News – Greater Northwest Area of The United Methodist Church

Puget Sound District Superintendency Team

Bishop Bridgeforth announces appointments to Puget Sound District Superintendency Team to start July of 2026

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth intends to appoint Rev. Joel Aosved, Rev. Pat Longstroth, and Rev. Joe Kim to a superintendency team overseeing the Puget Sound District beginning July 1, 2026. Rev. Mark Galang will continue to serve as Puget Sound District Superintendent through the next appointment year before ending his tenure in the role.

All three members of the Puget Sound District Superintendency team are expected to continue their current appointments to churches in the district. However, the new appointment will reduce the time allotted to their pastoral duties when it arrives in 2026. Rev. Aosved’s continuing appointment is to the United Church of Ferndale; Rev. Longstroth will continue at Vashon UMC; Rev. Kim will continue at Bothell UMC.

In December, Bishop Bridgeforth announced that he would initiate a new supervision model for the Greater Northwest Area. The superintendency team for the SeaTac District (PNW), the first district to shift into this model, was announced in February. The Crest to Coast Superintendency Team, also expected to begin in 2026, was announced in March.

When sharing the news of these new appointments with their current churches, Bishop Bridgeforth pledged the cabinet’s support and expressed gratitude: “Thank you for being a beacon of light in what seems like some dark days. Thank you for allowing your pastor to explore other expressions of ministry while continuing to serve with you.”

The bishop also encouraged church members to pray as they adapt to and embrace this change, “Pray for your congregation and community as you prepare for opportunities to serve those who need hope and help.”

A third superintendency team announced in the Pacific Northwest Conference

Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth is launching this new model of superintendency to root leadership more deeply in the local church context. In response to feedback that leadership can feel “too distant…from the ministry of our local churches,” the bishop is introducing these two- to three-person superintendency teams instead of a single district superintendent model.

“Whenever possible, we will recruit these superintendents from within the sub-district that they will serve,” Bishop Bridgeforth explained. This approach ensures leaders remain embedded in the mission field they already understand, fostering more relevant and responsive leadership. It is hoped that each superintendent will oversee a subdistrict of no more than 20 churches while working together collaboratively, promoting closer relationships and more intentional support.

Bridgeforth acknowledged the shift from tradition, saying, “I am aware that this is different from how we typically do things,” but stresses that this model enables leaders to serve without leaving behind their pastoral calling. By staying grounded in local ministry, superintendents can lead with greater awareness, empathy, and effectiveness.

Careful planning and early announcements, including this one for a team to start in 2026, aim to support smooth transitions. “We want to avoid unneeded disruption to the local church’s ministry and the pastor’s family life,” the bishop noted, underscoring the commitment to effective leadership and congregational stability.

Anticipation and gratitude expressed by the upcoming Puget Sound Superintendency Team

Continuing the Greater Northwest Area’s movement toward more relational and innovative leadership, Revs. Aosved, Longstroth, and Kim have been appointed as a superintendency team to allow each pastor to remain rooted in their local congregation while expanding their role in equipping and supporting churches across the district and beyond.

This shared approach reflects a deep belief in the wisdom found within communities and the power of connection across congregations.

Rev. Joel Aosved shares his enthusiasm for this more interconnected model:

“This new model of superintendency allows us to continue serving the communities we love while staying grounded in pastoral work. It opens the door to a different kind of support—where one community might hold answers to another’s questions. I look forward to working with Pat and Joe as we foster spaces for collaboration and mutual support as our communities do ministry together.”

Rev. Pat Longstroth highlights how this model aligns with the mission of The United Methodist Church:

“I believe this new collaborative model will help us live into our United Methodist mission to create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. It can strengthen partnerships with our laity and deepen the connections between our local churches and the communities they serve. I look forward to working with Joel and Joe, and I’m eager to see how the Holy Spirit will move through our superintendency teams.”

Rev. Joe Kim offers a vision of hope and innovation as the team begins this journey:

“I’m excited to lean into the possibilities of something new! By reimagining how we organize ourselves—as local churches and as people called Methodists—we may become more open to the Spirit’s nudging toward collaboration, innovation, and transformation in our communities. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside Pastor Pat and Pastor Joel and look forward to all that God has in store!”

Together, Joel, Joe, and Pat will serve with a shared commitment to nurturing leadership, encouraging connection, and listening deeply for the Spirit’s guidance. Their work continues the Greater Northwest Area’s investment in sustainable, grounded, and collaborative ministry that strengthens churches for faithful witness in a changing world.

Incoming Puget Sound Superintendency Team

Rev. Joel Aosved was a pastor’s kid growing up in the PNW Conference before attending seminary at Boston University. Upon graduating, Joel and his wife Laura moved back to the PNW, serving churches in central Idaho and the Palouse before starting Winds of Grace, a chaplaincy for those living aboard their boats. Feeling called back to parish life, he now serves the United Church of Ferndale. Joel experiences ministry as incarnational and the life of faith as swimming in God’s loving presence. Having launched their three children into the world, Joel and Laura enjoy land life with their cat, Luna, and Lab/Golden retriever, Cedar.

Rev. Pat Longstroth grew up in the Midwest, where she served as an elementary school teacher. Following her call to ministry, she first served in chaplaincy. She later pastored local churches in the Great Plains Annual Conference before transferring to the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference, where she served in urban and rural contexts. Some of her ministry passions include discipleship, spiritual formation, community engagement, anti-racism work, and creation care. She currently serves Vashon UMC. Pat and her husband love the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, where they enjoy taking time out for hiking and nature photography.

Rev. Joe Kim serves as Lead Pastor of Bothell United Methodist Church. He has served in and with communities of faith for almost 20 years in local churches and the non-profit sector, including with the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church at the United Nations and on Capitol Hill. He believes in the power of story and journeying alongside people as they live into their belovedness. Joe is married to an incredibly talented artist and justice-seeker, Joann; parent to two amazing humans; walking buddy to their dog; and caretaker of their chickens and modest farm (read: garden beds). He enjoys cooking, hiking, kayaking, and playing catch.

Crest to Coast Superintendency Team

Bishop Bridgeforth announces appointments to Crest to Coast District Superintendency Team to start July of 2026

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth intends to appoint Rev. Katie Ladd and Rev. Bruce Smith to a superintendency team overseeing the Crest to Coast District beginning July 1, 2026. Rev. Kathleen Weber will continue to serve as Crest to Coast District Superintendent through the next appointment year before ending her tenure in the role.

Additionally, Bishop Bridgeforth intends to appoint Rev. Smith as pastor of Camas United Methodist Church in Camas, Washington, and as interim pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon, beginning July 1, 2025. His appointment to Trinity UMC will be for the next appointment year, after which he will join the superintendency team while continuing as pastor of Camas UMC.

Rev. Ladd will continue to serve in her current appointment to Queen Anne United Methodist Church in Seattle, Washington, where she has pastored since 2011.

In sharing the news of these new appointments with their current churches, Bishop Bridgeforth wrote, “You know the many gifts your pastor brings to every space. Imagine how other congregations and communities will flourish as they experience those gifts.”

Asking them to pray for Revs. Ladd and Smith, the bishop noted, “[t]his model of pastors serving as part-time superintendents to form a team is new and different, but it is a challenge we face together.”

Adopting this new model is one way Bishop Bridgeforth hopes to align conference leadership with a desire raised during the Ministry Priority conversations last year for leadership “closer to the ground.”

Another step toward the goal of announcing superintendency teams in the Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences

When he first announced the new superintendency model in December, the bishop promised to share the anticipated transitions of the district superintendents across the Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences. He also expressed his desire to announce superintendency appointments that will be fixed this June and in 2026, as he did.

With this announcement, Bishop Bridgeforth is taking the next step in naming leaders who will move into these roles. This will give those beginning their service in 2026 additional time to prepare and learn from those who will first live into this new model this appointment year. In the coming weeks, he expects to name additional superintendency teams for the other districts where transitions are expected in 2026.

This new model of shared superintendency continues our area’s commitment to innovation in leadership and care for local churches, offering both continuity and creativity in service as we share the good news in a Wesleyan way.

Anticipation and gratitude expressed by the upcoming Crest to Coast Superintendency Team

As part of the continued evolution of leadership across the Greater Northwest Area and in the Pacific Northwest Conference, Rev. Bruce Smith and Rev. Katie Ladd will serve together in this shared superintendency role. Their appointment reflects a growing movement within the Church toward more collaborative, relational, and contextual models of ministry—ones that mirror the very nature of Christ’s call to community and transformation.

With deep gratitude for the opportunity, Rev. Bruce Smith shares his vision for ministry in this new role:

“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve the Annual Conference as a Superintendent. While the church is continually changing, I am optimistic that the 21st-century church will grow as we continue to participate in God’s transformation of the world. What we shall be has yet to be revealed, but we know we shall be like Christ, whom we follow.”

Rev. Katie Ladd sees this appointment not only as a shift in structure but also a return to the Church’s relational roots:

“Jesus called his disciples into community; he sent them in pairs to serve as community. This new model of superintendency returns us to that deeply relational way of being church. By remaining in a congregation, serving with Bruce, meeting new people, and supporting congregations, we are being called into community where liberation, care, and joy can be found. I’m excited!”

Together, Revs. Ladd and Smith bring complementary gifts and a shared hope for the Church’s future—one rooted in the belief that meaningful connection, faithful service, and openness to transformation can guide the Church into its next faithful chapter.

Incoming Crest to Coast Superintendency Team

Rev. Katie M Ladd is passionate about new/old ways of being church; that is, learning from the wisdom of our spiritual ancestors while innovating for today’s world. She came from the South to the PNW in 1996. A graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with degrees in biology and religion, she worked in environmental chemistry before receiving her MDiv from Vanderbilt University.

Katie’s passions include interfaith/ecumenical work, public theology, empowering laity, and spiritual formation. She lives in Tacoma with her wife Melissa and her kitty George, and she currently serves Queen Anne UMC and its intentional community, The Well.

Rev. Bruce Smith was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from Washington State University in 1992, he attended Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Graduating in 1996, he served two circuits for the Methodist Church in the United Kingdom.

Bruce has served appointments in the PNW Conference at Davenport Edwall, Longview, Vancouver Mill Plain, Yakima Wesley and Vancouver First. He has served the PNWAC on the Camping Board of Stewards, the 2008 Jurisdictional Conference delegation, the chair of the Order of Elders, the Board of Ordained Ministry and the PNWAC Trustees.

SeaTac Superintendency Team

Bishop Bridgeforth announces appointments to SeaTac District Superintendency Team as new leadership model begins to take shape

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth intends to appoint Rev. Shalom Agtarap, Rev. Ferdie Llenado, and Rev. Elizabeth Schindler to a superintendency team overseeing the SeaTac District beginning July 1, 2025. In addition to this new appointment, Revs. Agtarap and Llenado will continue to serve their current appointments, Tacoma First United Methodist Church (UMC) and Fairwood Community UMC, respectively.

It was previously announced that Rev. Derek Nakano, the current SeaTac District Superintendent, would receive an appointment to Des Moines UMC in July.

In December, Bishop Bridgeforth announced that he would be initiating a new supervision model for the area beginning with this opening in the SeaTac District, writing, “As superintendents roll off the cabinet, I will appoint two- to three-person superintendency teams with a three- to four-year commitment instead of replacing them with full-time superintendents. These teams will include pastoral leaders who serve part-time in the superintendency role and, most often, part-time in the local church to which they are currently appointed. They will work collaboratively within the district and beyond, with each superintendent overseeing a subdistrict that will not exceed 20 churches.”

This change is one way Bishop Bridgeforth hopes to align conference leadership with a desire raised during the Ministry Priority conversations last year for leadership “closer to the ground.”

“Some of what we heard last summer and fall spoke very clearly that the folks across our area want leadership that is contextual. Churches want leadership closer to them and are asking to be resourced in ways that matter within the local church.”

Revs. Agtarap and Llenado already serve churches within the SeaTac District, and Rev. Schindler lives nearby (currently on Family Leave) and has served several churches in the district; the superintendency team is well rooted in the area and already connected with many of the colleagues they will support in this new ministry role.

Subdistricts will allow for more affinity and collaboration

When discussing this new model of superintendency, Bishop Bridgeforth notes that part-time superintendency is not the same as being a part-time district superintendent. Where District Superintendents have most often been assigned to oversee large districts with lines that can appear arbitrary, the new model will allow for more affinity with traffic flows, people patterns, and cultural connections, helping to determine the subdistricts of approximately 15 local ministries that each superintendent will relate most closely too.

While they will each work closely with their respective subdistrict, the SeaTac Superintendency Team is also being asked to initiate a team-based collaborative model, allowing each member to lead from and bless the whole with their strengths. As they balance the superintendency’s expectations with other responsibilities, they will also lean upon each other to attend to necessary administrative tasks and work with district lay leadership to identify shared opportunities for mission and training.

Early hopes from the SeaTac Superintendency Team

The three appointed leaders—Rev. Shalom Agtarap, Rev. Ferdie Llenado, and Rev. Elizabeth Schindler—bring a rich diversity of gifts and a shared passion for equipping churches to thrive. Together, they will walk alongside clergy and congregations, fostering creative partnerships and building a vision of ministry that is both sustainable and impactful.

Rev. Shalom Agtarap highlights the significance of this appointment as an opportunity to engage in more relational and transformative work:

“As connectional as we are, we rarely get to work as a ‘we’ in day-to-day ministry. This appointment marks an intentional shift toward collaboration, building power in the same community for greater impact and embodying a commitment to eliminating racism. I’m excited to help shape discipleship that makes a meaningful difference in the world.”

Rev. Ferdie Llenado expresses curiosity and hope for what this new model of superintendency can bring:

“I’m eager to see how this new way of leadership can foster fresh energy and vitality in our district and conference. By forming creative intersections between churches and fostering shared ventures, we can discover new ways of being the Church of Jesus. When challenges arise, I believe they will only strengthen our resolve to grow and innovate. I look forward to building strong team chemistry with Elizabeth and Shalom and consider it an honor to serve alongside them.”

Rev. Elizabeth Schindler sees this appointment as a chance to lead with authenticity and embrace new possibilities for the district:

“I’m honored to serve alongside Shalom and Ferdie, knowing that together we can lead with deep relationships, attentiveness to context, and openness to new ways of doing and being church. Though we each bring different gifts and experiences, we share a common love for our local churches and a desire to see them flourish. I hope that as we challenge and learn from one another, we not only serve the district well but also model a more sustainable way of carrying out the work of superintendency.”

This new superintendency team reflects a spirit of collaboration and innovation, seeking to empower congregations and leaders across the SeaTac District. As they step into this new role, they invite the district to join them in embracing fresh possibilities for ministry, deepening relationships, and living into the call to be the Church in transformative ways.

Incoming SeaTac Superintendency Team

Rev. Shalom Agtarap is an ordained Elder who builds community through relational organizing. She is a graduate of Wesley Seminary and is an experienced antiracist facilitator. Her roots are in the church and are watered by many streams as she intentionally cultivates connections across racial and ethnic lines, religious traditions, and socioeconomic backgrounds for the common good. She is a proud pastor’s kid, and she and her spouse are raising three children in Tacoma’s Lincoln District. She has served First UMC of Tacoma for six years, out of which Common Good Tacoma, a grassroots organizing hub and nonprofit, was founded.

Rev. Ferdie Llenado is the Lead Pastor of Fairwood Community UMC. Before coming to Washington, he also served in Alaska, New Jersey, and the Philippines. He earned his Doctor of Missiology degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. He intentionally creates collaborative spaces where mutual discipleship, lay empowerment, and authentic relationships flourish. Ferdie is still learning how to be a dad to three amazing teenagers and an energetic labradoodle. He is the proud husband of a successful CNOR Nurse named Louie. Recently, he started running and, in a slow and steady phase, just completed a 5K.

Rev. Elizabeth Ingram Schindler was born a Southerner but has called the PNW home for almost twenty years. She’s a graduate of Southern Methodist University and Duke Divinity School and will soon earn a master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University. She is passionate about helping people respond to God’s call and building the systems that support ministry. She served local churches for 15 years before taking three years off for rest, discernment, and learning, and she is excited to return to active ministry at this crucial time when the church has such a vital role in tilting the world toward love and justice. She is a proud resident of Issaquah, where she lives with her brilliant spouse, two remarkable teenagers, and an unruly little dog.

Conference treasurers discuss new Benefits/HR position and collaborative vision

Wednesday, September 4, 2024 • Interview by Patrick Scriven

This week, the Greater Northwest Area announced a candidate search for a new Director of Benefits and Human Resources. The position is the first step toward a vision of shared administrative services across the area, following several years of intense planning and conversations. Once hired, the Director of Benefits and Human Resources will resource and support the Alaska (AK), Oregon-Idaho (OR-ID, and Pacific Northwest (PNW) Conferences of The United Methodist Church and its local churches and ministries.

I spoke with Sara Goetze, OR-ID Acting Treasurer and Controller, and Brant Henshaw, AK/PNW Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services, to better understand this position and how it fits their larger vision for the area. Our conversation has been edited for brevity and to provide clarity.

So, thank you, Brant and Sara, for taking the time to explore this new position and the idea of shared services with me. How did we get to this point?

Brant Henshaw (BH): In 2018, we began to discuss overlap and collaboration, particularly in finance and administration. Dan Wilson-Fey (OR-ID Treasurer and Benefits Officer who retired in 2022), Sandra Reinemer, and I compiled a spreadsheet of common tasks and differences across our three conferences. We also considered the distinct ways each conference handled benefits because of increased cross-conference appointments.

Examining the similarities in our administrative work helped us see the opportunity for more collaboration. The pandemic also forced us out of our silos as we pulled together to resource churches during a crisis moment. It also highlighted issues that can emerge when we aren’t aligned.

As conversations progressed, our focus has been on aligning our resourcing, not a merger. A merger may happen someday, but it is not part of our plans.

Sara Goetze (SG): And our bishop (Cedrick Bridgeforth) has been clear about that.

In our discussions, we have been working on talking the same language and trying to solve the same problems. This has also included shifts for each conference regarding platforms and procedures, with everyone contributing some discomfort to the cause. Other changes, like an adjustment to align the dates when local church statistics are due, were painless, with churches in OR-ID receiving a few additional weeks for reporting.

I imagine this continuity is helpful for staff and also less confusing for clergy serving in a cross-conference appointment.

SG: Correct.

Our conversations have continued over the past two years, moving beyond staff to engage other key stakeholders. Currently, an implementation team with representatives from the OR-ID and PNW Conferences is meeting regularly to discuss each conference’s needs, review potential positions, and ensure that the staff of any shared administrative office works with and is accountable to existing conference boards. We expect the full fruit of their work to come before members of each conference sometime over the next 12 months.

BH: So, it’s kind of a stay-tuned moment. For now, let me say that more collaboration would allow us to offer more specialization and resiliency, meaning local churches would have access to more expertise and better service without an increase in apportionments.

Still, even if we move toward a shared office or team offering administrative services, we will continue to operate out of the existing conference offices with staff in both locations. For this new position, we are open to them working out of the office in Portland or Des Moines.

Brant, earlier, you mentioned Dan Wilson-Fey, who retired in 2022. I know there have been several other retirements and transitions since 2018. How have these impacted your strategizing for more collaboration and planning for this new position?

BH: Any change in staffing can be an opportunity to adjust and consider what is different and how an organizational shift might be practical to meet the moment better.

Director of Benefits and Human Resources

The Greater Northwest Area (GNW) of The United Methodist Church is actively seeking a Director of Benefits and Human Resources to oversee all aspects of the GNW’s Benefits and Human Resources Department. This role is responsible for benefit administration and programming for GNW active and retired clergy, Conference and Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries staff; budget coordination; cash, investment, and trust management. The ideal candidate will also be responsible for administering the GNW human resource policies in collaboration with the Area Human Resources Personnel Committee.

The deadline for receiving applications is October 1, 2024. If you know of someone who might be interested, please have them: Click Here to Apply.

GNW is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks and encourages applications from minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities. All offers of employment are subject to the applicant successfully completing background, reference, and other applicable checks.

Dan’s retirement and other experienced and foreseeable transitions have been part of our conversations. Over the past few years, both the OR-ID and PNW Conferences have had several impactful staff transitions. It isn’t coincidental that I submitted the first formal proposal for a shared office in 2022, the same year Dan and PNW Assistant Treasurer Rik Jamieson retired.

As we have been having earnest conversations about shared services in finance, administration, and benefits, we have been trying to make space, including leaving some positions empty, for the possibility of shared services to become a reality.

Another big retirement looming for the Alaska and PNW Conference was announced at our (PNW) Annual Conference, long-serving PNW Benefits Officer Bruce Galvin. How does this relate to that?

BH: Bruce’s plan to retire in 2026 goes a long way toward explaining why we are hiring for this position now rather than waiting for the completion of other ongoing conversations. Both conferences have some existing needs that are already unfilled that this position will cover, but right now, we also have an opportunity for overlap. We aim to provide continuity and avoid any disruption that might impact services.

SG: In the OR-ID office, our need for a benefits officer is more pressing as benefits have gotten more complicated with the adoption of the Compass Retirement Plan by General Conference. There is a need for more direct communication with clergy about that plan and for managing the three legacy plans. Some of the human resourcing elements of the position are more pressing for the Alaska and PNW Conferences. Moving forward now is a win-win for the area.

How are you going about this hiring process, and when do you expect whoever is hired to come online?

SG: We are working with GCFA (the denomination’s General Council on Finance and Administration) for the hiring process. Our goal is to have someone in place by the end of October or early November. GCFA will help advertise the position inside and outside the connection and support the interview process.

It is valuable to us to hire someone who can speak United Methodist if possible. Working with GCFA will help, as recruiting in this area with the Church is really hard.

How is this position going to be financed?

BH: The Director of Benefits and Human Resources will be funded by existing resources under the care of conference pensions boards, with no new apportioned dollars required. This is a blessing from the excellent stewarding work of our shared resources in the past.

How do this hiring and the efforts toward shared services relate to Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth’s conversations with each conference around setting ministry priorities?

BH: As we mentioned, these conversations around shared services have been ongoing for a long time. Of course, we will be respectful and responsive to what emerges from those conversations and are eager to see the results of those efforts.

That said, this new benefits/HR position will meet needs that exist today and will exist tomorrow, regardless of the ministry priorities each conference identifies.

Any last thoughts or hopes to share?

BH: We have learned that collaboration isn’t easy. Getting to this point has taken a lot of work, but we are starting to see the other side. While this work has asked a lot from us and a lot from those who have been having honest and direct conversations about our commonalities and differences, we know it will be a real benefit for those we are called to serve.

SG: Collaboration is the best path to sustainably resourcing our local churches and ministries and honoring our obligations. We see this position and the shared services office as an opportunity to provide more value while keeping costs neutral and saving money down the road.

In the short run, it would be easier to work in our silos. However, one of the strengths of United Methodism is our connectionalism. Why would we turn away from that?

Patrick Scriven serves as director of communications for the Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church.

A pastoral letter from Bishop Cedrick on the eve of the scheduled execution in Idaho of Thomas E. Creech

*Thomas Creech is a prisoner at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution outside of Boise and is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 10 a.m., local time.*

Thomas Eugene Creech is a child of God who was created in the image and likeness of God.

Life is a gift and blessing from our Creator. Life is not ours to take nor end. Even as the state determines it has the power to end a life, that does not mean it has the right, nor does that make it right. We have power and how much more powerful is life and love than damnation and death?

I have not met or spoken with Mr. Creech, but I have a bishop colleague who has met and engaged him in conversation. This bishop shared with me the humility and humanity he witnessed and felt in the presence of Mr. Creech. I imagine when one is aware that their life rests in the hands of a system that finds it easiest and more just to kill than extend clemency, humility is all that’s left alongside despair.

Mr. Creech’s execution is scheduled for 10 a.m. Mountain Standard Time tomorrow. I invite you all to be in prayer with me as we lament this action being taken by the State of Idaho. If you feel called, in an act of solidarity with other churches, please do ring your church bells at 10 a.m. MST to offer a physical manifestation of our collective grief.

May we work to end the death penalty, express humility, extend mercy, and expect grace in the face of the loveless acts that we now await and expect. God created each of us in God’s own image and likeness. We are all made of the same sinew and possibility as Mr. Thomas Eugene Creech.

Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth
resident bishop, GNW Episcopal Area

Bridgeforth brings experience, collaborative mindset into new role as bishop of the Greater NW Area

Growing up in rural Alabama, it was Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth’s grandparents who made sure he got to church – even on the days he didn’t want to be there.

But it was in the church, Lakeview United Methodist and Oakville Baptist churches that he found purpose – even on the hard days. After serving in the U.S. Air Force and earning a bachelor’s degree in religion from Samford University and a master of divinity degree from Claremont School of Theology, he has found the joy, purpose and calling that led him to become a newly-elected bishop in The United Methodist Church.

“Hopefully, people can see that the degrees, the titles, and the experiences are not where I began. That’s just where I’m on the journey right now,” Bridgeforth said. “I do that in a way to connect with people. My leadership style is about connecting with people.”

On Jan. 1, 2023, Bridgeforth will begin serving as bishop of the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area of The UMC. The GNW Area comprises the Alaska Conference, Oregon-Idaho Conference and Pacific Northwest Conference. He currently serves as the director of communication and innovation for the California-Pacific Conference.

When he was elected on the 18^th ballot at the Western Jurisdictional Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Nov. 4, he became the first openly gay African American male to hold the title of bishop within The UMC. His husband, Christopher Hucks-Ortiz, stood by his side as he was welcomed. It’s history he’s proud to make, but it is only part of his story and ministry.

Raised on a farm in rural Alabama, Bridgeforth has served churches in the California-Pacific Conference since 1999. He became an ordained elder in full connection with the church in 2006. He has served at Bowen Memorial United Methodist Church and Crenshaw United Methodist Church, before supervising many churches as a district superintendent in Cal-Pac Conference. He also has been a clergy coach and nonprofit consultant, has served on the board of the Black Methodists for Church Renewal, worked as the director of academic programs and outreach at the University of LaVerne and is a published author, to name a few things.

Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth addresses the crowd at the WJC 2022 after being elected with spouse Christopher Hucks-Ortiz by his side.

“I want my story to be open and available to people. There are parts of it people will connect with immediately. There are parts that people will hear and say, ‘I don’t get it.’ And that’s fine. All of us have that in our lives,” he said. “My leadership style is very personal. I try to be accessible to people. I like to hear people’s story because it helps me connect with them.”

On Sept. 11, 2001, he met his good friend – who later became his colleague – Dr. Larry Hygh, Jr., when Hygh and others attending the Strengthening the Black Church conference were stranded in Los Angeles due to the terrorist attacks on this country. Hygh said then-District Superintendent (now Bishop) Grant Hagiya sent church leaders out to check on those who were grounded in Los Angeles. Bridgeforth was one of those pastors.

Hygh recalls a caring presence in that moment. The two became better acquainted when, less than a year later, Hygh became the communications director for the Cal-Pac Conference and got to see what Bridgeforth’s ministry was like up close.

“I think he brings a gift of strategic leadership. I also believe he’s a person who can work with folks from various theological perspectives,” Hygh said. “Even when he might not agree, he can find commonality for the sake of the gospel. Folks like him are what we need.”

Hygh said he’s always appreciated his friend’s ability to meet people – all people – wherever they’re at in life. Hygh watched Bridgeforth work, as a district superintendent in the Los Angeles area, with some of the most diverse churches, communities and neighborhoods in the country.

“He makes connections that sometimes other folks do not see,” Hygh said.

This past summer, Bridgeforth, an avid cyclist and supporter of HIV/AIDS research, encouraged Hygh to train for and participate in a 545-mile AIDS/LifeCycle bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money for the San Francisco Aids Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

“He is a much faster cyclist than I am,” Hygh said. “I’m the caboose in the back.”

Nevertheless, Hygh said his friend rode with him in the back one day on the seven-day course and saw a different perspective.

“He’s a servant leader who walks the talk,” Hygh said.

Bridgeforth calls himself collaborative by nature and hopes to bring that work to his role as bishop. He describes it as “a necessity” at this time in the church’s life.

“For us to innovate at the rate we need to, we have to collaborate,” Bridgeforth said.

As he steps into the episcopal role in the Greater Northwest Area, he knows the church is at a critical point. Membership is in decline, and the church may be splintering as some churches seek to disaffiliate before the 2024 General Conference. He knows it’s something that the church will grapple with, and to do that, people must first maintain their hope in Jesus Christ.

“I’m not a person who believes divorce is a bad thing,” Bridgeforth said. “Sometimes divorce is necessary, and it is the only thing that will bring about healing.”

He said it’s a good thing for people to be clear about their values and to bless each other as they depart. But the faithful disciples who remain within the denomination need to be clear about why they have decided to stay – not just because some people they disagree with left.

“Did we remain United Methodists because we believe in the strength of Wesleyan grace? Do we believe in the strength of being connected? Do we believe that serving together is better than just serving on our own? Do we believe that there is truly hope in Jesus Christ? Do we believe we have a message of salvation and resurrection that can resonate in this season and in coming seasons? I’ll preach that; I’ll teach that,” Bridgeforth said. “I want to organize us so that we are delivering that message in every way possible. So that we examine our structures, we examine our policies, and our behaviors so that they align with this understanding of resurrection – of hope on the other side of division.”

*A transition team is working with Bishop Bridgeforth and his family to identify ways in which he will be introduced to our churches and communities over the next several months. We will keep you informed of those opportunities through our newsletter and social media channels as they become known.

RELATED stories from UM News: Western elects Cedrick Bridgeforth as bishop
RELATED: First-elected delegates excited for the gifts, graces Bishop Bridgeforth will bring to the GNW Area

Kristina Gonzalez to serve as GNW Executive Director for Innovation and Vitality

Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky has named Kristina Gonzalez Executive Director for Innovation and Vitality for the Greater Northwest Area. Gonzalez will continue to work with Rev. Dr. Leroy Barber, Director of Innovation for an engaged church. The Innovation Vitality (IV) Team supports local churches, innovation projects and boards and agencies to continue to embrace inclusion, innovation and multiplication as practices of Christian discipleship that are core to vital ministry in the region.

Gonzalez will step into this leadership role following Dr. William Gibson’s resignation as the IV Team Lead, effective March 31.

In making the announcement of Gonzalez’s new role, Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky affirmed that “Greater Northwest Area leadership remains committed to supporting new ways of being church, especially as IV projects help us learn where God is calling us today.”

“The United Methodist Church is struggling. We are declining, divided and constrained by white cultural norms,” Stanovsky acknowledged. “But Jesus continues to deliver good news and invites us into abundant life every day. Many of us struggle to keep pace with what God is up to. Kristina develops systems that foster disciples who look beyond decline to lead a new and bright future. We are blessed that she is willing to step into this role at this time.”

Gonzalez will be responsible for hiring and supervising the IV team staff and consultants, in collaboration with conference directors of connectional ministries, and providing strong support systems for innovation vitality projects and their leaders. She will also continue to ensure that intercultural competency leadership is at the heart of our efforts for this transformative work.

“The Innovation Vitality Team helped to position intercultural competency as central to vitality in our new and existing ministries. Our abilities to interact across cultural differences – race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identities, physical and mental abilities and more – will define us into the future. As Rev. Dr. Barber says, ‘innovation happens at the intersection of difference,’” Gonzalez said.

In her role serving three conferences, Gonzalez will report to the bishop of the Greater Northwest Area. As executive director, Gonzalez will lead during a transition period. The Vitality Commission formed by the 2021 Annual Conferences is reviewing the structure and operations of the IV Team to recommend changes to strengthen this work. The Commission will make a progress report to this year’s annual conference sessions in June and will bring recommendations to improve and streamline vitality work in 2023.

Gonzalez is a trusted leader and expert in intercultural competency with deep connections to United Methodism in the northwest and beyond. First hired as a Pacific Northwest Conference staff member by Bishop Elias Galvan in 1998, she joined the IV Team in 2018, bringing her gifts to the Greater Northwest Area.

“I’ve had the privilege of serving the Pacific Northwest Conference and the GNW Area of our United Methodist Church for more than 20 years. Despite title changes, restructuring and varied visions, my work has been about embedding intercultural competency at all levels of our complex church structure, from local church to the denominational Connectional Table,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is a qualified administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and an associate with the Kaleidoscope Institute for diverse sustainable communities. She has served as faculty of the annual school for United Methodist supervising clergy for 19 years and consults and trains ecumenically in intercultural competency.

Gonzalez has professional experience in the public and non-profit sectors working in the arts and human services. Her community service work includes eight years on the curriculum committee of Leadership Tomorrow, a community leadership program serving the greater Seattle area, and a term on the board of trustees.

She served on The United Methodist Church’s Connectional Table, from 2004-to 2008 and chaired the Washington Association of Churches (now Faith Action Network) for two terms. She served on the board of directors for Bayview Retirement Center in Seattle for two terms.

“My new position title, Executive Director for Innovation and Vitality is simply an extension of my hopes and dreams over time,” Gonzalez said. “Those hopes and dreams; that we in the GNW Area of The UMC embed in our culture the practices of inclusion, innovation and multiplication, as a means of refreshing and renewing our relationships with Jesus Christ through our Wesleyan heritage in ways that are relevant and resonant today.”

Three practices for vital ministry

1. Inclusion – if WE – our ministries, leaders and members become more interculturally competent then we will learn to welcome, include, and partner with our diverse neighbors.

2. Innovation – if “WE” expands to include the variety of people in our neighborhoods, then WE will reach out with openness to join what God is already doing in sparks of innovation that come at the intersection of difference.

3. Multiplication – if our ministries make a difference in the lives of people and their communities, then we will follow Jesus to engage with more new people, and their needs, multiplying the people we partner with and serve.

BSA Extension Letter | Oct. 6, 2021

Grace and Peace to you,

In late August, you received a letter from Bishop Elaine Stanovsky regarding the ongoing Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy, with some guidance originating in our denomination’s legal advisors. This group of chancellors, advised by bankruptcy experts and in consultation with church leaders, is engaged in this very complex matter to ensure that any of our churches who act as chartering organizations, are protected to the fullest extent possible as we wrestle with the shadow of abuse in our midst over many decades.

Previously, the guidance was to pause the chartering/re-chartering of scouting troops with a reset on December 31, 2021. We have now received updated guidance to extend this pause until March 31,2022. With this additional time, the BSA and legal representatives of the UMC will continue work on a new chartering arrangement that protects both organizations appropriately. This means that whatever status (charter or facility use agreement) that your church now has with your troop, old or newly negotiated, can remain in force until the end of March 2022.

There will be a joint statement released this week that will outline this extension for the bankruptcy case to run its course and to give time for development of a new agreed-upon form of agreement for United Methodist organizations wishing to charter a Scout unit in the future.

The two organizations agree that whatever agreements are currently in place can be extended until March 31, 2022, after which a new charter agreement should be available to take the relationship into the future.

Today we ask that you extend your current relationship with BSA troops, at whatever CURRENT status it is, until March 31, 2022, and pray for the survivors’ healing. God has gifted us with compassion and wisdom to reach just settlements and faithfully steward the resources of the UMC.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of us if you have any questions.

In Christ,

Brant and Dan

From the Bishop, RE: Boy Scout units chartered by local United Methodist Churches

Aug. 27, 2021

Dear Greater Northwest United Methodists of the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences:

We send this letter with heavy hearts, knowing that many young people have been harmed while participating in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), over many decades. While countless young persons have benefited from the different programs and levels of Boy Scouting, some have experienced demeaning and abusive behavior while participating in scouting activities and events and have taken their claims to the courts.

Many local United Methodist churches partner as charter organizations for Boy Scout units across the country. The United Methodist Church (TUMC) is committed to being a safe and nurturing place for all people, to healing harm that has been done and, to partnering with organizations that share this commitment. The United Methodist Church is reviewing its relationship with BSA to ensure that the Church is acting responsibly to protect the safety of children and ensure that it is not responsible for harm done during Boy Scout activities.

BSA Current Reality

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is overwhelmed with potential liability exposure from sexual assault allegations nationwide. The BSA has filed for bankruptcy protection. Under both of the proposed plans that the BSA has suggested as ways to continue after the bankruptcy, they are leaving their chartered organizations out on a limb by themselves. The chartered organizations are the local churches, schools, and civic groups that sponsor or host a Scout Troop, Pack, Crew, or other unit. The details of these plans are still being played out, but the BSA is placing all of our United Methodist churches who have ever been involved in Scouting in a very difficult position.

Despite their consistent past assurances that they held enough insurance to cover their chartered organizations in case of injured scouts, we now know that the BSA did not have enough or sufficient insurance. The local churches are at risk of having to pay significant sums to victims to compensate them for the damages they suffered at the hands of some Scout leaders. In addition, the local churches will have to pay for the cost of their own attorneys to defend those claims. All of this is because the BSA did not fulfill their promise to have enough insurance to protect the local churches.

Future Relationship with the BSA

Our team, made up of the Bishop, her GNW Area assistant, and the treasurers and chancellors of the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Annual Conferences, recommends that local churches change their relationships with Scouting units.

If your local church currently charters a Scout unit, we recommend that you NOT renew that chartering agreement when it is up for renewal or re-chartering this fall. Instead, we recommend one of three options, the choice of which is up to you:

Tell the local Scout council that you will NOT renew that chartering agreement but will only extend the current agreement until December 31, 2021.
Tell the local Scout council that you will NOT renew that chartering agreement but will enter into a Facilities Use Agreement with their unit until December 31, 2021.
Tell the local Scout council that you will terminate the existing charter agreement and replace it with a Facilities Use Agreement with their unit until December 31, 2021.

In options 2 and 3, the Facilities Use Agreement will act similar to a lease allowing the Scout unit to continue using your space, but they will be responsible for everything else, including the selection of leaders. A proposed agreement template can be found here. Also, please let your Conference Treasurer know if you are currently hosting a scout troop in any of the above described manners.

After December 31, 2021, we should be in a better position to see how the future will unfold. Once a reorganization plan is approved by the bankruptcy court, we will know better how to proceed.

If your local church does not charter a Scout unit at this time, we recommend that you NOT consider chartering a unit until the bankruptcy case is finalized and we have an understanding of how The United Methodist relationship with Scouts will continue in the future.

We understand that these suggestions are dramatic, but we think them to be the prudent course of action at this time. We want to protect our local churches from being accused of contributing to the abuse of children and to the resulting risk of costly litigation.

Closing Thoughts

Boy Scout councils have begun contacting local churches directly that host Boy Scout units. One such letter is attached here. If you receive any communication from a local Scout council or the BSA advising or encouraging you to contact a Boy Scout attorney, please report this at once to Rev. Carlo A. Rapanut, Assistant to the Bishop. His email is carlorapanut@gmail.com.

We know the value of scouting. It has played a very large role in the mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church for a very long time. But the BSA is not proving faithful to The United Methodist Church as they leave us without the protections that they promised. We simply cannot currently commit to the relationship with the BSA as we have in the past. Until we know how the BSA will be organized and operate in the future, we must make some changes. Hopefully, we will be able to continue our long connection with scouting in some way, but we need to make some changes today to help prevent us from being dragged down with the BSA in the future.

May God’s mighty, surprising, Holy Spirit work a miracle of healing in the lives of people harmed by abuse. May God bless and keep us honest, diligent and wise through this process.

Faithfully,

Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky
Greater NW Area
The United Methodist Church

Rev. Carlo A. Rapanut
Assistant to the Bishop
GNW Area of The UMC

Brant Henshaw
Conference Treasurer
Pacific Northwest & Alaska Conferences

Rev. Dan Wilson-Fey
Conference Treasurer/Benefits Officer
Oregon-Idaho
Attached documents:
Facility use agreement template for Boy Scouts of America.
Letter related to BSA sent to pastor at Homer UMC in Alaska.

GNW Area creates Circle of Indigenous Ministries

As friendships and ministries with Native American and Indigenous peoples grow, the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church is creating the Circle of Indigenous Ministries. Developing mutual, healing, and life-affirming relationships with Native Americans and Indigenous peoples in and outside the church is part of the GNW Area’s ongoing efforts to heal historic trauma and dismantle racism.

Rev. Dr. Allen Buck, pastor of Great Spirit United Methodist Church in Portland and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is being appointed as the director of the Circle of Indigenous Ministries, beginning July 1. Rev. Buck will also continue as part-time pastor at Great Spirit.

The Circle will support Native American and Indigenous churches, fellowships, and ministry partners through resourcing, coaching, consultation, and friendship in the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences.

Rev. Dr. Allen Buck at the Wallowa land return ceremony in April

“The goal is to do what we have been doing, but do it more intentionally,” said Buck.

Since Buck was appointed to Great Spirit UMC in Portland in 2017, he has assisted the Oregon-Idaho Conference, as well as his colleagues in the Pacific Northwest Conference and Alaska Conference, in acts of repentance, land return and healing with Native American communities across the area.

“The Christian Church has done deep and lasting harm to Indigenous peoples and cultures around the world for centuries,” Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky said. “Rev. Buck is helping us learn our history, repent of our sins and form healing partnerships based on humility and mutual respect. ”

“The Circle of Indigenous Ministries will amplify Indigenous voices and their wisdom while also empowering more authentic leadership of Native American and Indigenous peoples within the church,” said Oregon-Idaho Conference Director of Connectional Ministry Laurie Day, who also serves assistant to Bishop Stanovsky.

For years, the Oregon-Idaho Conference has supported Huckleberry Camp for Native American youth at Camp Magruder in the summers as well as a Nez Perce culture camp at Wallowa Lake Camp in northeastern Oregon. In 2016, the unofficial spiritual home of Native American United Methodists in Oregon-Idaho Conference, Wilshire United Methodist Church in Portland, was on the verge of closing. Former Columbia District Superintendent, Rev. Erin Martin, recruited Buck, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, to serve Wilshire UMC and help grow its ministry into what is now Great Spirit UMC.

The Greater Northwest Area has moved recently into larger acts of repentance and healing, including returning a portion of Wallowa Lake Camp to The Nez Perce Tribe in 2018. In April, the Conference returned the former Wallowa UMC property to the Nimiipuu as well.

Day said Buck has also helped leadership across the Greater Northwest Area begin acts of land recognition, repentance and building more friendships with local tribes and native organizations.

In addition to its work with the Nez Perce Tribe, Great Spirit UMC took ownership of the Chiloquin United Methodist Church building in southern Oregon, when the congregation was officially closed in 2020. Great Spirit UMC has since turned building use over to The Stronghold, a Native-led organization which partners with the Klamath Tribe to provide culturally responsive peer support services to Native people in transition – be it homelessness due to natural disasters, domestic abuse, drug addiction or more.

Buck said there were no conditions placed upon The Stronghold’s use of the building, because as the church works to decolonize white spaces, it is important to listen to what the Native and Indigenous communities want or need.

“It’s all about relationships,” Buck said. “You can’t do Indigenous ministries without relationships.”

Buck said he is excited to mentor and walk with emerging Native and Indigenous leaders who could serve churches in Native communities. He is eager to partner with the GNW Innovation and Vitality Team to help identify and train culturally responsive leaders in the church.

Day said financial support for The Circle of Indigenous Ministries is coming from across the GNW Area and beyond. This work of recognizing and partnering with Native American, Alaska Native and other populations often marginalized by the church is ongoing.

Nez Perce tribal leaders and Oregon-Idaho Conference leaders exchange words and greetings during the Wallowa UMC land return ceremony in April.

“All of these opportunities are growing, which is why we’re creating the Circle of Indigenous Ministries and we believe Allen Buck is the right leader to continue developing these strong friendships and healing bonds,” Day said. “The need and ministry have grown so much that we cannot wait any longer.”

Grant funding and conferences support will not be enough to develop and sustain the project long-term, which is why the Greater Northwest Area has established a Circle of Indigenous Ministries fund so that individuals may contribute to this growing ministry in the life of the church.

As the incoming director of the new Circle of Indigenous Ministries, Buck said he could use everyone’s prayers as he embarks on this exciting new journey in ministry.

“Pray for us and help us make sure this becomes the priority it needs to be,” he said.

Learn more here


Treasurer Alaska & PNW Conferences bhenshaw@pnwumc.org	Treasurer/Benefits Officer Oregon-Idaho Conference dan@umoi.org