Susquehanna and Upper New York Cabinets Come Together for Missional Collaboration

By Matthew Shineman, Director of Communications

The Susquehanna and Upper New York Conferences of The United Methodist Church have entered an exciting new chapter of shared leadership and mission. Following the decision made by the 2024 General Conference to reduce the allocation of bishops available for assignment for the Northeastern Jurisdiction (NEJ), the two conferences are now under the leadership of one Bishop. This restructuring marks a significant opportunity for deeper collaboration and alignment in ministry.

To begin this new journey, the Missional Cabinets from both conferences came together for a joint retreat held in Williamsport, PA, from January 13th to the 15th. The retreat allowed the joint team to build a strong foundation for the new missional partnership while maintaining the distinct identities of the two conferences.

The retreat focused on several key priorities to enhance the partnership:

• Building relationships and fostering unity;
• Learning about each Conference’s missional context;
• Discovering collaboration opportunities for a more significant impact;
• Exploring new possibilities in shared mission;
• Engaging in shared spiritual formation.

“This retreat was a great opportunity to get to know one another through conversation, worship, and activities,” explained Rev. Dr. Sherri Rood, Dean of the Upper New York Missional Cabinet. “We learned we have a great deal in common and are intrigued by the possibilities before us to be collaborative in ministry.”

The gathering also served as a reminder of the transformative potential of collaboration in ministry. Rev. Dr. Gary Weaver, Dean of the Susquehanna Missional Cabinet, shared that he “sensed the reassurance that as communication continues beyond the Cabinets, shared work will create both better work and a renewed reality that Kingdom work is not designed to be restricted by lines drawn on a map.”

“As the resident Bishop for the Susquehanna and Upper New York Episcopal Area, I am excited about God’s new work among us,” said Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez. “I am committed to collaborating effectively and maintaining clear, transparent communication. Our focus will be on how this partnership can enhance our ability to serve with excellence in both conferences for the glory of God.”

As the two conferences continue to walk this path together, Bishop Burgos-Núñez invites the prayers and support of clergy, lay leaders, and congregants alike. “I call on all United Methodists in the Susquehanna-Upper New York Episcopal Area to surround this journey in our individual and communal prayers, asking the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to the God-sized possibilities ahead of us as we collaborate in equipping and resourcing our leaders and congregations to fulfill our shared mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” concluded Bishop Burgos-Núñez.

Grace and blessings as we continue this journey together.

Two Superintendents to transition out from Cabinet

Dear partners in ministry,  

Recently, Rev. Judy L. Walker, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Superintendent, and Rev. Brenda K. Leigey, State College Superintendent, shared with me their intention to retire from active pastoral ministry. 

Rev. Judy Walker

Rev. Walker has served as a pastor in The United Methodist Church for 19 years. During her six-years as a Superintendent assigned to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre District, Rev. Walker has been passionate about parish ministry, especially with small churches. She has faithfully lived her commitment to helping local churches thrive and continue to be in mission and ministry. Rev. Walker served faithfully as the Cabinet Secretary. In 2023-2024, Rev. Walker offered critical leadership engaging pastors and congregations discerning whether to leave or stay in the United Methodist Church. Alongside a team, Rev. Walker helped congregations work through the disaffiliation process. Rev. Walker’s retirement is effective December 31, 2024.  

When Judy retires at end of 2024, she and her husband Dave are looking forward to living close and spending time with the children and grandchildren. 

Rev. Brenda Leigey 

Rev. Leigey has served as a pastor in The United Methodist Church for 35 years. She was appointed Conference Superintendent in 2019, and faithfully and with great commitment served in both the former Lewisburg and current State College district. Rev. Leigey has always shown a commitment to the local church, pastors and churches in the district she serves. She has been a tireless advocate for mission and ministry as well as working to help congregations reach new people. From the smallest, theologically conservative church to the reconciling congregation, Rev. Leigey has encouraged people to be committed United Methodists. Rev. Leigey’s retirement is effective June 30, 2025.  

When Brenda retires June 30, 2025, she is looking forward to spending time with her husband Allen. 

On behalf of the cabinet, I express our deepest gratitude to these two faithful servants for their adaptive leadership throughout the years, especially during their time serving in the cabinet. They have led with integrity, grace, passion, and resilience during an extended season of challenges, conflict, and uncertainty, being agents of hope for those they lead. I look forward to serving alongside them during their remaining time in the cabinet.  

In the coming weeks, I will share next steps regarding coverage for the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre district after the New Year, and the discernment process for selecting the new superintendents. In the meantime, please join me in celebrating the ministry of Rev. Walker and Rev. Leigey and praying for them as they begin this important transition. 

Thank you for living the gospel, embodying God’s love with your neighbors, and nurturing disciples of Jesus Christ who share faith, love, mercy and justice everyday and everywhere.  

Together in the journey, 

Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez

Resident Bishop
Susquehanna & Upper New York Episcopal Area
The United Methodist Church

Communications: The Power of Connection

Liz Lennox, Director of Communications SUSUMC & WPAUMC

During the second week of January, the extended cabinets from the Susquehanna, Western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia Conferences will come together at Jumonville Camp & Retreat Center in Hopwood, Pa., for their third annual joint cabinet retreat. The group will participate in professional development and strategic planning and while I can only speak for myself, I sense that others also might feel that the value of the time spent together goes beyond just the educational training we will receive. 

The ability to learn, fellowship, and worship with our colleagues outside of our own conference is a gift. When we do so, we deepen the connection that is a core value of The United Methodist Church - the Book of Discipline even tells us that our connectional system “enables us to carry out our mission in unity and strength.” When we come together, we’re granted the opportunity to see different perspectives and other ways to do ministry. We leave our time together with fresh ideas, renewed vision, and an awareness that we have a team of people beyond our conference boundaries. 

Last October, I had the opportunity to come together with other United Methodist communicators from around the country for the United Methodist Association of Communicators annual meeting, my first as a director of communications. I quickly recognized when talking to other communicators that we had all experienced similar challenges and frustrations, joys and triumphs. My soul felt lighter realizing that there were people I could relate to within the denomination, who knew exactly what I was experiencing and feeling. I came away assured that there are so many people who I can lean on and seek help from. 

Recently, our tri-conference collaboration went beyond Conference leadership. In early November, participants from the three conferences came together for Level Up, a learning and equipping event focused on new places for new people. The seed for this event was planted in the minds of the tri-conference congregational developers (Rev. Dr. Kathleen Kind, Ken Willard, and Rev. Rob Wilson), who have been a collaborative team for over two years. The three recognized the benefit of collaboration and mutual support because of their own continued work together, and dreamt up an event that would bring local church leaders together from all three conferences.

The two-day event involved keynote speakers, workshops, worship, games, and a dinner. Participants had the opportunity to get to know new people and many took advantage. At the end of the event, the three developers anointed and sent forward the participants. Rev. Wilson recounted that some came up in groups of two and three, joining together as they took the next steps in their ministry. He shared that two women from different conferences who had just met the day before also came up to be anointed together. This moment speaks to the relationships that can be built and perfectly demonstrates the power of our connection.

Embracing your own connection doesn’t have to be across conference or jurisdictional boundaries. You can urge your congregation to take intentional steps to connect with other churches nearby; join together for worship, create a Bible study or hobby group, or develop a shared ministry. Get creative! Additionally, you may consider connecting more fully with conference-level ministries like United Women in Faith or Volunteers in Mission. There are countless opportunities to more fully live into our United Methodist connection - you never know what you might discover about yourself, your neighbor, or our beloved denomination. 

Becoming the Beloved Community: Our Covenant Against Racism

A Covenant of the Susquehanna Conference Cabinet

We acknowledge racism is sin. It is the opposite of the commandment Jesus identified as the greatest of all: to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Racism contradicts love, causing great harm and a profound disconnect with others and with God.

We acknowledge our failing as a church and as disciples of Christ in not taking sustained and deliberate action to eradicate the sin of racism that continues to oppress African Americans and people of color in our country and around the world.

Therefore, as members of the Cabinet of the Susquehanna Conference, we covenant with God and with each other to take the following steps to correct our errors of faith and practice:

• We humbly acknowledge our roles in perpetuating the sin of racism within ourselves, our families, our churches, and our world.
• We lament the harm our actions and inaction have brought to millions of people Christ called us to love as our neighbors.
• We commit to gracefully support and hold each other accountable for taking actions that dismantle racism and join with God in growing the Beloved Community.
• We commit to prayerfully encourage each other, and to offer and receive honest feedback as brothers and sisters in Christ. We also will include critical reflection in our annual one-on-ones, as well in our yearly goal setting and evaluation as a Coordinating Cabinet. 
• We also commit to evaluate our progress towards specific goals towards Becoming the Beloved Community at each Coordinating Cabinet meeting.

In Mark 12:30-31, Jesus counsels: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Lamentations:

As people of faith, we acknowledge our lack of love and failure to respect the dignity of every human being. Often, we have fallen short of the glory of God, corporately and individually. We now honestly name aspects of our lament:

Some of us have benefitted greatly from our nation’s founding which included the genocide of Native American and the suffering of enslaved people. Generations of white Americans have enjoyed unparalleled freedom and prosperity, while generations of descendants of African American slaves have faced unspeakable brutality and oppression. This system of racial domination has hurt many people of color, including Asian Americans and those of Hispanic heritage.

• Our history clearly shows some of us have courageously worked to eradicate slavery, segregation and oppression, risking ridicule, condemnation, injury and death. But, we lament that too often we have stood by or helped to perpetuate a system that hinders a fullness of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for people of color. Too many of us have benefitted and continue to benefit from a system that blocked generations of African Americans and other people of color from enjoying quality education, decent housing, employment, and access to healthcare without taking any real action to address those inequalities. Too many of us still do not want to examine or acknowledge the ongoing damage caused by our tolerance of racial injustice within our communities, our churches, our families, and within our own hearts.
• We lament our Church’s history in denying the value and humanity of people of color by disparaging their language, cultures, and achievements. And too often, we joined others in deliberately placing obstacles to block their success.
• We lament our history shows too few church leaders displayed the moral courage to stand with persons and communities who are marginalized and oppressed, when it meant they had to share in the suffering to change what was happening. We lament that is still true today.

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... Matthew 25:35

We covenant to meditate on the life and teachings of Jesus, who called on His followers to stand with those in need; to stand with those who are suffering and with those who are oppressed.

We covenant to attend to our own growth in anti-racism and building the Beloved Community by spending time in each Coordinating Cabinet in follow up on recommendations based on the Intercultural Development Inventory process.

We covenant to re-examine the full history of our nation, our communities, and our church to educate those in our communities about the role white communities of faith have played in hurting others, so we can see and intentionally turn in the direction of love.

We covenant to reject willful ignorance and to educate ourselves on how some have benefitted from a system that has oppressed millions of people from the founding of our country.

We covenant to create and implement within the Cabinet and in our districts standards, policies, programs, and relationships that make our commitment to fighting racism a visible reality.

We covenant to use whatever privilege we have to work with and for people of color to overcome systems of institutional racism that continue to deny them equal access to a more bountiful life offered to white citizens.

We covenant to show courage and to devise loving ways to counter the daily acts of racism and exclusion many of us regularly witness, including within our Cabinet and within our social circles.

We covenant to use the influence of our office to encourage pastors and laity under our charge to work against racism and to welcome people of all races, cultures and ethnicities by providing them full equality, value and voice within our congregations and within the body of Christ.

This covenant is made in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior... and in keeping with our pledge to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world.