Staff Transitions

United Methodist pastors most often move from one appointment to another after Annual Conference, which this year occurs here at Boston Avenue, May 22-24. At this year’s conference when those pastors who are retiring are announced, the Reverend Kathy Morris will be among them.

Kathy has led our Pastoral Care department for the last two years with great commitment and competency. I have received a regular stream of positive comments from individuals and families who have worked with Kathy during her time here. We are grateful for her splendid service among us. We will miss her, but she (and her husband Richard) will still participate here at Boston Avenue in her retired status as do so many other retired pastors. We will have a farewell reception for her in June before she finishes her time here on staff, which ends on June 30.

Bishop Nunn will be appointing Reverend Betsy Stewart-Dooley as our new associate pastor to lead our pastoral care ministry. Betsy is a recent graduate of Saint Paul School of Theology and will be commissioned as an Elder in the United Methodist Church during conference here on Wednesday night during worship in our sanctuary. (Also our Chancel Choir will be leading at that service. You are invited to come for the pre-worship concert at 6:30 p.m. and worship beginning at 7:00 p.m. Our Sistema Orchestra will be playing at the same hour on Tuesday night, if you would like to attend the concert and or the worship.)

Betsy has experience both as a solo pastor and an associate pastor. She is currently serving at Goodrich UMC in Norman, Oklahoma. Betsy’s undergraduate degree is in Missions and Mass Communications. Her experience includes work in video production and digital ministry. We will look forward to welcoming Betsy and her husband Alex and their daughter Vivian (18 months old) on Sunday morning July 2 at a combined Unity Worship service.

Betsy is a fifth generation Oklahoman, the descendant of both white settlers and Chickasaw family who walked the Trail of Tears. She is a proud citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. She is very excited to be appointed to serve here at Boston Avenue and to meet all of you. I hope you will be here on Sunday morning July 2nd to help us welcome her and her family into our Boston Avenue family.

Yours in Christ,
David