January 4, 2006: Newly Formed United Methodist Cooperative Parish of Martha's Vineyard
By a 10-1 margin, the four United Methodist Churches on the island voted at separate charge conferences on January 4, 2006 to form the United Methodist Cooperative Parish of Martha’s Vineyard. With only seven dissenting votes out of more than 70, it’s clear that the new venture has wide support among all four churches.
The vote represents a culmination of more than a year of hard work on the part of the Steering Committee, chaired by Dianne Norton of Christ United Methodist Church, and Lorna Andrade, Betty Daniels and Eileen Robinson from Trinity Church.
In the three months since the official vote, two task forces have been at work ironing out the details of pastoral leadership and shared finances. The Staff-Parish Relations Task Force has prepared a Parish profile and a list of desired gifts and graces that are being used by the Cabinet (Bishop and District Superintendents) to make the most appropriate appointments of two full-time pastors.
The new appointments to the United Methodist Parish are Rev. Susan Heafield of Georgia who will join Rev. Mary Jane O'Connor-Ropp, presently at Trinity Church in Oak Bluffs. Their new appointments, to the Parish and not to individual churches, will begin on July 1, 2006.
Although it will take some time to live into the new Cooperative Parish and work out the details, we are confident that this is a positive step toward a revitalized United Methodist presence on the island.
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