Service And Leadership At Bethia United Methodist Church

I have had the opportunity to serve in several different areas of service and leadership within the church. As a member of Bethia United Methodist Church, I began serving in various worship roles such as lay reader and audio-visual technician during worship services. I led a young adult Sunday school class and was an informal young adult leader for the church. I served in our CARITAS homeless ministry each year through acts of hospitality. Our church leadership was involved in having a once a month worship service at a local historic Methodist church in Chesterfield. The church building’s owner, an elderly female who struggled to get to Sunday worship, asked the leadership at Bethia if we could lead a worship service at that facility on the

Over the past seven years, I have served in many leadership area of the church. I was placed in charge of assimilation for new members and current members looking to get more involved. I continue to teach a membership information class that I created for those that are interested in learning more about the United Methodist Church as well as becoming members of Bethia. I serve on our communications committee that is in charge of our website, a weekly e-newsletter and all of our social media accounts. During a leadership transition period, I was asked to lead our youth ministry for approximately eighteen months. For the past three years, I have led our stewardship campaign for the church that has seen an increase in commitments from parishioners as well as the launch of online giving. I, along with our Senior Pastor, lead each of our four worship services throughout the weekend to include a consistent preaching schedule between us. Within the past year, I have been asked to lead our congregational care ministry that oversees our assistant pastor to ensure that the pastoral needs of our members are being met. I have been blessed to serve with Senior Pastor James (Jay) H. Carey, Jr. He is a great mentor and friend that has encouraged and affirmed my gifts and graces in the areas of ministry that I have served at

When I first received my call, it was overwhelming to fully understand the enormous responsibility God was laying on my heart. It is only through my experiences in ministry that have allowed me to fully live out my calling as a pastor in The United Methodist Church. In Word, I have had the great pleasure of preaching on a regular basis at Bethia UMC. During my time at Bethia, I have had the opportunity of preaching at all four worship services as well as many of the special Advent and Lenten services. I have preached on a one weekend a month schedule as well as weekly, alternating worship services with the senior pastor. I was blessed to have attended a seminary that focused on homiletics. As part of the Master of Divinity program, three homiletics classes were required for graduation. It gave me the opportunity to learn the art of preaching and also receive constructive criticism, all in an effort to make me a better communicator of the