Storyboard: Faith | Witness | Transformation

Episode 83 features Rev. Jon Priebe, Rev. Joy Fenton-Jones, Rev. Beth Ortiz, and Eric Kinaitis engaging in conversation about the building redevelopment ministry of Church Square, based in Cuyahoga Falls. “Having building redevelopment under revitalization might be a mental shift for some people, and it takes a really deep amount of discipleship at the beginning because itreally involves looking a...

Episode 82 features a conversation with East Ohio Advance Special Unlikely Partners (EOC 9999) founder DonovanHarris and board member Duane Crabbs as they share how they partner with community members to make a better future for youth exposed to violence. “We thought that if we focused on the youth that were most likely to encounter violence, then we could start to change some of those things that...

Episode 81 features a conversation with Executive Director of Discipleship Ministries Rev. Beth Ortiz and Discipleship Ministries Office Ministry & Resource Coordinator Tim Beckas they explore what the Office of Discipleship Ministries is, and the role that joy plays in discipleship. “I would say part of our culture in Discipleship ministries is helping people follow Jesus in daily life and jo...

Episode 80 features a conversation with Farmer to Farmer founder Pryde Bass, Rev. Robin Dillon of Lakewood UMC (Northern Waters District) and Rev. Matt Anderson of Bucyrus UMC (West Plains District) about the origin and mission of the East Ohio Advance centered in Harrisburg, Liberia. “After the 14-year-war (1989-2003) it is like 100% insufficiency there. So, we thought that agriculture would be i...

Episode 79 features a conversation with Chelsea Munroe of Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Kaila Mohney from Howland UMC (Central Valley District) about the work they and others have done with the nationwide charitable organization to build beds for children who do not have one in Trumbull County.  “Once you get to experience the joy of a child receiving something as simple but as meaningful as a bed t...

Episode 78 features a conversation with Pastor Jeff and Michelle Chapin, who founded and lead the arts- and connections-based EOC Advance Special outreach ministry based in Dresden (South Forest District). “Since we began in 2019, we’ve organically grown into community gardens, a bi-weekly community potluck, and we do outreach, host homeschool co-ops, art classes, and we have a 40-foot school bus...

Episode 77 features Les and Debbie Dornon, who are retiring after 20+ years of medical mission work in that country. “We had missionaries in our community from all around the world. Not just Methodists from the U.S. but from many countries come together to work. And so, it’s a fun and challenging time to create that community of the Christians who are serving there,” Debbie shared. “The thing at t...

Episode 76 features clergy and laity from two East Ohio cooperative parishes. “You have a unique opportunity to participate in the other churches’ ministries, building a ministry together, getting to know the different people. I just think it makes a stronger United Methodist Church that way,” said Peggy Sutherin of the Faith United Cooperative in the Central Valley District. “We’ve spent a lot of...

Episode 75 is a conversation with Rev. Leo Cunningham of Toledo St. Paul’s UMC, Pastor Tennille Power of North Olmsted and Rockport UMCs, and Multicultural Ministries Director WillFenton-Jones. “This year I was thinking how do we slow down and ask, ‘How does Black History Month become more than just remembering the past but something that shapes who we are right now?’” Fenton-Jones shared. “You st...

Episode 74 features a discussion with Rev. Ed Fashbaugh, Will Fenton-Jones, and Rev. Beth Ortiz about how taking care of our bodies goes beyond diet and exercise. “In America it’s almost becoming normal to be sick. That’s not God’s design for our bodies and so as we look at these things, it’s important to know what does support metabolic health,” shared Fashbaugh, executive director of Connectiona...

Episode 73 highlights how The Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland is reaching new people for Christ. “In Cleveland there doesn’t really exist dedicated newcomer housing spaces for refugees and asylum seekers and so Nehemiah is unique in occupying this space,” said Graham Ball, the new executive director of the Mission, an EOC Advance Special ministry partner. Board Member the Rev. Kathy Dickriede said t...

In Episode 72 Cabinet members Rev. Laura White, Rev. Kelly Brown, and Rev. Beth Ortiz share how cooperative parishes – churches grouped together as a missional unit – model the connectional DNA of The United Methodist Church. White said, “You can still be you while being in ministry with other churches – and we were never meant to do ministry alone. Scripture is very clear on that. We are meant to...

In Episode 71 Rev. James Lance of Apple Creek, Moreland, Smithville and Wooster Church of the Cross UMCs shares that each of our calls is different. “We use call in a lot of ways. I heard the call to Jesus throughout my life. And whenever I’m preaching on it, I try to break this apart. You have the call to Jesus, you have the callto ministry, and then you have the call to your ministry,” Lance sai...

In episode 70 Executive Director of Discipleship Ministries Rev. Beth Ortiz and Executive Director of Connectional Ministries Rev. Ed Fashbaugh sit down for a frank discussion on the topic of failure within ministry. “We so often as a church think we fail because we aren’t what we used to be, or as a clergyperson we fail because people aren’t all excited or passionate about what we’re bringingas t...

In Episode 69 Pastor Megan Buehler of Vienna and Coalburg UMCs shares that wrestling with God’s call began years ago when she attended The United Methodist Church of Berea. “The only time I really felt at peace was when I walked in those red doors on Seminary Street in Berea and just was like ‘there’s got to be something with this, but I’m not going to get into it too much because it feels like it...

Episode 68 is a special recording from the All-Ohio School of Ministry featuring Bishop Hee-Soo Jung reflecting on his first year serving as bishop in Ohio. Bishop Jung offers that these three gifts from God are guiding him in visioning and shepherding the laity and clergy of the Ohio Episcopal Area comprised of the East and West Ohio Conferences: unity in practice, shared leadership, and one miss...

In Episode 67 Pastor Marc Tibbs of Akron Centenary United Methodist Church shares that since he was young, he’s struggled with hearing God call him into a life of ministry. Tibbs shares, “Whenever I found myself close enough to a pastor I would always ask, ‘how do you know youhave been called?’ When you ask people you get a myriad number of answers, and none of those answers I could identify with,...

Episode 66 features a conversation with members of a United Methodist Church and a Baptist Church who for more than a decade have worked together, acknowledgingand celebrating their differences to jointly assist those in need on mission trips. In the episode we hear from Paul Pendleton of The UMC of Macedonia and Catherine Tarver of Providence Baptist Church in Cleveland both before and after this...

In Episode 65 we feature a roundtable discussion with Rev. Dr. Tim Morrison, Mount Union chaplain and UMC BereaPastor Dr. Stephen Knisely and Campus Minister Judy Hammer to discuss how churches and universities are connecting college students to Jesus. Morrison offered, “On a weekly basis we have somewhere between 350 and 400 individual students that areinteracting with spiritual life in some way...

In Episode 64 Alex shares about his long battle with Rheumatoid Arthritis, how it has shaped his walk with Christ, his service in the church and his call to help others who have chronic pain. “When you deal with a physical condition or an ailment you tend to do things different from most people. You have to greet each part of the day with, ‘how can I make this work?’” he shared. As part of his cal...

In Episode 63 we explore ways Trinity Action Projects (TAP) grants provide seed money for new and existing ministries and foster bold initiatives that engage and serve East Ohio communities. Rev. Beth Ortiz, executive director of Discipleship Ministries for both East and West Ohio said, “sometimes when we think need, we think first of physical need which is certainly veryimportant. Social needs, e...

In Episode 62 the pastor of The United Methodist Church of Berea shares the transformative story of growing up in the church, questioning his faith as he got older, and wrestling with hearing and answering God’s call. “I grew up in the Methodist Church and while I believed in God, I would say that in some ways I took it serious in some ways I did not,” Knisely said. Through various occupations and...

Episode 61 highlights new and renewed initiatives in our Ohio Episcopal Area of The UMC to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ. “I am such a big believer of discipleship, particularly through small groups and that building of relationships and connection with each other and with God,” said Rev. Beth Ortiz, executive director of Discipleship in Ohio. “I am such a believer in what our small ch...

Episode 60 features a conversation with Meghan DeGregory, director of Thrive 10:10, a non-profit relief, recovery and restoration program of Girard First UMC. “Mental health is you attending to whatever you’re dealing with, both on your own with your internal coping skills but also with a professional, if necessary,” DeGregory said. “Butwe also need to talk about mental health in the church and so...

Episode 59 features a roundtable discussion about faith-building opportunities through United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) Discover … Missions. “Discover … Mission is set up as an intentional cultural immersion for young people to serve with and learn from young adults in the host country,” offered the Rev. Dr. Tammy Kuntz, North Central Jurisdiction UMVIM coordinator. “When you talk ab...