Butler's First United Methodist Church to get new senior pastor
The Rev. Eric Park is leaving as senior pastor of First United Methodist Church, 200 E. North St., where he filled the spot left empty when longtime First Methodist senior pastor the Rev. David Panther passed away in 2013.
“My last day will be the final weekend of May, Memorial Day,” said Park.
Park is leaving to assume the post of Butler District superintendent in the Western Pennsylvania Conference.
Park said, “In our system, the bishop and a group of district superintendents oversee the clergy appointments and the deployment of clergy.
“There are 79 United Methodist churches in the Butler District which includes Butler, Beaver, Lawrence and parts of Armstrong and Allegheny counties,” Park said.
He said he was asked to take up a district superintendent post again because four of the nine superintendents are nearing retirement age and Bishop Cynthia Moore Koi-koi wanted his experience.
Park, who spent his elementary school years in Grove City before moving to Indiana, Pa., was the district superintendent in the Washington District before taking over as pastor at First Methodist in 2013.
He begins his new duties July 1.
Park said, “My primary responsibility is to be voice of hope and encouragement for clergy and congregations and strategist and vision caster for effective ministry” for the churches in his district.
“The other primary responsibility that a district superintendent has is to work with his bishop and other district superintendents to ensure effective clergy applications and ensure effective clergy,” he said.
Park and his wife, Tara, are in the process of selling their house in Butler before moving to a district parsonage in Fombell in Beaver County near Zelienople.
“The parsonage was chosen for its central location. It is no more than an hour from any of the 79 churches,” said Park.“There is no other way to get to know the people of the district than to visit the churches,” said Park, who anticipates putting lots of miles on his vehicle as he travels the district attending confirmations, church anniversaries and for other events.There are four other clergy on the staff at First United, said Park. The Revs. Tim Goodman (who himself is leaving July 1 to become pastor of the United Methodist Church in Beaver), Rob Gillgrist, Barb Stoehr and Chance Kelosky.“My successor has already been selected,” said Park. “It's the Rev. David Janz, who for the last 13 years has been senior pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Franklin. He as been a friend of mine for the past 26 years.”Janz, who was in Butler last week meeting with church staff, said, “Eric has been very gracious in letting me do that. We have been friends a long time.”Janz said they met when Janz was a student of Eric Park's father.“We've stayed in touch primarily through Facebook and conversations at church functions,” said Janz.Janz will be taking over June 30 as senior pastor at a church with a 2,300-member congregation and weekend service attendance put at a combined 1,200Park said he is proud of his work “in helping the congregation navigate its way through the grief of losing its senior pastor (the Rev. J. David Panther who passed away in May 2013) and develop a vision for a new ministry.”Park said he was also happy the $3.2 million Breakthrough capital campaign was completed on his watch. The money was used to build a multipurpose wing at the Crossfire campus on the North Main Street Extension and add an elevator and entrance at the downtown church.“We have never been part of a congregation that was so committed to reaching out to people beyond the walls of the church,” said Park. “It grieves us to leave this place, but we have great hope of the church's future and ministry, especially under David's ministry.”
