News and Views

By Alison Burdett

On Saturday, September 20, Glen Mar United Methodist Church in Ellicott City was filled with worship, song, and celebration as clergy and laity from across the region gathered for the Service Celebrating the Appointment of Conference Superintendents. The 10 a.m. service marked a historic moment for the Baltimore-Washington Conference, as the body formally welcomed two newly appointed leaders and appointed all six district superintendents to their new assignments.

Worship opened with joy as participants were reminded of the deep historical streams that flow through the conference. From the Christmas Conference of 1784 in Baltimore, to the witness of the segregated Washington Conference, to the courageous reunification in 1965, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling reminded the congregation that God’s living water has always been breaking barriers and renewing the church.

“Leadership in Christ’s church is like water,” Easterling reflected, “sometimes gentle and sometimes rushing, yet always essential.” It refreshes weary souls, rises up against injustice, and nourishes what God is planting in our midst.”

The service formally recognized the six newly created districts, each rooted in imagery of water that sustains life and mission:

• Canal District – a channel of blessing and a pathway of grace.
• Harbor District – a place of rest and a pathway for new journeys.
• Lakes District – a place where still waters run deep, teeming with abundant life.
• Reservoir District – a storehouse of God’s abundant love, mercy and compassion.
• Tidal Basin District – a place ebbing and flowing with the rhythms of creation.
• Two Rivers District – a place of unity where streams of grace flow together.

“These names remind us that the waters of God’s Spirit are not bound by history, not divided by walls, but always moving, always renewing, always giving life,” Easterling said. “And so may all those who dwell within these districts drink deeply from the living water that brings new life.”

During the service, each superintendent received symbols of superintendency to guide them in their sacred work: the Bible, water and towel with basin, bread and cup, hymnal and book of worship, Book of Discipline, stole and globe, and finally, they each passed the episcopal crozier. These sacred signs served as reminders that their ministry is rooted in Scripture, baptism, communion, prayer and praise, connection, and shepherding the people of God.

One by one, the six district superintendents each cast a vision for their newly formed districts. Rev. John Wunderlich of the Canal District was emotional as he spoke of renewal, saying, “The churches of the Canal District are channeling the blessing of living water into dry and thirsty communities… We are embracing the mystery of grace and the beauty of being God’s people.”

Rev. Sarah Schlieckert of the Harbor District reminded the gathering that living water can be calm water, but it cannot be still water. “While we are a place of rest and refuge, we are not a place of stagnation. We will be a people on the move, going where God is calling us.”

Rev. Jim Miller of the Lakes District lifted up vitality as the defining theme, saying, “Vitality is the capacity to live, to grow, and to dwell. Though the word itself never appears in Ephesians, the Apostle Paul’s words from a prison cell have spoken from generation to generation. They weren’t Paul’s words, but God’s words spoken through him, reminding us of our call to live lives worthy of the calling we have received.”

In the Reservoir District, Rev. Eliezer Valentín-Castañón reflected on being a repository of God’s grace. “We are filled with the presence of God, with mercy and compassion, not to hold it in, but to pour it out into the world.”

Rev. Ianther Mills of the Tidal Basin District reflected on the basin’s purpose and God’s promise, declaring, “We are not a depository of filth, we are the bearers of living water. We are called to cleanse, refresh, and renew in Washington, D.C., Prince George’s, and Montgomery counties. And we do so with God’s assurance in Isiah 43: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.’”

Finally, Rev. Johnsie Cogman of the Two Rivers District lifted up unity and forward movement: “Just as two rivers flow together to form something stronger, so we too will flow together in the living water of Jesus Christ… God is doing a new thing, and we will move forward together.”

The service concluded with a powerful prayer of commissioning, asking God to pour into the superintendents all they would need for the season ahead. “Remind them of the vision that has been cast today,” the congregation prayed, “and how each one of their streams flows together to be the living water of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area.”