News Article: NYS Wage Transparency Law

September 6, 2023/By Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist

Effective September 17, 2023, all private sector employers with 4 or more employees must post a range of pay on job advertisements pursuant to NYS Wage Transparency Law. In addition, pay ranges must be placed on all advertisements for promotions or transfers. The wage range requirement applies to postings that are both internal and external to the employer. The wage range must be included on all postings for jobs that will be physically performed (in whole or in part) in New York, and this includes a job that is performed outside of New York but reports to a supervisor, office, or worksite within New York. The range should show the minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly rates that the employer believes in good faith to be accurate at the time of posting. In addition to posting a pay range, all job postings must include job descriptions.



Individuals cannot bring private lawsuits against their employers for violating the wage transparency law, but they can file complaints with the New York Department of Labor. The Department can impose penalties ranging from $1,000-$3,000. Under the terms of the law, the Department is required to provide additional guidance on wage transparency. This guidance will be provided once published.

If you have any questions regarding the NYS Wage Transparency Law, please contact Tracy Rickett, HR Generalist, at tracyrickett@unyumc.org or 315.898.2017.  

Robin Meyers is coming to Plattsburgh in the Fall of 2023

Saturday – October 14^th and Sunday October 15th

Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers will be a guest speaker beginning at 10 AM at the Plattsburgh UMC, 127 Beekman St., Plattsburgh.

Lectures include "The Underground Church"

"What exactly is a Progressive Church?" at 1 PM (after lunch break) and then a Conversation about the future of the church at 3 PM.

Meyers is an ordained minister who served in the United Church of Christ for 40 years, Tenured professor of Rhetoric at Oklahoma City University, and Distinguished Professor of Social Justice in the Philosophy Department at OCU.

He is the author of eight books (including the national bestseller, Saving Jesus from the Church), an award-winning columnist for the Oklahoma Gazette, a commentator for National Public Radio, and a widely traveled lecturer and preacher on behalf of Progressive Christianity.

He will also preach during worship at 10 AM on Sunday, Oct. 15.

Please register if you are staying for lunch by Sept. 30.  

Apply Now for Fall 2023: Exclusive Online CPE Program

 “What I have learned in CPE has transformed my practice of ministry by giving me the confidence that I need to enter any situation with an open heart and open mind." Rev. Khalif A. Smith Sr.

We often receive feedback similar to Rev. Smith from other program participants, which is why we want you to be a part of this life changing program. Applications are now available for fall and winter CPE units and spots will fill up fast. 

Admission interviews are scheduled for the first week of August and will be reviewed until all open groups are filled. This year we are reviving the hybrid units with an in-person orientation retreat, however virtual CPE units will be still offered.  

Here are a few additions we've added to our CPE program:

• Multiple extended groups spanning five to sixth months with an in-person orientation retreat. Units are scheduled to end before Holy Week 2024. 
• Intensive virtual group meeting for 13 weeks, meeting every Thursday or every other Saturday for 8 hours. 
• Special group created for Korean speaking students, meeting on Saturdays (September 2023 through January 2024).
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If you have any questions or need more information on our Clinical Pastoral Education program, please contact Rev. Dr. Soomee Kim. 

Adult Study Group "Living the Questions: Transformation," September and Octotber

(three options available)

Monday evenings Sept. 11th, 18th, 25th and Oct. 2nd via ZOOM OR Wednesday afternoons via ZOOM OR Wednesday evenings in person @ Rev. Sally White's home in Plattsburgh on

Sept. 13th, 20th, 27th and Oct. 4th.

Sign up with Sally White (pastorgrammy10@yahoo.com) or text her at

(518) 879-0304.

See attached flyer for details. 

Northern Flow District Offering

Lay Servant Courses

Pastor Donna Fitchette will be leading an Advanced Class on-line only in the month of October:

"For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts"

The dates and times are as follows:

October 10th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

October 17th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

October 24th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

October 31st 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

You are responsible for purchasing your own book and it can be purchased here

You must attend all the classes to get credit for them. If you have any questions or to register please contact Pastor Donna @ missuaprilsue@hotmail.com

Northern Flow District Offering

Lay Servant Courses

Jane Hill will be leading an Advanced in-person class in the month of October at Malone Centenary UMC

"Worshipping with United Methodists"

The dates and times are as follows:

October 24th 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

October 26th 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

October 31st 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

November 2nd 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

November 7th 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

You are responsible for purchasing your own book and it can be purchased here

You must attend all the classes to get credit for them. To register please contact the district office at northernflowdistrict@unyumc.org

Stewardship with Rev. Susan Ranous

August 30, 2023

   GIVING COMMUNICATION

                        CHANGING OUR FOCUS

Over the last few weeks of summer, we focused on customizing the approach to discipleship and stewardship based on life stages, spiritual maturity and financial health.

Lots of ideas, but we struggle in talking about money and giving and generosity in the church, don’t we? When someone approaches us complaining that “all we do is talk about money”, we promise that we only do it during the fall when we “have to.”

Well, one of the problems with that is we’ve placed the focus squarely on the money, which shouldn’t even be the real point of the whole stewardship/discipleship story!  I know Jesus talked about money more than anything else in his stories and parables, but it wasn’t because money was the point, but because he knew how much importance we would place on it.

What if we changed our focus? I’ve said it before, and I want to say it again, it’s the need of the giver to give, not the need of the church to get that we need to focus on.

• Too many of our stewardship campaigns (and I’m as guilty of this as anyone else) is focused on what we need to pay for in the upcoming year, i.e. payroll, utilities, paper, technology, etc.
• AND too many of our discipleship plans and work focus on getting more people on the pews—increase those numbers!

What if instead:

• For Stewardship:

1. We made some changes in how we focus on what it “costs” to do church?
2. What is it we need to focus on in our particular context?
3. Looked at our church’s mission?

• For Discipleship:

1. We looked at our church’s mission and who we have and who we don’t have in our disciples?
2. What if we looked at our folks’ spiritual gifts and where they are in their own discipleship?

It seems like a lot of work, and it probably is, but the benefits would be huge! For the next couple of weeks, I will spend time on how some of this could work and things that we could be doing to change our stewardship focus and our discipleship focus.

If you wish more information on this or would like to discuss stewardship and its relationship with discipleship, please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or sranousacctg@twcny.rr.com. I’d be happy to help.

[1] Stewardship Education that Builds Disciples, Furlong, Jessica and Dick, Don (Christian Stewardship Network), https://www.christianstewardshipnetwork.com.

Adirondack District Offering Lay Servant Courses

Adirondack Lay Servant Ministries has added some courses to the 2023 schedule.

Please remember that you MUST attend all class times and dates to receive credit.

All registrations and course fees MUST be in by the date due.

For a registration form or for more information, contact Arlene Schmidt, arlenedschmidt@gmail.com For more information about the courses (books, etc.) click here for the updated brochure.

Advanced Course: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts

Registration opens August 24. Last day to register: Sept. 16

Thursdays: October 5, 12, 19, 26, & Nov 2: 6-9pm

Zoom: Fee $15

Facilitator: Jacqueline Kim, CLM

Advanced Course: Called to Preach

Registration opens September 26. Last day to register: Oct. 19

Tuesdays: November 7, 14, 28, Dec. 5 & 12: 6-9pm

ZOOM: Fee $15

Facilitator: Jacqueline Kim, CLM

Wesley Heritage Tour 2024

Join Pastor Brett Johnson on the trip of a lifetime to visit John and Charles Wesley’s homeland of England. We will be visiting sites of great importance to United Methodists, including the Wesleys’ hometown of Epworth, Oxford, Bristol, and worship in the Wesley Chapel in London.

We will also be stopping at Stonehenge and Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and St Paul’s Cathedral. Tour dates are July 13-22, 2024. Please use the following link to register: https://portal.myfaithjourneys.com/ and use group code 24002.

Contact Rev. Brett Johnson, pastor.brett.johnson@gmail.com, with any questions.

The District Office will be closed in observance of the

following holidays:



• Labor Day Monday, September 4th
• Thanksgiving Thursday, November 23rd
• Day after Thanksgiving Friday, November 24th
• Christmas Day Monday, December 25th
• Christmas Eve (Observed) Tuesday, December 26th

Northern Flow District

District Superintendent

Rev. Michael Weeden

mikeweeden@unyumc.org

Administrative Assistant

Tammy McAdam

northernflowdistrict@unyumc.org

District Lay Leader

Brenda Shelmidine

shelmidinebrenda@gmail.com

Northern Flow/Mohawk District

PO Box 208

Gouverneur, NY 13642

Phone: (315) 535-5149 FAX: (315) 535-5151

Upper New York Annual Conference

7481 Henry Clay Blvd,

Liverpool, NY 13088

Phone: (315) 898-2000 Fax: (315) 898-2027



Bishop's Office

7481 Henry Clay Blvd,

Liverpool, NY 13088

Phone: (315) 898-2020 Fax: (315) 898-2150 

The Media Resource Center of UNYAC

Visit the website at

 http://www.unyumc.org/resources/media-resource-center

Our mission is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."