Published: Dec. 15, 2021

We pray this note finds you well this Advent season. In August, we announced that the Rev. Jackie Nelson would be leaving her post as the Minister for Outreach to take on a new full-time position at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. Fortunately for us, she has remained on the ministerial staff in a very part-time capacity.

At the time of the Rev. Nelson’s departure, we committed to work with the Outreach Ministry area to prayerfully develop a plan for how to staff this vital component of our mission and ministry moving forward. To that end, an ad hoc task force was formed from several of our Outreach ministries, the Outreach Center Committee, and staff. We met together this fall to develop and articulate a plan that we believe will allow us to respond to the changing needs of our community and Do More Good in the process. This plan has been affirmed by the PPRC and approved by the Governing Board.

THE PLAN:
As has been the case, we will still have a total of two full-time persons in the Outreach ministry area. We will maintain a Minister for Outreach, who in addition to providing the missional oversight of our on- and off-campus outreach ministries, will serve as our Director of the Outreach Center. However, some of the operational responsibilities of the current Director position will be shifted to a new position called the Outreach Coordinator. Working with the Minister for Outreach, this person will coordinate and provide operational support for the outreach volunteers and programs of Asbury First. Our intention is to fill this position with a social worker (MSW) as it will not only allow us to meet the growing needs of our guests, but will permit us to become a field site for area social work students—further increasing access to important services for our guests.

Rev. Pat Dupont to become our Minister for Outreach
Recognizing the gifts and graces God has given him and seeing the fruits of those gifts over the last few months, this ad hoc task force emphatically recommended the Rev. Pat Dupont to move into the Minister for Outreach role. This recommendation was also affirmed by the PPRC and approved by the Governing Board. Pat brings a heart for ministries of compassion and justice with those who find themselves on the margins of society and his previous relationships with so many of our guests from his time living and working at the St. Joseph House of Hospitality have already enriched our ministries. He will begin in this new role on January 1, 2022.

We anticipate an intentional search for our new Outreach Coordinator in the late spring or early summer. Our hope is to have this person in place when we open our new Outreach Center next fall! 

Thank you for your continued prayers as we do our best as disciples of Jesus Christ to live out the mission and vision of Asbury First.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Members of the Ad Hoc Task Force have included:

• Bob Castle
• Jonathan Carroll-Nellenbeck 
• Diana Carter
• Robyn Gage
• Carolyn Hamil
• Tim Mahan
• Martha Neubert
• Bruce Thompson