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A New Model for District Superintendency

Posted: April 14, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog, Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference | Tags: , |Leave a comment

The Appointive Cabinet of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference completed most its work of making full-time appointments for the new conference year this week while we continue to live in a season that calls for adaptability and nimbleness. 

As we considered our commitment to strengthen local churches, we have developed a model for the District Superintendency we believe offers support and oversight across the conference while nurturing our connection.  In the new conference year, we will be employing three new “Cohort District Superintendents” as a next step toward determining our future district configuration plan.

This new model of superintendency is part of a plan to reduce the conference budget in superintendency.  These “Cohort District Superintendent” positions will be filled by pastors who will continue to serve a local church while providing oversight and superintendency over a smaller number of churches within certain districts.  Matters of property and the work of the District Board of Ordained Ministry for those churches will continue to fall under the responsibility of our full-time District Superintendents.

The Reverend Dan Camp will be retiring at Annual Conference. Reverend Camp served the Tennessee River District until January 1, 2024, when he was appointed as interim pastor of Columbia First United Methodist Church. Since January 1, the Tennessee River District has been covered by superintendents, Reverend Nancy Johnston Varden and Reverend Dr. David Weatherly with the assistance of Reverend Ronnie Peck.

In the new conference year, we will not be replacing Reverend Camp with a full-time District Superintendent.  Rather, we will be appointing two “Cohort District Superintendents” to cover areas of the Mississippi River and Tennessee River Districts along with the current District Superintendents already providing this coverage.  I am appointing Reverend Ronnie Peck and Reverend Sharon Karamoko to this work.

These “Cohort District Superintendents” will serve on the Appointive Cabinet with responsibility for charge conferences and consultations and will assist in the appointment work representing the churches and pastors under their care. 

Reverend Karamoko will serve the following counties in Tennessee:  Madison, Haywood, Crockett, and Lauderdale. Reverend Peck will serve these counties in Tennessee: Carroll, McNairy, Henderson, and Chester. Reverend Nancy Johnston Varden will continue to serve the Purchase District in Western Kentucky while providing coverage in the Tennessee Counties of Lake, Obion, Weakley, Dyer, and Gibson.  Reverend Dr. David Weatherly will continue to serve the Metro District including the Tennessee Counties of Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Hardeman.

With the anticipated retirement of the Tennessee River District Administrative Assistant, Delores Smith, and the aforementioned adjustments, we will be closing the Tennessee River District Office located in McKenzie, TN. The files of the Tennessee River District will be transferred to the Purchase District Office.

Additionally, the current Stones River District Superintendent, Reverend Chip Hunter, will be appointed to the Cookeville First United Methodist Church. We will not replace Reverend Hunter with a full-time District Superintendent. 

I am appointing the Reverend Ryan Bennett as a “Cohort District Superintendent” to assist with the coverage in the Stones River, Caney Fork, and Cumberland River Districts along with current superintendents, Reverend Jerry Wallace and Reverend Rickey Wade.  As a “Cohort District Superintendent,” Reverend Bennett will also serve on the Appointive Cabinet with responsibility for charge conferences and consultations representing the churches and pastors under his care.

Reverend Bennett will serve the churches of Rutherford County, Tennessee.  Reverend Wallace will continue to serve the Cumberland River District with the addition of Smith County, Tennessee.  Reverend Wade will continue to serve the Caney Fork River District with the addition of Marshall, Lincoln, Bedford, Cannon, Moore, Coffee, and Franklin County, Tennessee.  Reverend Dr. Vona Wilson will continue to serve the Harpeth River District with the addition of Hardin and Decatur Counties in Tennessee.  The Reverend Pat Freudenthal will continue to serve the Red River District with the addition of Henry and Benton Counties in Tennessee.

At the 2023 Annual Conference, we shared the creation and an introductory report of a task force to explore redistricting in our conference.  At this time, the task force continues to gather information but will not be redrawing district lines this year. Therefore, we are offering oversight and coverage through this model of superintending. 

These three new “Cohort District Superintendents” will join Reverend Dr. Stephen Handy whom we appointed last year to lead and serve as Superintendent of the Urban Cohort while serving as the pastor of the McKendree United Methodist Church.

This “Cohort District Superintendent” model is not unique to our conference.  It is a similar model currently practiced in Great Britain and one that is beginning to be practiced in other conferences in the United States.  Again, this is our next faithful step, as we continue in this season which calls for adaptability and nimbleness.

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