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Inland and Seven Rivers Superintendency Team

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth intends to appoint Rev. Geoff Helton, Rev. Cody Natland,  and Rev. Hubert Rigor to a superintendency team overseeing the Inland and Seven Rivers District beginning July 1, 2026. Rev. Daniel Miranda will continue to serve as Inland and Seven Rivers District Superintendent through the next appointment year before ending his tenure in the role.

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Columbia and Sage District Superintendents team

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth intends to appoint Rev. Dr. Troy Lynn Carr, Rev. Melissa Harkness and Rev. Dr. Rob Walters to a superintendency team overseeing the Sage and Columbia Districts in the Oregon-Idaho Conference, July 1, 2026. Rev. Karen Hernandez will continue to serve as Columbia and Sage District Superintendent through the next appointment year before ending her tenure in the role.

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GNW Area seeks director of property asset management

Director of Property Asset Management

The Greater Northwest Area (GNW) of The United Methodist Church is actively seeking a Director of Property Asset Management

to oversee the management of GNW property resources in support of the ministry of the conference. The director partners with conference leadership to strategically manage and maintain real estate and other property in alignment with ministry priorities and GNW’s framework of the M.I.L.E. (Ministry that Matters, Itineration and Location, Lay Ministry Enhancement and Eliminating Racism). The Director also oversees management of the Conference Center Operations for the Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest conferences and the conference owned property portfolio, including closed churches, clergy staff housing, and vehicles.

The GNW encompasses ministries in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, supported by three Conferences (Alaska, PNW, Oregon-Idaho). This position is part of a team of directors coordinating administrative and shared services for the GNW Area and advises several committees, including the Board of Trustees, Archives and History, Congregational Development, and District Committees on Building and Location. The Director will communicate regularly with local churches, district superintendents, and conference committees on financial and business matters, and play a key role in financial, strategic, and conference-wide planning. The Director must provide timely, attentive service and support to conference members, churches, and staff, acting as a change agent when necessary.

Essential functions:

  • Oversee asset and facilities management for the GNW Area in consultation with the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, while supervising assigned staff
  • Develop and implement information systems and other asset management strategies, including identification and classification, lifecycle management, cost optimization and security management for ministry priorities
  • Ensure property management and maintenance budgets operate within budget
  • Manage vendor relationships and performance for office supplies, equipment, technology, and IT support services
  • Oversee building maintenance, repairs, safety inspections, and managing building systems, equipment, and infrastructure
  • Develop and implement strategies to manage real estate assets, including property deployment, maintenance, utilization and protection for ministry priorities
  • Partner with Directors of Connectional Ministries to envision and implement use of property as a resource to support ministry development
  • Guide church teams or committees through strategic planning, needs assessments, organizational audits, funding identification, and other operational tasks to expand and grow community-facing ministries.
  • Serve as the point of contact for affordable housing and property redevelopment inquiries, coordinating with relevant personnel to support congregations and conferences through discernment, discovery, and development stages.
  • Oversee real estate leasing, tenant relations, appraisals, and sales of closed churches, as well as maintenance of conference-owned parsonages and the Episcopal Residence for the Bishop
  • Responsible for negotiation and coordination of vehicle purchases and leases
  • Conduct risk and safety assessments, develop and implement risk management plans in alignment with ministry priorities
  • Manage liability insurance and oversee insurance programs and compliance for Conference Centers and the property portfolio, while providing resources to local churches on risk and property management issues
  • Evaluate opportunities using financial statements, market trends, and economic indicators, make data-driven decisions, forecast market trends in commercial real estate, and track spending to prioritize resources effectively
  • Communicate complex information to stakeholders, negotiate favorable terms with brokers and vendors, build and maintain relationships, facilitate conflict resolution, and ensure confidentiality of sensitive information.
  • Develop long-term strategies aligned with organizational priorities, stakeholder objectives, and market conditions, using planning tools to evaluate, prioritize, and delegate tasks effectively.
  • Identify and assess risks to asset and facilities management, and develop and implement mitigation strategies

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience preferred.
  • 5+ years of experience in commercial real estate property management required.
  • 3+ years of supervisory experience in multi-cultural and diverse environments required.
  • Strong understanding of property laws and processes in GNW geographic region.
  • Prior experience overseeing commercial lines of insurance for multiple entities
  • Strong understanding of church-owned commercial property experience preferred.
  • Nonprofit management experience is preferred.
  • Knowledge of or willingness to learn, and commitment to, the United Methodist Church and how it functions at the local church, district, conference, area, and general church levels is highly desirable.
  • Understanding and support of the values and mission of the Greater Northwest Area of The United Methodist Church.

Additional Considerations:

  • In-office work schedule out of the Oregon-Idaho Conference Center located in Portland, Oregon or the Pacific Northwest Conference Center located in Des Moines, Washington with occasional travel, some evening and weekend work.
  • Generous health and welfare benefits and paid time off
  • 14 Holidays

To apply please visit:

https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=277387&clientkey=E1CB377AF1A59C982D4A8BC33247365B

Closing Date: 04/23/2025

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. 

No Staffing Agencies or Recruitment Firms

Puget Sound District Superintendency Team

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.

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Crest to Coast Superintendency Team

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth has announced the future appointment of Rev. Katie Ladd and Rev. Bruce Smith to a superintendency team serving the Crest to Coast District beginning in 2026. He also announced an appointment for Rev. Smith to new ministry settings in 2025. The superintendency appointments are part of a broader shift toward collaborative, part-time superintendency — an innovative model designed to bring leadership closer to local churches while supporting continuity and care.

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SeaTac Superintendency Team

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.

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Looking Forward

Bishop Bridgeforth offers an early update on significant leadership transitions coming to the Pacific Northwest and Oregon-Idaho conferences. Beginning in January, we will share announcements related to new superintendency appointments and an experimental team-based model designed to bring leadership closer to the local church while easing financial burdens. These changes come as several current superintendents complete their service in the next 18 months. We’re also expanding the cabinet to include leadership in Indigenous Ministries and continuing our commitments to equity and innovation. The bishop remains committed to sharing transparently as we shape a future responsive to the needs of today’s church.

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Conference treasurers discuss new Benefits/HR position and collaborative vision

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.

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Bishop Bridgeforth previews next ‘Setting Ministry Priorities’ Conversation focused on exploring the purpose of our ministry

Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth invites all laity and clergy across the Greater Northwest (GNW) Area to a series of discussions to uncover each conference’s ministry priorities and staffing needs and our openness to more collaboration. In a new video,Bishop Cedrick previews the next conversations taking place this week.

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