was also not the case. Throughout that morning he wrote countless notes to me and to the family, notes of caring. To his dying breath he was concerned about his wife of 62 years, my mother. “Have your mother sit down, her hips won’t take it.”
When we were sharing together in casual conversation, waiting for the doctors to come, and said how cold the room was, dad wrote, “If you’re cold, go buy yourself a sweatshirt.” When the doctors or the chaplains or anyone came in the room that morning, Dad would [tell me] the stories to share—and they were all about the grandchildren. “Tell the doctor about Jonah and the lamp,” “Tell the chaplain about Ron and his girls.”
But maybe most precious to me was when I said, “Dad, should I call your pastor now?” And he wrote, “Yes, mom will need him eventually, but you’re my pastor.” Oh dad.
Isn’t it amazing how God gives us the capability to shape each other through letters and words and they land right in our heart and in our spirit? Those letters stay with me, of course, and they became words of hope for the family, who could not because of COVID get there to say their goodbyes. To tell the grandchildren that even though grandpa was on the respirator he wanted stories told about them, because they were his precious joy, and he was thinking about them in those moments.
And when [the doctors] came to remove the respirator, and everybody had left but I stayed with him, he made the sign of the cross and said, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” Oh Dad.
Dad survived six more days, struggling for his breath all the way through. But still enough breath to send us to the bakery for his favorite cheese Danish because the hospital one wouldn’t do. He was still my dad. When I thought about the letter about the bank card, I realized it wasn’t as much about his checking account, as it was about his faith. And that in a moment such as that, when he knew the hours were coming to an end, he had no fear. He didn’t need to panic or wrestle. He knew in Whom he believed, and he knew that One was trustworthy.
To the families that we invited into this thin space, who by coming [to the Memorial Service] were so gracious to invite us into theirs: We know that you know the thin spaces. Those places where eternity and our regular day-to-day intermix and are interwoven. In the thin places, God writes his word also in our heart and meets us in those moments, because God is faithful. Because precious in the eyes of the Lord are the deaths of his saints.
The Apostle Paul was a great writer of letters. They were sharp and focused and, like my dad’s notes, sometimes there’s little pieces that are just for certain people and we’re quite left wondering. But there was aways an urgency and a desire to get to what was most important. I thought about that. Maybe it’s because Paul spent most of his ministry in the thin spaces. Shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, left for dead, accused, beaten again, and imprisoned... Paul spent most of his ministry facing the thin spaces. In the thin spaces, we tend to tune in to what is most important. In the thin spaces, we don’t spend a lot of time and energy and emotion on those things that don’t really matter.
So Paul writes a letter to one of his beloved congregations, the letter we know as I Corinthians. It’s full of passages we quote, I Corinthians 13, “Love is patient. Love is kind.” But it also has a sharp edge on some parts of the Corinthian church’s life—where there were some variances. Understandably so, when the Corinthians received the letter from their church planter, beloved pastor, there was some push-back.
Have you ever noticed when you tell the truth, that not everybody is glad to hear it. Can I get a witness?
And so there is some push-back and as often happens, if you’re the one delivering the truth, then sometimes people will want to discredit you, discount you. They’re not sure Paul’s as good a preacher as Apollos. In this [second] letter when he responds after they’ve expressed their sadness at causing Paul the angst, it seems there’s still a question about his credentials. Who is [Paul] to come before them or send this letter about them to tell them about their life? Where are his letters of recommendation?
What matters most in ministry—Paul is writing to the Corinthians and to us—is this, it doesn’t make a difference how in the end, in the thin spaces, it doesn’t matter how many degrees I have, or how many accolades I have, or how impressive my LinkedIn profile is, or how many followers I have on social media. It doesn’t even matter the size of my church, or the salary that I make, because at the end of the day, in the thin spaces, what Jesus will remember, will pay attention to, are the words we spoke, the letters we wrote, to people in our life. It’s a bold statement by Paul. The test of my life, whether or not I’ve been fruitful and effective, at the end of the day will be what I invested in the hearts and souls of people.
Ministry is all about people. The goal of everything we do in the church of Jesus Christ is to plant the Gospel seed in the hearts and souls of humankind and to demonstrate the power of the Kingdom in the accompanying justice and mercy ministries. People matter to God, so they have to matter to us.
My husband and I spend seven years in urban neighborhoods in the former South Jersey Conference before we moved back to Susquehanna [Conference]. We worked with 8-12 year olds and at that time, Camden, N.J., was second in gang activity only to east Los Angeles. One night we were with one of our beloved campers, Jurell, and his single mom, Linda. My husband took Jurell out for a walk and talk. I sat in Linda’s little bungalow, sitting on a junkyard, and it was spotless. And she poured out all the things in her life that were challenges to her as a single mom raising this beautiful boy, her son. Being affluent and white and from the suburbs I asked, “Do you have a case worked or case manager who could help you?” Linda got up, left the room and came back with the Bible that we had given Jurell at camp, and she said, “I don’t need any more social workers. What I need is for you to tell me about this Jesus that you told Jurell about.”
Church have you ever noticed —if we’re paying attention—that oftentimes those we go to serve are in fact writing letters in our heart? Those we go to serve often become—if we are paying attention—our teachers, imprinting our lives. Maybe if were talking about being new and improved, we can renew our covenant, our passion, to remember that our ministry is about writing letters through the Spirit of God, scribing the Gospel, so the world can read in us the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When your church looks at you, what letter are they reading about God? What you’re posting, and what you’re sharing, and what you’re saying, and how you’re navigating conflicts—what letter is the world reading about God?
As I shared, my dad survived six more days after the respirator was removed, and he amazed me. I realized, as I thought about it, that he had no reason to rush or to cram things in because he had been prepared by the church for this moment all his life. My dad was baptized Dutch Reformed, but he married into the Methodist tribe. As he spent most of his adult life in the Methodist Episcopal Church then United Methodist Church, I realized that everything the church was doing and that he was participating in was preparing him for that moment. Because, we are in the business of forming people. Every time his pastors prayed the simple prayer over communion, making the bread and juice to be the body and blood of Christ and then also praying for the Spirit to come on the church so we can become the body of Christ, redeemed by His blood, that prayer was being answered in my dad and he was being formed in the eternal, living Christ. Every time he went to a church meeting, even when things went wrong and there was conflict, he worked through the conflict and the day didn’t end, and the sky didn’t fall, and they ended up working through it and moving on in Jesus’ name. Even with disagreements, my dad was being formed by you, the church, in Jesus Christ. The anthems that he sang in the choir. When he took Disciple Bible Study he became a disciple, so much so that he taught Disciple Bible Study for 25 years. My dad was being formed by the church of Jesus Christ.
He said, “For my memorial service you might look in the back of my Bible, there’s some verses.” It turned out there were 86 of them. And not just, “‘I go to prepare a place for you,’ says Jesus,” but about Jesus and the Sadducees, and why we knew the resurrection was the resurrection. Or Job who said ‘when this body fails, yet I shall see God, because I know that my redeemer liveth.’ (Job 19:25-26) Dad knew that Jesus didn’t just offer us resurrection, Jesus is the resurrection and the life. My dad knew because the church were letter writers—not perfect—but none-the-less the Spirit was using the church to write the Gospel seed into my dad’s heart and soul.
So I’m forever grateful.
To those of you who are family members ...we give thanks of a grateful church, as your clergy father or mother or spouse, spouse of a clergy, or lay members were all instrumental in writing through the Spirit of God the eternal Gospel into the hearts and souls of people like my dad. [We give thanks] for the clergy who preached and for the spouses who served, who whispered words of encouragement, or said, “I’ll take the kids, go…” and modeled what servanthood looked like. They believed in a kingdom they could not see and they believed that “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.” So, we as a church say thank you for sharing them with us, for what they did, how they lived. It matters. And not only we remember, Jesus remembers. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that even the small things they did as a lifestyle witness, Jesus took notice of. “I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was hungry and you fed me. I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you did not forget me.” We give thanks to them, and to you for sharing them and we remember them. The promise for them is secure. The same God that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us.
Carlisle VIM Journeys to Dresden, TN
By Eric Sands
This year, Carlisle UMC resumed its mission work which had been on pause since February 2020. The following month, COVID-19 closed down businesses, schools and churches throughout the United States and the world. Little did we know it would be three years before we would again head back out to serve as Jesus commanded. Natural disasters continued to occur, but with the virus presenting variant after variant, few churches felt that the circumstances allowed for safe participation.
In February and June of 2023, our church ventured back into the mission field heading into Western Tennessee and Kentucky to assist with the local Volunteers in Mission/UMCOR to work on homes damaged by the December 2021 “Mayfield” tornadoes. After three years of waiting to get back into the field, we believe we were blessed as much as, or more than, the families we served.
On the way, we worshiped with Brentwood UMC in Brentwood, Tennessee. Worshiping with a different group of Christians was a powerful experience. We found that we heard and felt more of the worship experience. Often, when we worship in our home church, we sit in the same seats, talk to the same people, sing familiar songs, and listen to a familiar pastor’s voice. Worshiping differently with our mission team gave us comfort in being amongst friends and allowed us to both experience God in different ways and better appreciate our own church.
As we prepared for work each morning, team members used the time as an opportunity to connect on a deeper level with smaller groups of people. These interactions differed from our normal church activities because it continuously built day after day. Though this continued throughout the day, once we arrived at the work site(s), the focus shifted to the family(s) we served.
Over the week, our team served three families repairing varying amounts and types of damage. We worked on putting the finishing touches on a house that had been completely destroyed, repaired damage to wiring, ceilings, and cleaned, sealed and painted two rooms and repaired water damage, holes in walls, and painted some more.
The team was blessed to spend time with each of the owners in different ways. We found common interests, listened to stories of young and old, played with children and cheered them on as they showed off their roller blading/bike tricks, and we received notes of thanks and encouragement each day from one owner. As is often the case when we go out and help our neighbors, we are often the ones that learn and grow the most. We felt God working in their lives and ours.
Photos courtesy of Eric Sands
Calvary Harrisburg Youth VIM Journey
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By Lauren Bell, Calvary UMC Youth Group
In June, youth from Calvary UMC in Harrisburg went on a four-day woodsy retreat to Wesley Forest Camp and Retreat Center in Weikert, Pa. Previously, we would use trips to Wesley Forest as an escape from parents and school or as an opportunity to connect with nature, build friendships, and be closer to God.
This past winter, Wesley Forest experienced a terrible storm which uprooted trees and left the camp in disarray. To ensure the safety of the summer campers and restore Wesley Forest to its former glory, we spent our retreat time helping to clean up and learning the importance of caring for the Earth.
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Among the many jobs we completed were extensive yard work around Penns Creek Lodge, removing tree branches and other foliage from paths, and planting flowers around the entrance sign. We ensured that summer campers had clean facilities, like bathhouses and the craft cabin, and safe trails to explore the camp and experience the beauty of nature that surrounds them.
We worked together on large projects helping build teamwork and strong connections with one another. When everyone relied on one another to accomplish a goal, friendship and understanding blossomed, and inside jokes abounded.
All this hard work could not have been accomplished without the different skills found within each youth. From one’s knowledge of landscaping, to another’s understanding of gardening, as well as compassion, hard work, high energy, and an obsession with a leaf blower, job after job was completed beyond expectations.
You may be wondering, “All this hard work seems exhausting and unfair for the kids”. Well, we found time to enjoy some fun, playing 9-square, spoons, gaga ball, and other games, as well as Bible study and, oh yeah, even a trip into town for ice cream!
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Every challenge, obstacle, or job was completed and overcome through hard work and determination from the youth and loving donations from friends, family, and other members of our church. The youth can honestly say that they had a blast and are looking forward to when they can do it all again.
Calvary’s youth would like to thank Volunteers In Mission (VIM) for helping to organize the trip and the projects. And another thank you to the staff at Wesley Forest for hosting us. We’ll be back in the spring!
One Matters Award: Trinity UMC, Bellefonte
Every year, Discipleship Ministries partners with annual conferences by offering the One Matters Award (OMA) to one eligible congregation at each annual conference. At the 2023 Susquehanna Annual Conference, the One Matters Award was given to one church in each of our districts.
Trinity UMC, Bellefonte
Pastor Doug Conway
The One Matters Award for State College district was given to Trinity UMC in Bellefonte. Trinity Bellefonte’s approach to making disciples for Jesus Christ is all about Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
One of Trinity’s goals is to feed as many people as they can, as often as they can, and give every person a place to belong and be accepted.
The sharing of food for the physical body often leads to many opportunities for the sharing of Spiritual food.
- Each Wednesday evening a hot meal is offered. Participants can eat in but the church also arranges for pick up and delivery. An invitation is extended to everyone to the informal Wednesday evening worship. Called “The Gathering.” Trinity currently serves approximately 80 meals and served more than 3,800 meals in 2022.
- Tuesday and Thursday mornings is the Drop-in Centre – The church provides coffee, pastry, and breakfast sandwiches twice per week. It’s a time when people can come in, sit and enjoy the company of others.
- Prayer Breakfast – On the last Saturday of each month, Trinity serves a prayer breakfast, open to all.
- Dinners are provided for Thanksgiving and New Years Day. There are also Thanksgiving food baskets and a Christmas toy distribution.
Trinity focuses on the immediate needs of people, so there is the opportunity to develop friendships and relationships. In time, the relationships that are built at Trinity enable them to make disciples for Jesus Christ and to tell the Gospel story, encourage believers and nurture servants and future church leaders.
Working together with other churches in the community, regardless of denomination or affiliation, has allowed Trinity to expand their service of outreach to those who seek companionship and a place to belong; many walk through the church doors, that otherwise might not ever consider it. When they do, Trinity is able to extend the love of God, which is the starting point on the journey to the gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ.
Trinity has experienced that the more the doors are open the more people come in. Being open 6 days a week and sometimes 7, enables Trinity to make great in-roads into the community.
Hearts for the Homeless
Trinity Bellefonte’s growing food programs have [revealed the] need for a homeless assistance program in the Bellefonte community. The congregation of Trinity is committed to being a leader in addressing the issue. On April 7, 2023, for a 24-hour period, Trinity Bellefonte hosted its first Hearts for the Homeless Challenge to raise both awareness and funds for their ministry to:
- Meet the immediate needs of those who find themselves homeless in our Bellefonte community and
- Seek a more consistent and permanent assistance program for them.
Trinity UMC meets people where they are and addresses immediate needs. God works in amazing ways when we allow God to lead. In 2023, Trinity added 8 new members and celebrated 2 baptisms, not to mention the countless new relationships that are being fostered.
By Rev. Brenda Leigey, Conference Superintendent
Camp & Retreat Ministry Announces New Director for Wesley Forest
Originally from Southwest Virginia, Fugate is a Pennsylvania transplant by way of New Jersey, pursuing her Master of Divinity at Drew Theological School of Drew University. As a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, she has discovered a passion for building relationships with others through her 10+ years of experience in several different ministry areas including worship/arts, children, youth, young adult/campus, and camp/retreat ministries.
While earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recording Industry at Middle Tennessee State University, she found a home away from home at Cedar Crest Camp in Lyles, TN where she served in different capacities including waterfront director & office administrator. These, among other key ministry experiences, have greatly shaped and influenced her love and passion for camp!
When asked about her own connection to camp ministry, Fugate said, “I deeply believe camp has made every part of me better. It’s helped me learn to slow down, take test, and be WITH that which is around me, all of creation! It’s strengthened my spiritual well-being, my connection with the created, and the creator.”
She continued, “Camping is an incredibly unique experience that invites people out of their comfort zone to be challenged and grow in their faith and spirituality.” Her hope is to bring love and support to all the amazing things Wesley Forest is and all that’s already taking place. She plans to put her best self forward in the form of ideas and passions that may help Wesley Forest grow and expand for the better.
In her free time, you can always find TayLa painting, playing & writing music, at an open mic or a local music show, or out on the water with her pup Zero. She & Zero are overjoyed about heading west to Wesley Forest and can’t wait to meet you and your loved ones!
New Episcopal Office Executive Administrative Assistant Announced
After years of faithful service to our Conference, our Executive Administrative Assistant to the Episcopal Office, Mollye Inners, retired effective September 1, 2023. Mollye has been an invaluable asset and while she will be greatly missed, we thank her and wish her many blessings on the journey ahead!
Bishop Moore-Koikoi and Bishop Steiner Ball are excited to announce that Cindy Weaver has been chosen to succeed Mollye Inners as the Episcopal Executive Administrative Assistant. Cindy will take over the duties with the retirement of Mollye.
Cindy served as the Administrative Assistant for the Harrisburg District from 2010-2012. She then was hired from 2013-2018 to help in filling vacancies in the Administrative Assistant position in the Scranton Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Harrisburg, and Lewisburg Districts. At the same time, Cindy was also the Insurance Claim Processor and Receptionist for a Chiropractic Office.
Since 2018, Cindy has served as the Administrative Assistant for Equipping Vital Congregations, Age-Level Ministries, and the Beloved Community. Cindy will work with Rev. Dr. Kathleen E. Kind, Director of Connectional Ministries, during the transition from her current position to the Episcopal Office. This will ensure that ministry in both offices will continue as staffing structures for Cindy’s former position are re-evaluated.
In 2018, Cindy was also elected as the Susquehanna Conference Secretary, a position she continues to hold.
Along with Cindy’s knowledge of our Conference, she has a deep faith in Jesus Christ and a commitment to the United Methodist Church. Her administrative gifts as well as her non-anxious presence will be an asset in her new position.
Cindy is married to the Rev. Dr. Gary Weaver, Conference Superintendent for the Harrisburg Supervisory Area.
Cindy’s new position began September 1, 2023.
Growing Spiritual Transformational Leaders: From My Heart to Yours
Kim Shockley, Coordinator of Lay Excellence
I am writing this article today as a lay person who serves within the Susquehanna Conference as the Coordinator of Lay Excellence.
In recent weeks I have continued my work among you as a coach, consultant, and facilitator/trainer. I have been concerned that we—lay and clergy alike—could do a better job of seeing the big picture of who we are together as the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. I realize that when I speak or write, sometimes my internal judge comes out and folks feel judged or scolded. Please know up front that is not my intent in writing today. My heart is heavy and it seems to me that I can speak a truth from my perspective that may help us to move forward together in a way that will be winsome to the people around us.
So, here it is: the most discouraging phrase that I hear from some folks in local churches is an angry, blaming line that says something like, “The Conference did this to us.” I usually hear this during the appointment season when your beloved pastor is being appointed to another congregation, even though it is clear that pastor’s appointments are for one year at a time. And I’ve heard it in every Conference that I’ve served, throughout the United States! I know that these words come from your grief in losing this pastor, and your grief is often expressed early on with anger and blame. Here are some thoughts to consider:
- We are “The Conference.” All of us together make up the Susquehanna Conference of the UMC! We pay Shares of Ministry to support “The Conference.” We send your pastor and lay people to represent you when “The Conference” meets every year. We are “The Conference!”
- When we are blaming a change of appointment, we are essentially blaming the difficult work of our Cabinet and Bishops. It may help us to put these faces with the words. The appointment season for 2023 was the most difficult ever. With 141 churches and quite a few pastors disaffiliating, and 25-30 pastors retiring, the work that our Cabinet and Bishops had to do to make sure that churches have pastors was daunting to say the least. They already know that our itinerate system will be difficult for some and many will experience grief. Are we praying for the work that these dedicated men and women of God do on our behalf every year? Could we send them notes of encouragement? A friendly voice in their email inbox would be a welcome experience! Now with increased territory to cover, our prayers and encouragement will be the best part of their day! This also applies to our Bishops, who manage three different Annual Conferences— imagine what their days and nights are like times three! I interact with each of these people in my work. I know they are trying their best to do a nearly impossible task. They need our prayers and encouragement!
- Let’s talk about the math—if we retire 30 pastors each year and only ordain or commission a handful, how long will we have pastors to send? If our churches or charges doesn’t have a person in the “pipeline” toward professional ministry, that is a real problem for us all! Consider someone who may be called to be a Certified Lay Minister—folks who want to be able serve congregations or live out a specialized ministry either within or beyond their local church. Consider those who may be called to be a Local Pastor—who are the hands and feet of Jesus in a multitude of our communities. Consider those who may be called to Ordained Ministry as Elders and Deacons—they take the extra steps of training and accountability to lead our churches well. All of these people come first from a local church within our connection. They are our people! How are you praying for God’s voice and God’s call to be heard among the people of your congregation?
- Finally, consider the work of your congregation. How are you praying for and partnering with your pastor? Are you actively looking for the next people to invite to your church? Are you planning special events (mission, fellowship, fun) specifically to invite others to get to know you and your congregation? How do you welcome newcomers? It is everyone’s responsibility to provide that warm and friendly greeting to each other, as well as those who you meet throughout the week – they are your neighbors, and God has told us to love our neighbors! Even a church with a few folks can do the work of being salt and light in their community by being a place of prayer and hospitality.
A friend shared an image that helps me to grab hold of these concepts and put them back together again. Consider the work of our conference today like a wagon wheel. The goal would be to move, like the spokes of the wheel, into the hub where we are closest to God. The one thing that often keeps us from getting closer to one another is our inability to forgive. If we can’t get closer to one another, then we can’t get closer to God. I encourage you to find ways to move through grief and anger toward forgiveness so that you can embrace the new opportunity that has come your way. As a preacher’s wife, I’ve been in this mix many times, but I discovered that God always provides the next right answer, especially if I had an attitude to be able to search for it and embrace it. I pray that you can do the same. God is with us, always!
Communications Ministry: Portico & Lighthouse Congregations
By Liz Lennox, Director of Communications SUSUMC & WPAUMC
In order to better equip our leaders, our Conference has partnered with the West Virginia Conference to launch an online learning platform called Portico. Portico is an easy to use learning tool that allows both clergy and laity to take courses online and at their own pace.
We are partnering not just with the West Virginia Conference, but multiple other Conferences throughout the connection to share resources and learning opportunities. Through this partnership, we have access to courses that are focused on discipleship, communications, connection building, and so much more!
Portico is easy to use, with courses organized by topic and progress saved. Additionally, our staff has the ability to build courses that are specific to our Conference. This platform gives us the opportunity to more effectively provide educational opportunities that cater to busy schedules.
Registering for Portico is easy. You can sign-up by going to susumc.org/portico and following the instructions listed. Once you’re registered, you can immediately begin enrolling in courses.
Take a look, explore the catalog, and register for courses that appeal to you! If you have any questions, feel free to contact my office and we will be happy to guide you.
717-766-7441 ext.
llennox@susumc.org
Lighthouse Congregations are local churches in the Susquehanna Conference that are particularly equipped to welcome anyone whose church has closed or disaffiliated and who wish to remain in the United Methodist Church. These congregations will act as a resting place for those seeking a new United Methodist faith community, with people who will care for and provide a haven of peace and grace.
Congregations in our conference are currently going through the process to become Lighthouse Congregations - four have already completed the steps! If you are interested in becoming a Lighthouse Congregation or have questions, please email Rev. Dr. Kathleen E. Kind at kkind@susumc.org.
See more, including an up to date map of our Lighthouse Congregations, at susumc.org/lighthouse-congregations/
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