2019 Retirements

Southern New Jersey Conference 1998; 1990 Batsto and Nesco (FL); 1998 Batsto, Nesco, Lower Bank and Green Bank; 2002 Aberdeen: Matawan; 2012 Vineland: First; 10/1/2012 Vineland: First and Coordinating Pastor, Millville: Mt. Pleasant; 2013 Vineland: First

Service Record:
Southern New Jersey Conference 1982: 1982 Brick, Associate; 1984 Pt. Pleasant: Harvey Memorial; 1991 Burlington: Broad Street; 2000 Northern New Jersey Conference; 2000 Bound Brook: UMC of Bound Brook and 2001 Bound Brook: Hispanic Mission; 2005 Bound Brook: UMC of Bound Brook; 2012 Oakhurst: First

Diane is the founder of the No Valley too Low Ministry, and it was under that ministry she started her nursing home ministry. She signed on to South Jersey Health Care in Camden in 2004, and is still ministering there 14 years later. The daughter of the late Leroy and Jean Nesbitt, she is married to Walter Arthur Jr. and they have five children, 20 grandchildren and five great, grandchildren.

Service Record:
2005 Delair: St. Matthew’s, Assistant (PL); 9/1/2007 Bridgeton: John Wesley (PL); 2017 Haddonfield: Rhoads Temple and Camden: Fairview Village (PL); 9/23/18 Rhoads Temple (PL)

Service Record:
NNJ Conference 1978; 9/77 Chaplain, Overlook Hospital, Summit; ; 1978 Chaplain, Overlook Hospital, Summit; 1979 Hospice/Oncology Chaplain, Overlook Hospital, Summit; 1981 Assistant Dean for Student Life and Field Education, Drew Theological School; 1985 Assistant Dean, Director of Supervised Ministries, Drew Theological School; 1987 Assistant Dean, Director of Supervised Ministry, Drew Theological School; 1996 Associate Dean, Drew Theol. Sch.; 1997 Dean for Contextual Learning, Drew Theol. Seminary; (Martinsville); 2017 Princeton UMC and Drew Theo. Seminary

Service Record:
1996 Lincoln Community (MI); Detroit AC: Deacon 1996; Elder 1998;Greater NJ Conference; 2003 Glendora: Chews; 2005 Voluntary Leave of Absence; 2007 Director of Networking and Development, Good News Magazine; 2010 VP for Advancement, Greenville College, Greenville, IL; 2013 Director of Development, Good News; Spring, TX; (Princeton)

Service Record:
2007 Toms River: St. Matthew’s (SY); 2008 Toms River: St. Matthew’s (PL); 2012 Oceanport (PL); 2015 Howell: Squankum (PL); 2016 Oceanport (PL)

Service Record:
2018 Randolph: Mt Fern (PL)

Service Record:
2001 Atco and Tansboro: Trinity (PL)

Lew was called to ministry in 1974 and his ministerial interest includes the intersection of science with faith and apologetics. Lew’s greatest joy is family. He and his wife Margie have three children and six beautiful grandchildren. He looks forward to time for woodworking, gardening, kayaking and bicycling, while the Lord continues to provide opportunities to teach and preach.

Service Record:
Southern New Jersey Conference 1981; 1981 Attending School; 1982 Friendship and Porchtown; 1985 Alloway and Canton; 1996 Marlton; 2009 Clinton; 2012 Millville: First

Walt has served in ministry since 1977.  In addition to leading local churches, he has been involved in district and conference agencies.  Walt and his wife, Carol, will retire to Audubon.  He looks forward to performing his oldest son Walter’s wedding in April, setting up his massive O Gauge Train Layout in the basement of the new home, sitting on the front porch sipping coffee, and waiting to see where the Lord leads next.

Service Record:
Southern New Jersey Conference 1979; 1977 Lower Bank Circuit; 1980 Bargaintown: Zion and English Creek; 1983 Millville: Fourth and Newcombtown; 1994 Neptune: West Grove; 2001 Audubon; 2009 Audubon and Coordinating Pastor, Colllingswood: Frances Childs; 2010 Audubon

Service Record:

2018 Bloomfield: Park, Assoc. (PL)

Walter committed his life to Christian service as a teenager.  As an avid bicyclist, he has enjoyed posting to Instagram photos of United Methodist churches passes on his rides.  In addition to his ministry Walt serves as President of the Board for Shepherd’s Farm Senior Housing in West Deptford for the past fifteen years. He and his wife Kathy look forward to sharing more time with each other, their Bichons, and visiting grandchildren.

Service Record:
Southern New Jersey Conference 1996; 1995 Aura and Monroeville (LP); 1996 Aura and Monroeville; 1998 Toms River: First, Associate; 2000 Thorofare: St. Paul’s; 2007 Hightstown: First; 2010 Merchantville: Trinity; 2012 Merchantville: Trinity and Pennsauken

Thomas has been living in Helmstedt, Germany since 2009.  Since 2011, he has been serving as a volunteer for professional soccer teams in the Germany including the 2011 Women’s World Cup in soccer.

Service Record:
Wyoming Conference 1976; Western New York Conference 1979; Central New York Conference 1980; Southern New Jersey Conference 1986; 1986 Red Bank, Associate; 1991 Old Bridge; 1993 Leave of Absence; 1997 Incapacity Leave para. 357; (Jackson)

Service Record:
2000 Newfield (PL); 2005 Millville: Mt. Pleasant (PL); 9/10/12 Not Appointed; 2015 Millville: New Hope, Assistant (PL)

Stafford Miller grew up in Paterson and taught in the Paterson School system for nearly 20 years until his call to the ordained ministry. He is a Certified Spiritual Director and as a recent alumni of the Academy of Spiritual Formation, he welcomes this new season with a passion, to assist anyone who desires to be in conversation and discernment about their “Deeper Spiritual/Inward journey”. He and his wife Maria, look forward to traveling and teaching.

Service record:
NNJ Conference 1989; 1989 To Attend School; 1989 Paterson: St. Phillip’s Ministry; 1991 St. Phillip’s Ministry; 2013 Wenonah: Mt Zion-Wesley and West Berlin: St. Johns

Thomas plans to serve as a part-time prison chaplain through NJ’s Dept. of Corrections and continue music evangelism via the writing and recording of Christian musicals.  He is happily involved grandparenting his seven grandchildren.

Service Record:
Student assistant pastor 1991Pearson Memorial; Southern New Jersey Conference 1994; 1994 Groveville; 1999 Lumberton; 2002 Indian Mills; 2005 Bordentown: Trinity

Service Record:
NNJ Conference 1979; 1978 (Maplewood: Hilton); 1979 Maplewood: Hilton; School; 1981 Maplewood: Morrow Mem., Assoc; 2/15/82 Andover; 9/16/84 Curriculum Resources, General Board of Discipleship, The United Methodist Church; 2/26/90 Manager, Teacher/Leader Development, General Board of Discipleship, The United Methodist Church; 1991 Pearl River, NY; 1997 Morristown: The UMC in Morristown; 1/1/07 Middle Collegiate Church, NY; 2010 Ewing Twp.: Trinity; 2012 Randolph: Mt. Fern; 2015 Maplewood: Morrow Memorial

Larry began his journey in ministry as a youth representative to annual conference in 1975.  He was ordained a deacon in 1984 and elder in 1987.  In addition to his leadership in GNJ churches, Larry served many conference agencies and committees including youth ministries, Walk to Emmaus and BoOM.   Larry is married to Carol and they have three adult children:  Dr. Elizabeth Klucka (Glenn), Daniel and Matthew (Kathleen) and a granddaughter.

Service Record:
SNJ Conference 1984; 1984 Attending School; 1985 Linwood, Associate; 1988 Hamilton Twp: Grace; 1991 Beverly; 1999 Merchantville: Trinity; 2006 Turnersville: St. John’s, Associate; 2008 Pitman; 2014 Franklinville

A second career pastor, Doug has served in ministry since 1992.  He intends to remain active as a part time pastor in retirement. His dream is to connect in new ways to people who have wandered away from church  with authentic experiences that lead to deepening faith and service. In his spare time Doug plans on expanding his gardening skills, getting reacquainted with an amateur astronomy group and spending time visiting with children and grandchildren.

Service Record:
1997 Hammonton: First (FL); Southern New Jersey Conference 1997; 2000 Mays Landing: First; 2010 Bayville: Faith Community; 2014 Highland Park: Trinity and Edison: Wesley; 2017 Edison: Wesley and So. Amboy: Trinity

Service Record:
1991 Social Worker, Washington School, Pennsauken; SNJ Conference 1998; 1998 School Social Worker, Pennsauken School; 1999 Liason to Latino Community, Pennsauken Public Schools District and Trenton: Wesley, Associate (Trenton: Wesley); 2003 School Social Worker, Pennsauken School Dist. and Trenton: Wesley, Assoc. (Trenton: Wesley); 2011 School Social Worker, Penn

Sara was called to serve in her early teens and earned her M. Div at Drew. She served Rahway First and the Buttzville and Free Union churches for seven years. After a brief period of serving as pastoral counselor in Maryland, she was appointed as the chaplain at Hood College eventually becoming the associate dean of students. She served as the associate dean of students at American University and Vice President of Campus Life and Students at Drew University. She retired in 2018 and has since received certification as a leadership and life transitions coach.

Service Record:
NNJ Conference 1983; 1982 (Rahway: First); 1983 Rahway: First; 1985 Buttzville & Free Union; 9/1/89 Leave of Absence; 1994 Chaplain, Hood College; 1998 Chaplain and Dir. of Multicultural Affairs, Hood College; 2007 Assoc. Dean of Students, American Univ.; 2013 Dean of Campus Life-Student Affairs, Drew Theological School (Warren Twp.: Mt. Horeb)