All are Welcome. Always.

January 08, 2023
 

Dear Friends,

I have enjoyed my eight years as your lead pastor, and now after much prayer and reflection, I am ready to start the next chapter of my life by retiring this Spring. I’m looking forward to traveling, spending more time with my family, and exploring new ways to make the world a better place. My last Sunday at Hennepin will be June 11, 2023.
 
Our Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) has already begun working with our Twin Cities District Superintendent, Cynthia Williams, and our new bishop, Lanette Plambeck, to discern who will be your next lead pastor. Our SPRC has updated our congregational profile so the cabinet (district superintendents and bishop) can have a clearer picture of the kind of leadership that is needed at Hennepin.

Our SPRC invites you to participate in the appointive process by filling out the HAUMC Congregational survey. You will receive a hard copy in the mail or you can fill out the online survey below. Please submit the form by filling it out online, returning it to the church in person, or sending it by mail by January 31, 2023.
Thank you in advance for your prayerful discernment and participation. Your wisdom is appreciated and welcomed as our Bishop prepares to appoint a new lead pastor to Hennepin. Our Staff Parish Relations Committee members are Jeffrey Niblack (chair), Liz Buckingham, Jerry Gale, Kale Langley, Barbara Ludack, Kay Nelson, Marilyn Newstrum, Connor Simms, and Deb Roberts.

It is not time to say goodbye quite yet. Please pray for our SPRC and cabinet as they discern who will be the next lead pastor of Hennepin. I am confident that God will provide a skilled leader who will lead you into a wonderful future. I am praying that you will welcome and support your new pastor with the same warmth, trust, and grace, you have offered me these past eight years.

In faithful ministry together,
Judy Zabel, Senior Minister  
Congregational Survey
On January 8, Pastor Judy Zabel announced that she will retire in June 2023. The Bishop of the Minnesota Annual Conference will appoint a new lead pastor for Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church and that person will join our congregation in late June.

To inform the decision of the Bishop, HAUMC's Staff Parish Relations Committee prepares a profile of our congregation, including information about the congregation, our community, and what needs our congregation will have for a new pastor.

To best understand our needs, the Staff Parish Relations Committee is surveying the congregation. This information will be summarized and sent to the bishop and her cabinet to help discern the best person to lead our congregation in the coming years. 
 
Please return the survey to the church by mail or drop it off in person, or fill it online by January 31, 2023. 
You can also fill out the survey by clicking HERE.
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