On July 31st, GNJ’s Connectional Table met and voted to move from having two separate Directors of Connectional Ministries (DCMs), one for each annual conference, to having one DCM support the work of both EPA & GNJ. The Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, who has been working with GNJ as Assistant to the Bishop for Leadership Development, will be serving both EPA & GNJ as the DCM starting August 15.
As the Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm prepares to serve as the Director of Connectional Ministries for both EPA and GNJ, Rev. James Lee and I sat down with her to talk about connectional ministry and how it empowers the work of the church today.
The conversation began with a spirit of thankfulness, as Rev. Taylor-Storm named all the ways that Eric Drew has faithfully served as DCM for GNJ.
I am deeply thankful for the work of Eric Drew, GNJ Director of Connectional Ministry, who, during his tenure, led GNJ to boldly embrace a call to ignite the faith of next-generation leaders through intentional youth ministry, youth leader development and CULTIVATE. In addition. Eric helped us in our local and global commitment to community transformation. Eric’s supported A Future with Hope ministry where over 20,000 volunteers rebuilt more than 400 homes across GNJ. Globally, Eric helped cast GNJ’s ongoing partnership with Tanzania Annual Conference, and this year helped lead the campaign that raised over $100,000 to build a new church and provide equity for pastor’s salaries. These are only a few of the exceptional connectional ministries that continue to help GNJ live into God’s preferred future.
Earlier in the day, Rev. Taylor-Storm teased that the connectional ministry of The United Methodist Church played a large part in her call to ministry, so that’s where our conversation began.
You mentioned connectional ministries gave you your call to ministry, can you tell me more?
I was a criminal justice major in college, studying to be a forensic psychologist, when my pastor handed me an application to be a global ministries intern. ministry intern. I found myself in San Marcos, Texas, building homes. We served about 1,500 people that summer.
I also started in camp and retreat ministry at a young age. I was the president of the youth ministries, including EPA’s YAC (Youth Annual Conference), which was a full annual conference just for youth. Through those experiences I connected with a larger network outside of my small rural church community.
What do you love about being a DCM?
I wish everyone had the ability to see the connectional church in action. I love seeing the best of who we are as United Methodists. Every day I get to see that. I have the best job of anyone in the organization. I see the best of who we are in our global connection, through Tanzania and our work in other parts of the world. I see the progress that we make.
I see the result of the investment of our apportionment dollars being translated into the lives of people and communities being changed — Whether that allows a child to go to camp for the first time, or the investment of our connectional dollars to literally rebuilding a home for a family impacted by a disaster.
I see us making a difference, and that’s what I love.
Can you walk us through the details of what it is that a DCM does?
According to Book of Discipline, the role of the Director of Connectional Ministries is to steward the vision and the mission of the annual conference. My work every day is focused on the vision that we have adopted as an annual conference, which is to recruit and develop, transformational leaders, both lay and clergy. I spend a lot of time working with our leadership team, local pastors’ school, certified lay ministries, leadership seminar cohorts, Leadership Academy, Pathways, Breakthrough, and supporting our camp and retreat ministries.
The hardest part of any ministry role is that you are never done, and you can never do enough. I have to work through teams and boards of agencies to create a structure that allows people to flourish.
There are folks who are going to be anxious about going to one DCM for two conferences. What would you say to those folks?
I have seen the beauty of the affiliation and collaboration we have already accomplished in EPA&GNJ. Our two CONAMs are working together to plan the jurisdictional CONAM gathering this fall. I see synergy between our IGNITE and camp and retreat ministries to develop young people’s faith. The leadership teams of our two conferences have already been working in a collaborative manner over the last 16 months. We have one communications director and communications team that serves both conferences. Both connectional ministries teams are already working together. We already have 65 people from both conferences who have registered for the Leadership Academy Preaching Initiative (LAPI), which is funded through a Lilly Grant that EPA and GNJ co-authored.
There are natural places where having one DCM helps us to move forward. This is just the next step in that collaboration.
Where do you see the Holy Spirit moving in The United Methodist Church?
Recently, I was with a congregation that demolished their building and now worships inside of an assisted living center. I’ve seen the fruit of that partnership and that sacrificial service. I serve at the board on Arch Street UMC’s ministry, where every day unhoused neighbors come and receive the gifts of God in healthcare and food services and ongoing support. This year there was great excitement at confirmation camp as EPA and GNJ youth came together and claimed the faith as their own.
It is the best time to be the church right now. I see creative expressions of ministry and have had the joy of being with our new appointments and seeing the energy and possibility.
What’s a word of encouragement that you would like to speak to folks on the ground?
There is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus — Not disaffiliation, not struggling church attendance, not conflicts past, not fears within. Ultimately, the love of Jesus wins every time. Our job is to continue to remind people of that love, and the power in that love to transform EPA, GNJ, and beyond.