To My John Wesley Sisters and Brothers:

Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, Christ our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, our sustainer.

It is a privilege and honor to serve as your pastor. God continues to be more than generous and abounding in steadfast grace.

I am excited as I anticipate what God is going to do through us during this time of vital ministry.

Therefore, I offer to you my willing spirit, as I seek yours, and hope that we can soon come together, however appropriate, and begin to have some vital conversation. Nothing more, nothing less. 

During our time together, I hope you will detect one of my greater strengths: my gift to listen. I want to hear from you and then I want to facilitate a process which will define what has been said. This I understand to be the crux of effective leadership.

I am fully aware that effective ministry in JWUMC has been going on long before I arrived last Sunday. My job is to understand what has been going on; what is going on; and help to decide what is the potential for the future. 
 
Let me encourage you, my sisters and brothers, to join me yesterday, in getting started with having some conversation.

If COVID has taught us anything, it has taught us to exercise options. LET'S DO IT!!!

Your Humble Servant:
Rev. James A. Bishop