Dear Friends,
I am grateful for our time of holy conferencing together last week. Annual Conference 2022 brought us together for the first time since 2019; it was amazing to celebrate in worship, to reconnect and even hug, to find those faces behind masks we have missed for so long. Thank you to clergy and laity who attended in person, who served as ushers and tellers, who represented well their parishes with their attention to the business of each day. Thank you for showing up and sharing your time and presence with our wonderful community of United Methodists here in North Carolina.
Congratulations to:
Jamie Thompson, who was ordained a Full Elder and Hannah Bryn who was ordained a Deacon
Mark Gustafson and Britney Toner, who were both commissioned as Provisional Elders
David Helbig, Early Hardy, Donna Hammond, Eunsoo Kang, and Jennifer Wise who were Licensed for Pastoral Ministry
Sherry Coombs, Judy Curtis, Susan Usher, and Ray Burkart who were officially welcomed as Certified Lay Ministers among us.
What wonderful work of the Holy Spirit! I am so proud of the time, commitment, and care invested by each of these folks! All of these listed above are serving among us in the Harbor District! They have spent the past year in classes, writing papers, being interviewed, taking psychological tests, getting physicals, working with mentors all while preaching, teaching, praying and living out the gospel as disciples of Jesus Christ.
In addition to being ordained, Jamie Thompson will spend the next few weeks moving from Pink Hill to Wilmington to pastor The Anchor; Britney Toner concludes her time serving in the Garland/ Harrells area and moves to Virginia to begin a Clinical Pastoral Education program, joining her military chaplain husband, Chris; David Helbig, and his wife Hannah, begins pastoral ministry at Faison UMC, Eunsoo Kang join us from Corridor to serve St. Paul: Tabor City, and Ray Burkart will lead both Cokesbury and Bethabara UMC in the northwest corner of our district. (We welcome David and Ray from the Gateway District.) Please join me in congratulating all and lifting them in prayer as they continue to serve as the gifted, beautiful children of God they all are.
We welcome several pastors who are new to the Harbor District:
Terry Williams, coming from Heritage and serving Camp
Matt Farabow, coming from WNCC and serving Seaside
Becca MacDonald, coming from Corridor, serving Wesley Memorial: Wilmington
Benny Oaks, coming from Beacon, serving Grace: Wilmington
I am thankful for pastors who said yes to moves this year, to serving as interim supply and continue to share their gifts in a variety of ways: Philip Chryst, Dennis Draper, Chris O’Briant, Frank Brock, Alan Sasser and all of you who continue to faithfully serve alongside your congregations.
We will miss Steve, Alex, Seyun, David, Bill and Debbie as you move on to new districts; go with God’s grace! Blessings to Tal and Gene as they retire and to Hank as he enjoys some R&R.
The Epistle lesson this Sunday is from Galatians 5.
v.13-14: For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love our neighbor as yourself.”
V. 22 . . . the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.
As we serve together, alongside one another, I see us as a community of servants who are “enslaved to one another.” As United Methodist pastors, we share a bond, connection and community of love and concern for one another. I pray we will join as one body in Harbor to lift up the voiceless among us, to bear our burdens together, to offer whatever we have much of and receive what our brothers and sisters offer to share. The road ahead may look difficult, perhaps even treacherous, alone. And yet we are not alone! Our guide and advocate, the Holy Spirit, ensures we have a lighted path made for us; our beloved UM connection is the community which journeys together. We have much to offer one another as children of God together on this road.
We hear a lot about the things that separated us over the past years, and that is true. And yet I am seeing fellowship, support, and care between and among you, pastors, and congregations. May we continue to reach out to share our hurts and to open ourselves to healing. May we embrace a season of vacation and rest! This summer I pray we all find a connection or renew a connection that brings us peace and joy. As people who live by the Spirit, let us truly be guided by the Spirit, knowing we are all part of the one Body of Christ.
Bless you as you make journeys to new homes. Bless you as you welcome new pastors into your congregations. May we find comfort and strength as we seek out all God has in store for us!
