Sheep Surprise Pastor Jim! (10-14-18)
It was Laity Sunday- Pastor Jim was supposed to have the day off. There were no baptisms, no communion, no tasks that could only be done by an elder. And so, Pastor Jim joined the congregation as lay people led the music, prayers, and gave the sermon. But there was one small wrinkle to this Laity Sunday; it was being held during October, which is Pastor Appreciation Month. And so our Christian Education Team took advantage of the situation and surprised our supposedly pew-bound pastor. ...
Read MorePUMC Welcomes Back the Boltons! (7/9/17)
Pastors in the United Methodist Church are appointed one year at a time. Clergy are members of the Annual Conference; not of the local church. And, they are “Itinerant Pastors”, serving for an average of 5-10 years at a local church. July first is the official start of a clergy appointment. For many churches, the last Sunday is June is a difficult time where a congregation says “goodbye” to an outgoing pastor. For others, the first Sunday of July is a day of hope...
Read MoreGreater NJ Annual Conference Meets to Rejoice! (5/22/17)
The yearly conference meeting of the Greater NJ Annual Conference was held in Wildwood on a Sunday through Tuesday beginning May 22. The legislative schedule was comparatively light, but the conference (as usual) was filled with worship, fellowship, and learning.
Read on to learn more about this year’s annual conference.
Greater NJ Annual Conference Set to… Conference (5/22/16)
We United Methodists operate in an environment of what we call The Connection; we’re not alone. Together with other United Methodists we can pole our resources and accomplish much more for the building of God’s Kingdom than we could on our own. Pitman United Methodist Church is a member of…. the Delaware Bay District… which is a member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference… which is part of the Northeastern Jurisdiction… which is part of the global...
Read MoreLaity Sunday to be Celebrated this Sunday (10/19/14)
In the United Methodist Church, we’re all “Ministers.” Those ministers among us who wear robes and stoles are called Clergy. Those ministers who wear choir robes and aprons are called Laity. Clergy guide and nurture the church. They provide for “Word, Order, and Sacrament.” But laity are the backbone of ministry. Laity take what is gained in the nurturing environment of the church and use it to make a difference in the lives of those who are outside of the...
Read MoreDS Rev. Jisun Kwak Visits PUMC (8/3/14)
Our new District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Jisun Kwak, is busy trying to meet the people and churches of the Delaware Bay district. Our district is made up of 68 churches covering parts of Salem, Cumberland, and Gloucester counties (the district office is in Woodstown). So it’s quite an undertaking for a new District Superintendent to become acquainted with all of the churches in our district. On Sunday August 3, we were honored to worship with Rev. Kwak during our 11:00 service. After...
Read MorePUMC to Host D.S. Installation (9/21/14)
Effective July 1, the Rev. Dr. Jisun Kwak became our new District Superintendent, Replacing Rev. Richard Nichols (who was appointed as the Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Moorestown). On Sunday September 21, our church will have the honor of hosting her service of installation as the Superintendent of the Delaware Bay District. The service will begin at 3:00 PM, and a reception will be held in our Fellowship Hall afterwards. Bishop John Schol, the presiding bishop of the...
Read MorePastor Larry and Pastor Kee begin new Ministries (7/6/14)
There’s a lot of excitement around our church with the arrival of our new pastor, Rev. Jim Bolton. But our previous pastors have moved on and their new churches are welcoming them also. Rev. Dr. Larry Potts (formerly our Senior Pastor) is now serving at the Franklinville UMC, and Rev. Kee Young Yang (formerly our Associate Pastor) is now serving at the St. Paul’s UMC in Bayhead NJ. The church websites of these churches offer a glimpse into the arrival of their new pastors…...
Read MorePUMC Welcomes the Boltons! (7/6/14)
We welcomed Rev. Jim Bolton, wife Judy, and daughters Rebecca and Lindsey during their first Sunday with us on July 6. As Rev. Bolton said at the beginning of the service, “Worship should be fun!” And it certainly was an uplifting celebration as the Boltons joined our church family. A pastor is not only the guy in the pulpit, but he (or she) is also a vital part of our church family. We are thrilled that the Boltons now call PUMC their home! Who Am I??? Pastor Jim and his...
Read MorePastor Jim Bolton Begins His Ministry at PUMC!!! (7/6/14)
Pastor Jim’s first Sunday with us is this week- July 6. His sermon this week is entitled- appropriately- “Who Am I?” He is preaching on Matthew 16:13-16 and Joshua 1:1-9. Communion will be celebrated during both services. The second service will also feature the initial get-together of “Pastor’s Pals” (the children’s sermon). So if you’re young enough to join Pastor Jim (or feel young enough to be with the kids), plan on coming down to the...
Read MoreRev. Bolton Becomes PUMC Pastor (7/1/14)
Rev. Dr. Jim Bolton is now our senior pastor!!! The sad “goodbyes”of this transition have now turned into joyous “hellos!” Our new pastor is with us, and Jim, Judy, and daughters Rebecca and Lindsey have joined our church family. As we look forward, our excitement about the ministry we can do under Pastor Jim’s leadership continues to grow and grow. And now we anticipate the joy of welcoming the Boltons to our church during their first Sunday with us (this...
Read MoreDr. Jisun Kwak Becomes Delaware Bay District Superintendent (7/1/14)
Lost in the excitement of the arrival of our new Pastor, our district of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference is also getting a new District Superintendent. Rev. Dr. Jisun Kwak, who has been serving as the D.S. of the Gateway North District has moved south to Woodstown (district office) to guide our district. As of July 1, Rev. Kwak is our District Superintendent. Rev. Richard Nichols, who has served as our District Superintendent for the last 6 years is returning to the...
Read MoreThere Must Be 50 Ways (to welcome a pastor)
On Sunday July 6 we will welcome Jim and Judy Bolton and their daughters to Pitman. As we begin to embrace Rev. Bolton as our pastor, here are some practical things we should be doing. Check out the following link… http://www.churchleadership.com/50Ways/NewPastor.html?id=tweet20140515
Read MoreCongregation says Goodbye to Pastor Larry and Pastor Kee (6/15/14)
Sunday June June 15 was Father’s Day, but another issue weighed on our minds as we worshiped on that morning. Several months ago it was announced that the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference had decided to not re-appoint Rev. Dr. Larry Potts to our church as our senior pastor. Instead, he will be appointed to the Franklinville UMC. In addition, our Associate Pastor, Rev. Kee Young Yang will be appointed as the senior pastor of the St. Paul’s UMC in Bayhead NJ. Pastors in the...
Read MorePastor Transition Schedule (6/22 – 6/29)
Last night (June 8) we celebrated the ministry of our pastors; Rev. Kee Young Yang and Rev. Dr. Larry Potts. But our time with them is running short. Here’s the schedule for the upcoming Sundays during this transition period… June 15 Pastor Larry and Pastor Kee’s last Sunday with us. June 22 No clergy will be present, but God’s work continues. The choirs will lead a service looking back at our heritage and praising God for our church. It will be a celebration of...
Read MorePUMC Celebrates the Ministry of Pastor Larry and Pastor Kee (6/8/14)
On the evening of Sunday June 8, we held a covered dish dinner and celebrated the ministries of our pastors, Rev. Kee Yang and Rev. Dr. Larry Potts. It was a huge turnout, a lot of food, and time of special memories and celebration. Effective July 1, our Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Larry Potts will be appointed to the Franklinville United Methodist Church and our Associate Pastor, Rev. Kee-Young Yang will become the senior pastor of the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Bayhead, NJ. Rev....
Read MoreCelebrate the Ministry of Our Pastors (6/8/14)
Effective July 1, our Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Larry Potts will be appointed to the Franklinville United Methodist Church and our Associate Pastor, Rev. Kee-Young Yang will become the senior pastor of the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Bayhead, NJ. Rev. Dr. Jim Bolton will become our new senior pastor. Pastor Larry has been with us for 6 years and pastor Kee for 3. Click Here to see the announcement about the changes in appointments. Even as pastors and congregations look towards...
Read MoreTransition? New Pastors? God’s already got us covered! (5/3/14)
In the United Methodist church, pastors are appointed to a church for one year. Usually, pastors are re-appointed to their current church, but true to our heritage of serving with “circuit pastors”, change is inevitable. All appointments in our conference begin on July 1. In the weeks leading up to that date, things can get pretty hectic for the churches which are changing pastors. A “dance of dominoes” begins where pastors move from parsonage to parsonage and...
Read MoreRev. Jim Bolton Appointed as New PUMC Pastor
In the United Methodist Church, pastors are appointed for a year at a time. Appointments are decided by the Bishop of the conference (in our case, Bishop John Schol, of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference). The bishop works closely with his “cabinet.” to match the gifts and abilities of a pastor to the needs of each local church. The bishop’s cabinet is made up of the District Superintendents. These superintendents oversee the churches in each of the...
Read MoreRev. Nichols Appointed to FUMC Moorestown (6/30/14)
Delaware Bay District The Rev. Richard W. Nichols District Superintendent PO Box 125, 149 South Main Street, Woodstown, NJ 08098 Tel: 856-624-4468 – Fax: 856-624-4463- Email: delawarebay@gnjumc.org Rev. Richard Nichols March 4, 2014 Friends, This past Saturday, over 200 persons gathered at the Pitman United Methodist Church for the District Day of Learning. What a wonderful day of worship, learning, and fellowship. My deepest appreciation...
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