Pastoral Appointments for 2018-19

Pastoral Appointments for 2018-19

Posted on April 24, 2018 Posted By: Communications Categories: Church News

A Letter from the JCUMC Staff Parish Relations Committee

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

On behalf of Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson and District Superintendent Doug Thrasher, the Staff Parish Relations Committee at JCUMC is announcing our pastor appointments for 2018-19 year. The United Methodist Church has itinerant pastors, meaning they are appointed for one year commitments and move to where, through prayer and study, the Bishop and cabinet think they are needed to best serve the conference.

We are pleased that Brandon Harris, Lori Osborn, and Brittany Sanders have been
re-appointed to Johns Creek. However after consultation with the SPR committee and our senior pastor, the Bishop and cabinet have elected to appoint a new senior pastor for Johns Creek beginning on June 21. Reverend Dr. Sondra Jones will become the Senior Pastor to a different church in our conference. Because Sondra had previously booked an extended vacation in May, her last worship with us will be Sunday, April 29. On that day we will have a celebration in worship of her leadership and ministry with us here, and a reception after the 11 o’clock service. We also will be communicating soon other ways you can express your thanks and appreciation for her dedicated work for our congregation.

This summer we will welcome the Reverend Dr. Charley Reeb as our new Senior Pastor. Pastor Charley is coming to us after 10 years leading Pasadena Community United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. He and his wife Brandy have a young son Paul and are Atlanta natives, and they are looking forward to being closer to family. Pastor Charley’s official first day will be moving day, June 21, but because of differences in annual conference schedules his first Sunday will likely be July 1.

Changing senior pastors is a spiritual process. We ask that everyone turn to prayer for all our pastors, staff, and leadership. We will pray for Sondra and her new appointment, for our new pastor, and that God’s word will be spread and glorified in each case.

This announcement is being made via email because of difficulty in coordinating message timing with the Florida conference, and there will be follow up from the pulpit on Sunday. More details on the transition will be also available soon. The SPRC is available to answer your questions. Please feel free to reach out to Mike Dudgeon, SPRC chairperson, at
770-490-7983 or mjdudgeon@gmail.com .

We hope to see everyone in worship and at the reception on April 29th at 12 PM in the Gathering Room to extend our thanks and best wishes to Sondra.

Yours In Christ,
Johns Creek UMC Staff Parish Relations Committee

A Letter from Pastor Sondra

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

It has been a great joy to serve as your Senior Pastor since June 18, 2016. I celebrate all the people who have come into a loving relationship with Jesus Christ, found their church home and had their lives transformed. Serving in the church and the Johns Creek community has been a great blessing in my life, even as there have been many challenges. God’s Holy Spirit leads us in all situations and I have relied upon him constantly in this change.

 

I wanted you to know that I am at peace in this situation and hope the very best days are ahead for the church. I will have my last Sunday preaching all three services on April 29, 2018. I hope to see you all then. I will still officially be your pastor until moving day, June 21, but will be taking some time for vacation and continuing education. I will be available by phone to our SPRC and clergy team if they need me for any critical guidance during the transition of senior pastors.

 

Thank you to all the wonderful laity and staff I have had the joy of working with in the past two years. As a United Methodist Elder, I serve at the will of the Bishop and Cabinet of the North Georgia Conference for the appointive process. These are the ordination vows that I gratefully keep as I honor and respect our Bishop and Cabinet in their prayerful decisions. They have very challenging work in matching churches and clergy and I pray that their decision for you to have a new senior pastor will allow JCUMC to thrive.

 

You will be blessed in receiving the Rev. Dr. Charley Reeb, from the Florida Annual Conference on moving day (June 21, 2018). He comes highly recommended. More information about Charley and his family will be communicated to you by the SPRC. You will warmly welcome Charley, his wife, Brandy, and their son, Paul, to Johns Creek United Methodist Church with open and loving hearts. I look forward to having their family in our annual conference and sharing in ministry with them in the years ahead.

 

Please note that I will be on vacation starting May 1 as well as participating in several continuing education events during May and June. Dr. Brandon Harris, our Executive Pastor, will be the point person in my absence. Brandon continues to be joined by our excellent team of returning clergy, Rev. Lori Osborn and Rev. Brittany Sanders, as well as a great team of staff and laity.

 

My prayer for you as a congregation is to be even more committed to Christ, to reach people outside the church, and to embrace unity and diversity as you seek to love and serve Christ in powerful ways. I pray the best and most wonderful years are ahead for you. It is important to invite your friends, family, neighbors and strangers to be part of Johns Creek United Methodist Church in the future. More importantly, do all you can to be part of God’s mission: making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

 

Grace and Peace,
Rev. Dr. Sondra R. Jones
Senior Pastor