North Alabama sees changing patterns of Clergy Appointments
“We have tried to be clear that our great purpose, as Bishop and Cabinet, is to find and to place the very best clergy leadership in every congregation in North Alabama,” said Ron Shultz, District Superintendent of the Central District.
“We have a relatively small number of African-American clergy in our Conference,” said Tom Bell, District Superintendent of the Northeast District, “but much opportunity for ethnic ministry. I’m excited that this year we have recruited two African-American pastors, Marcus Singleton, a young clergyperson from the North Carolina Conference and Donald Smith, a proven leader from the Alabama-West Florida Conference.”
Rev. Singleton will be appointed to serve at St. Paul-Birmingham and Rev. Smith will be appointed to Center Grove in Huntsville.
“Knowing that our Conference has a comparatively low number of women who are elders, we have tried to recruit elsewhere. I’m proud that we are receiving Amy DeWitte, an honor graduate of Duke Divinity School, and Jenny Miller, graduate of Yale Divinity who will both be receiving parishes in the Northeast District,” said Bishop Willimon.
“Last year the Cabinet recruited Eddie Spencer from Mississippi who leads a growing, multi-cultural ministry at Glen Addie United Methodist Church in Anniston. This year Montevallo United Methodist Church asked for an African-American pastor, John London to serve as Associate Pastor and lead in ministry of youth.”
As previously announced, the Reverend Keith Thompson has been called from a Vice-Presidency in Development at Birmingham Southern College to serve as Senior Pastor at First UMC, Birmingham. The Reverend Brian Erickson, Chaplain at Evansville College, Evansville, Indiana, and former Assistant Chaplain at Birmingham Southern has been summoned back to Alabama to serve as Senior Pastor at Alabaster UMC.
“We’re proud of all our appointments this year but we are particularity proud of these newly appointed pastors who show our determination to get the very best leadership for our congregations,” said Bishop Willimon. “We want to recruit new pastoral leadership the same way that Duke recruits top basketball players,” said Bishop Willimon, with a smile. “Our congregations deserve it.”