Alums and students achieve milestones in their ministry

MTSO recognizes and congratulates its alumni and students who are being ordained or commissioned within conferences of the United Methodist Church or are celebrating other ministry milestones within their faith traditions this year.

If you're an MTSO alum or student who should be included but isn't, please complete the brief form on our ordination and commissioning page. We’d like to add your name.

Church of God

Ordination:

• Bruce Benzing, serving as chaplain at National Church Residences Hospice in Columbus

Disciples of Christ

Ordination:

• Philip Henry Hunt, serving as a regional elder for the Ohio region

The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries

Ordination:

• Ben Huelskamp, serving as executive director for LOVEboldly and pastor of Blue Ocean Faith Columbus

United Church of Christ

Ordination:

• Robert Grow, serving as staff chaplain at Akron Children’s Hospital in the burn and palliative departments, and pastor at Grace UCC of Loyal Oak

United Methodist Church

East Ohio Conference

Reinstatement to full clergy membership as a retired elder:

• William Bartholomew

Elder commissioning:

• Kelly Collins

Indiana Conference

Elder commissioning:

• Kayla Grehl, serving as senior pastor for North Webster UMC

Upper New York Conference

Deacon commissioning:

• Pamela K. Anderson, serving as deacon for Camp Street UMC and attorney for the child, Chautauqua County Family Court in Mayville, NY

Elder ordination:

• Jeffrey John Hodge, serving as lead pastor at Baldwinsville First UMC and Liverpool First UMC in the Crossroads District

West Ohio Conference

Elder commissioning:

• Jee Hyun Baek, assistant professor of theology at MTSO
• Christian Taylor, currently a student at MTSO

Deacon ordination:

• Beth Aiello, serving as spiritual care coordinator at Summit Hospice and deacon in residence at King Avenue UMC in Columbus
• Xema Whitley, serving as associate pastor at Maple Grover UMC in Columbus

Elder ordination:

• Pamela Connoly, serving as pastor at Milford Center UMC
• Angela Cox, serving as pastor at Livingston UMC in Columbus
• Ashton Dupler, serving as pastor at St. Paul UMC in Dayton and executive director at The Equity Center in Dayton
• Charles Ferguson, serving as senior pastor at Clair UMC in Columbus

Methodist Theological School in Ohio provides theological education and leadership in pursuit of a just, sustainable and generative world. In addition to the Master of Divinity degree, the school offers master’s degrees in public theology, social justice and theological studies, along with a Doctor of Ministry degree.

CONTACT:

Danny Russell, communications director
drussell@mtso.edu, 740-362-3322