Dear Friends and Family of Vernon United Methodist Church:
Your church administrative council has been working with the GNJ Conference, church leadership, our district elder Steve Bechtold, and Pastor Connie over the past few months as we are making some important decisions about the direction of our church.
An important part of being a connectional church within the United Methodist denomination is the support we receive from our conference and the support we provide to missions throughout the world. For many years, we have been carrying a burden of debt to the conference for our expenses, which they have graciously covered. It is our belief that we are called to be good stewards of the resources God has provided for us, and this ongoing debt is not a sustainable way to grow a church and engage in vital ministry in our community. As Pastor Connie transitions away from Vernon to her new appointment in Vincentown, our church will transition to a new status as well, by changing our pastoral staff from full-time to part-time.
Our church leaders, pastor, and elders have prayed on this matter and sought the advice of our conference leadership. We feel that God is truly leading us to this change as a means of regaining our financial footing. It will allow us to turn our focus away from money worries, and return to the vital business of the church, which is making disciples of Christ and serving the needs of our community. We are deeply encouraged by the prospect of being able to satisfy our debts to the conference, freeing our members to spend their energy and devotion in a way that clearly glorifies God in this world and seeks to build His kingdom.
As we prepare to make this change, there will be many opportunities to discuss how this will affect our congregation going forward, and I encourage you to connect with any of your church leaders during this time if you have questions, concerns, or just want to offer your support.
Most importantly, we know that God has a plan for this church, to give us a future with hope. We can be assured God will continue blessing us as we move forward, and we can trust in God to provide for our needs and enable us to continue the work we at VUMC have been called to do for the glory of God and God’s people.”
“Owe nothing to anyone, except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.” -Romans 13:8
The Vernon United Methodist Leadership