The following is a letter from Bishop Gregory V. Palmer:

Dear Beloved in the Risen Christ,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Kathleen Brown to serve as the West Ohio Conference Superintendent for the Capitol Area South District, effective July 1, 2013.  Rev. Brown will follow Rev. Barbara Sholis, who will begin a new appointment as Assistant to the Bishop in July.

Rev. Brown is currently serving as the Assistant to the Superintendent of the Maumee Watershed District in Northwest Ohio.  Previously she held positions within local church leadership, as an appointed Pastor and as Chair of both the Miami Valley District Committee on Ordained Ministry and the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. 

Kathy first heard the call to ministry while serving as secretary at her home church, what is now Crossroads United Methodist Church in the Hilltop area of Columbus. Following that call has allowed her to witness firsthand the transformative power of God in her own life and in others. Her breadth of experience at all levels of local church leadership, district leadership and conference leadership shows a unique preparedness for this new role as a conference superintendent.

Kathy received a B.A. from Otterbein College in 1989 and an M.Div from Methodist Theological School in Ohio in 1993, where she was an Alford Scholar.  She was ordained an Elder in the West Ohio Conference in 1995 and served as Associate Pastor at Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church, Pastor at Concord United Methodist Church in Englewood, and Pastor at Belmont United Methodist Church in Dayton.  Through all of her appointments and service, Rev. Brown has shown an emphasis on relationships and connection, and her desire to work as part of a team will be an enormous asset.

As Superintendent, Rev. Brown will have spiritual and administrative oversight for 123 congregations and numerous mission sites and projects.  She will also become a member of the Bishop's Cabinet, assisting in the appointment of all pastors in the West Ohio Conference and the leadership of the entire conference.  Kathy has shown an impressive caring and experiential understanding of the role of clergy leadership and the power of call in the local church, as well as a depth of faith and commitment to serving Jesus Christ through The United Methodist Church in West Ohio.  

Kathy is married to Charles and together they have three grown children and six grandchildren. Their daughter, Amy Wood, is also an ordained elder in the West Ohio Conference, serving as an Associate Pastor at New Albany United Methodist Church.

As Rev. Brown and her family prepare to transition to this new role of service in July, I ask that you be in prayer for Kathy and for all of our leadership as we serve together in our shared mission and ministry of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Your servant through the Risen Christ,

Gregory V. Palmer
Resident Bishop

A letter from Bishop Gregory V. Palmer:

Dear beloved friends in the West Ohio Conference,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Barbara Sholis to serve as Assistant to the Bishop, effective July 1, 2013. Rev. Sholis will follow Rev. Randy Stearns, who will begin a new appointment leading Faith Community United Methodist Church in the Ohio River Valley District in July.

For the last two years, Rev. Sholis has served as the Superintendent of the Capitol Area South District where she has had spiritual and administrative oversight for 123 congregations. As Superintendent, she has been a valued member of the Bishop's Cabinet and a relational leader deeply committed to the spiritual vitality and health of clergy and lay leadership. Along with her skills in discipleship and ministry, she brings a depth of faith in Jesus Christ, keen self-awareness, ability to work with complexity, diligence and a love for people.

As Assistant to the Bishop, Rev. Sholis will remain a member of the Bishop's Cabinet and play a pivotal role in enabling my ministry of "spiritual and temporal oversight" of our conference. I am confident Rev. Sholis will enrich the ministry of the Episcopal Office as each of her predecessors has done. 

A graduate of Capital University and Methodist Theological School in Ohio, with a specialization in urban ministry, Rev. Sholis was ordained an elder in the West Ohio Conference in 1997. She served as a student pastor at Epiphany United Methodist Church, an associate pastor at Worthington United Methodist Church, and senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Newark. Barb has distinguished herself in each appointment she has held. In addition, she has served on the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and Conference Relations Committee. 

An accomplished writer, Rev. Sholis has had several articles published in The Christian Century.  She is married to Robert (Bob), who is also an ordained elder in the West Ohio Conference, serving at Madison Mills United Methodist Church. Along with three adopted beagles, Barb and Bob have a daughter, Sarah, and son-in-law Ryan, who live in Denver with granddaughter, Adrienne Olivia. 

Please be in prayer for this transformational leader as she continues in a new role serving the West Ohio Conference in its mission and ministry of making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Your servant through the Risen Christ,

Gregory V. Palmer
Resident Bishop

You will have the opportunity to say good-bye to our current District Superintendent, Barbara Sholis and wish her well in her new appointment as Assistant to the Bishop.  We will have a Farewell Open House on Thursday, June 6 from 3-6 pm at the Capitol Area South District Office, 2929 Kenny Road, Columbus.  All clergy and laity are invited to stop by and stay as long as your schedule will allow. 

2013 Community Ministries Brochure

Here is the new 2013 United Methodist Community Ministries brochure. Click HERE to download a copy.

We deeply appreciate this expression of your love to Christ, to his work and to us. We are in great debt to you for you have shown the love of God in your hearts in many ways.

We also are awaiting the day of blessing of the stone at Vida y Esperanza Church. Pastor Ruben and all of us are very excited. This event is as answer from God to many people who have been praying and working for many years; thank you for being part of this victory.

Please extend our gratitude to every person and group of persons, to every church and the whole district, who have made different efforts to give this sign of love in Christ. One day the Vida y Esperanza Church at San Luis will be able to meet in their own building, that will also be a wonderfull day.

Blessings to all of you.

Bishop García.

"Things have really changed gears," he said. The church was raising money to build a new facility at the Lake Drive and US 40 intersection when church officials discovered that the empty Creative Catering building on West Main Street was available at nearly half of its earlier price. Church officials had looked at the former catering hall in their search for a permanent home but had found it out of their price range.

"God gave us the opportunity to take a second look at Creative Catering," wrote Harkness on New Life's Facebook page. "The building was listed at $920,000.00 when we looked at it a year ago. We found out that it had been lowered to $459,900.00. When we had looked at it the first time I actually prayed that if we were supposed to buy it, the price would drop in half as a clear sign from God. This price includes about 600 chairs, many tables, over 200 paved parking spots, a whole building generator and a commercial dishwasher, walk in freezer and range hood.

The Church for All People in Columbus will be hosting a 'Mission Discovery' North Central Jurisdiction youth/young adult VIM team this summer, July 13-20, 2013. 

Mission Discovery is a great opportunity for youth from smaller congregations to join in mission! The week will include worship, service in the community, meals with community members, and a fun day. 

The cost for the week is $250 each (excluding transportation), with a max of 20 people (youth and adults). Each team member will be responsible for getting themselves to and from the mission site. Adults and youth 18 and over are encouraged to take the UMVIM team leader training option that will be given during the week, enabling them to be ready to lead a team themselves. A deposit of $50 should be sent to UMVIM-NCJ, 920 4th St Suite D, Brookings, SD 57006. For more information, contact Lorna Jost, NCJ VIM Coordinator, at          Umvim-ncj@brookings.net or 605-692-3390. 

Click HERE for a flyer about the event.

"Come Together: Transformation through Cooperation"  is a training event in collaborative and cooperative ministries that will be held this October 17-19, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  

The gathering will be both a "conversation" and a "celebration" focusing on transforming churches, communities and individuals through multiple styles of ministry; exploring new models and equipping leaders to move forward in collaborative efforts in both rural and urban communities; and identifying ways to work together with ecumenical, interfaith and community partners.

"Come Together: Transformation through Cooperation" this October 17-19, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The gathering will be both a "conversation" and a "celebration" focusing on transforming churches, communities and individuals through multiple styles of ministry; exploring new models and equipping leaders to move forward in collaborative efforts in both rural and urban communities; and identifying ways to work together with ecumenical, interfaith and community partners.

Our prayers are with the Rev. Tom Rogers (retired). Tom has been hospitalized recently due to congestive heart failure.