Clergy News
Passages
12/13/2023
Rev. David Sanders, retired elder, passed away Wednesday, November 22, at his home in Chelsea, OK. David, along with his wife, Paula, had served the Chelsea Memorial UMC for 18 years up to the ...
Passages
11/9/2023
Donald Lee Harris, father of retired elder Rob Harris, and father in law to Trish Harris, full-time local pastor at Spencer/Nicoma Park, passed away October 9, 2023, at age 94 in Yukon, Okla. Harris ...
Passages
10/5/2023
Retired elder Rev. Ed Cook passed away Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. Before entering ministry, he earned his degree in hotel and restaurant management, serving as regional vice president of Jerry’s ...
Passages
9/7/2023
Rev. Joe Robinson, retired pastor, passed away August 15. He served many Oklahoma churches since 1976, where he started at Bennington. From Broken Arrow First to Norman Goodrich to Ponca City ...
Passages
8/9/2023
Glennda Louise Main, widow of retired elder Gerald Main, passed away Sunday, June 18. She was a pianist who directed children’s ministry as her husband served as pastor. The Mains served many ...
Passages
6/8/2023
Retired elder Bob Langston passed away at age 82 on May 5, 2023, in Ada. Rev. Langston was serving Allen UMC. He had served many Oklahoma churches since his initial appointment at Madill in 1976, ...
Late pastor’s family takes tour of many churches served
5/4/2023
The life of a good pastor leaves a lasting impact. That fact was borne out earlier this year by the adult children of Rev. Howard Roberts, who served many United Methodist churches during his tenure ...
Passages
5/4/2023
Marilyn Ehlers, wife of Rev. Richard Ehlers, passed away April 4. The couple were married for 63 years. Mrs. Ehlers was an active United Methodist throughout her life. She taught home economics in ...
Keeping the Faith
4/5/2023
Matt Morgan I’m not sure exactly what year it was. What I do know is that it was some time in the early 1980s…and it was a Sunday. I remember walking back into the nursery and letting go of my mother’...
Passages
4/5/2023
Rev. John Foster, retired elder passed away March 29, at age 88. He and his wife, Carol, were married for 59 years. For more than 40 years, Rev. Foster preached in churches like Calumet, Stillwater, ...
Passages
2/7/2023
Rev. John H. “Jack” Winkler passed away Sunday, January 8, 2023.. He pastored Methodist churches in the communities of Sulphur, Leedey, Hominy, Muskogee, Oklahoma Conference Youth & Camps, Mooreland, ...
Passages
1/11/2023
Susan Wood, wife of retired elder Roger Wood, passed away on December 13, 2022. Services were at 11 am, Monday, Dec. 19, at Ardmore Asbury UMC. Active in multiple ministries herself, Susan and her ...
Passages
12/6/2022
Ben Ewing Jr. passed away Friday, November 18. He was the spouse of Mary Ewing, an associate member who preceded him in death. Mary began as pastor of Friendship Church in Mingo in 1986. The family ...
Passages
11/10/2022
Rev. Dr. Jerry Perryman passed away peacefully at his home in Oklahoma City on November 4. A retired elder, Perryman was first appointed to Ninnekah in 1955. He served numerous churches, including ...
Passages
10/6/2022
Lillie Mae Hobbs passed away on Sept. 7. She was the surviving spouse of Rev. Joseph W. Hobbs who passed away twenty-two years ago. A service was held on Sept 14th at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in ...
Passages
9/14/2022
Bishop John Russell died Sept. 2. Russell spent twenty years leading churches in the Oklahoma Conference such as OKC-Village, Enid-First, and Tulsa-Boston Avenue. He also served an interim appointment...
Passages
7/13/2022
Rev. James T. (Jim) White, who passed away on June 28, 2022. White’s first appointment in the Oklahoma Conference was in 1951; he retired in 1993. In all, he 13 congregations: Arcadia, Bennington, ...
Passages
6/8/2022
Mary Hanes, surviving spouse of Rev. James Willard Hanes passed away on April 13. James served as an associate member in the Oklahoma Conference between 1981 and 1995, pastoring the Marshall, ...
Anticipated Retirees 2022
5/10/2022
Passages
5/10/2022
Rev. Duane F. Roever passed away on April 10, 2022 at 90 years old. Roever pastored churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1976 and 1997. He served six churches during that time: Hitchcock, Fay, ...
Passages
4/6/2022
Earl Minter, spouse of Rev. Carole Minter, passed away on March 4. Carole served in pastoral roles at Tulsa-University and Fairland between 1997 and 2013; she retired in 2008. A service for Earl was ...
Passages
3/7/2022
Janice Bryan passed away on Feb. 2 at the age of 58. Her husband, Rev. Cleo Bryan, was a former pastor at Bowman Chapel UMC. A service was held at The Christ Experience in Oklahoma City on Feb. 14. ...
Passages
2/7/2022
Rev. Mary Ewing, a retired associate member, passed away on Jan. 16. Her spouse Rev. Ben Ewing is a retired pastor in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. A memorial service was held at Geary on...
Passages
1/10/2022
Rev. Charles E. Watson passed away on Dec. 10, 2021 at the age of 84. The long-serving elder pastored more than 30 congregations between 1955 and 2011, continuing to lead churches even after his ...
Passages
12/13/2021
Wanda J. Ward King passed away on Nov. 9 in Hamilton, Texas. She was married to Oklahoma Conference pastor Rev. Roy L. Ward, Sr., who passed away in 1971. A celebration of life will be held in the ...
Passages
11/10/2021
Rev. Robert Charles “Chuck” Gilbert passed away Oct. 24 in Garland, Texas. Gilbert served three churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1996 and 2017, including Canton, Anadarko-First and ...
Passages
10/12/2021
Sandy McIlnay passed away on July 21 at the age of 85. She was married to Rev. Richard “Mac” McIlnay, who pastored several churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1976 and 2000, including ...
Passages
9/10/2021
Ynette Elizabeth Sapp, surviving spouse of Rev. Charles Sapp, passed away in her sleep on July 19 in Parker, Colorado. She was 94 years old. Charles served in the Oklahoma Conference from 1976 until ...
Passages
8/9/2021
Rev. Jack Atkinson passed away on July 3. Atkinson served in the Oklahoma Conference between 1960 and 2019, serving past his retirement in 1993. During that time, he served 10 churches: Fairfax, Yale,...
Passages
6/16/2021
Rev. Tarrill Parvin passed away suddenly on June 7. The retired elder was serving congregations in Salina and Spavinaw. A viewing was held on June 13, and a funeral service followed the next day. ...
Passages
4/26/2021
Rev. Ted Uhlig passed away on March 11. He was 56 years old. Uhlig was serving as a chaplain at the Great Plains Correctional Facility outside of Hinton. During his time in the Oklahoma Conference, he...
Passing the Baton seminars prepare laity and clergy for leadership changes
4/26/2021
The Oklahoma Conference is hosting Passing the Baton seminars for the fifth year in a row. The seminars are designed to help both clergy and laity prepare for changes in pastoral leadership. There ...
Passages
3/8/2021
Retired elder John Derr passed away on Feb. 7 at the age of 86. He served four churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1986 and 2001, including Copan, Chickasha-Epworth, Muskogee-Trinity, and ...
Passages
2/8/2021
Mary McPherson, surviving spouse of Rev. Doug McPherson, passed away on Jan. 8. She was 87 years old. Rev. McPherson, who passed away in 2017, was a former district superintendent for the South ...
Passages
1/11/2021
Kaye Nelson passed away on Dec. 21, 2020. Her husband, Rev. Marvin Nelson, served in the Oklahoma Conference between 1954 and 2014. He retired in 2002 and passed away in 2018. Services will be held at...
Passages
12/11/2020
Retired local pastor Carl T. Cochran, Jr. passed away on Oct. 27. He was 92 years old. Cochran served five churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1988 and 1995, including Red Rock, ...
Passages
11/13/2020
Rev. Danny Earl Paddack passed away on Sept. 29. He pastored churches in Calumet, Edgewood, Kingston and Bartlesville between 1979 and 1991. He was 73 years old. Retired elder Rev. John Bob Welch ...
Passages
10/2/2020
Dr. James Buskirk, retired pastor and founding dean of the Oral Roberts University School of Theology, died on Sept. 9. He served three churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1967 and 2009. A ...
Clergy renewal retreat scheduled for October
9/4/2020
The Oklahoma Conference will host a clergy renewal retreat at Canyon Camp on Oct. 15-16. The retreat invites clergy to “Come Away,” disconnect from the world, and connect with God. Speakers include ...
Conference adopts onboarding process for new district, cabinet leaders
9/4/2020
The Oklahoma Conference has adopted an onboarding process for its leaders. New district superintendents and cabinet members underwent the process in August to help them better get to know their ...
Passages
9/4/2020
Rev. Barbara Brown passed away on July 23. The retired elder served six churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1991 and 2012, including Franklin, Tulsa-Christ, Hugo-Paul’s Chapel, Moore-First, ...
Passages
8/6/2020
Rev. Justus Edmondson passed away on June 27. He was a pastor in the Oklahoma Conference between 1952 and 1988. He also served as the president of the conference’s Board of Pensions for 10 years. A ...
2020 Clergy Appointments
7/3/2020
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Passages
7/3/2020
Rev. J. Quitman McCrory passed away on July 2 at the age of 93. McCrory pastored 13 churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1953 and his retirement in 1992. A family graveside service is scheduled...
Passages
6/12/2020
Rev. David E. Parker passed away on May 2. The retired pastored several churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1961 and 1992, including Ada-Asbury, Tecumseh, Guthrie-First, Hooker, Blackwell, ...
Passages
5/1/2020
Lucy Sayler-Shields passed away on April 4 after a long illness. Lucy was married to retired Rev. James Shields for more than 20 years. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, a memorial service will be...
Bishop appoints two new district superintendents
4/3/2020
Bishop James Nunn recently announced several changes to district leadership, including the appointment of two new superintendents. The changes will go into effect on July 1. Rev. James Kim has been ...
Ministry in a Minute
2/7/2020
Revs. Emily Robnett and Trey Witzel joined young clergy from across the denomination at the Young Clergy Leadership Forum on Jan. 26-29. The event was hosted by the General Board of Church and ...
Passages
2/7/2020
Shirley Elizabeth Pike, wife of retired elder Rev. Dr. Roy Pike, passed away on Jan. 14. She was 83. The family requested donations be made to Jenks-First in lieu of flowers. Her memorial service was ...
Passages
1/10/2020
Deborah Durall Kerr, a retired local pastor, passed away on Dec. 10, 2019. She was 67. Kerr pastored eight churches in the Oklahoma Conference from 1999 to 2017: Dacoma, Carmen, OKC-Hope Community ...