Staff-Parish Relations Committee
Author: Kelly Qualls Published: April 18th, 2012
In the last ten years, Erick Lichte has carved out a distinct niche in the vocal music world and concert life in North America. The Washington Post has hailed the “audacity” of his programming, the Chicago Tribune has noted the “meticulous preparation” of his choirs and Fanfare Magazine declared that he created and helmed “the premier men’s vocal ensemble in the United States.”
As a founding member, singer and Artistic Director of the male vocal ensemble Cantus, Lichte created and sustained one of only two full-time vocal ensembles in the United States. From 2000-2009, Lichte’s programming and artistic direction were heard in over 60 concerts a year in such venues as Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Merkin Hall, San Francisco Performances, Oregon Bach Festival, UCLA and Elora Festival. He has collaborated with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, the Boston Pops, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Doc Severinsen, Minnesota Orchestra, James Sewell Ballet and poet Robert Bly.
His work with Cantus garnered the 2009 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, the highest honor for the professional choral organization Chorus America. He has also been awarded major grants from Chamber Music America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Lichte is also a champion of new music and has been a part of the creation of over 50 new works. Composers Lichte has worked with include Lee Hoiby, Gavin Bryars, Steven Sametz, Edie Hill, Mary Ellen Childs and Peteris Vasks. Lichte himself is an active arranger and composer whose music has been heard across the United States. He is especially known as a co-creator and musical arranger of the theatrical work All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, which has been broadcast nationally and has been presented in three national tours.
As a choral conductor, Lichte has served as guest chorus master for the professional chorus of Chicago’s Music of the Baroque as well as the Great River Chorale, and One Voice Mixed Chorus. Lichte has also served on the faculty of Augsburg College and the University of Saint Catherine. He currently conducts the Portland State University Man Choir and University Choir, the Chancel Choir at Portland’s First United Methodist Church and is Associate Conductor of the Oregon Repertory Singers.
Lichte is a graduate of St. Olaf College where he studied with the renowned choral conductor Dr. Anton Armstrong and is currently studying with Dr. Ethan Sperry at Portland State University.
Lichte is an ardent audiophile and is a Contributing Editor for Stereophile Magazine where he writes equipment reviews of high performance audio equipment.
Category Chancel Choir, Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
Author: web manager Published: March 13th, 2012
- Rev. Jeremy Smith
Dear Members and Friends of Portland First United Methodist Church:
Greetings! This morning it is my privilege to share the news that it is the intention of Bishop Robert Hoshibata of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference to appoint the Rev. Jeremy Smith as Minister of Discipleship to your church effective July 1, 2012. Rev. Smith is currently serving as Associate Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Checotah, Oklahoma in the Oklahoma Annual Conference, where he has been in full connection as an Elder since 2010.
Jeremy has had a wide range of experiences in ministry. In addition to serving at First United Methodist Church in Checotah, where he has designed and led numerous programs for children, youth, and families, preached and taught Bible studies, presided over a growing program, and been a part of that church’s major capital campaign in 2011, Jeremy has also served as: pastor at First United Methodist Church in Winthrop, Massachusetts, been an intern chaplain at New England Baptist Hospital in Brookline, Massachusetts, and served on a variety of annual conference boards and work teams in Oklahoma. Jeremy graduated from Boston University School of Theology, is a part of the Reconciling United Methodist clergy network, and has expertise in social media theory and practice.
Jeremy and his wife, Chelsea, recently visited Portland and met with Rev. Pritchard, the First Church Staff Parish Relations Committee, and the Bishop and Cabinet, and they are excited to come to the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference and First Church in July. I know that you will enjoy your ministry together in the coming years.
I also want to take this opportunity to extend my thanks, as well as that of the bishop and cabinet, to Donna, Janice Gratton, and the entire Staff Parish Relations Committee at First Church, for all the time and energy that has gone into this appointment process. They have served your congregation well, and I look forward to working with everyone at First Church as you move forward with your exciting plans for ministry in the future.
The Bishop, cabinet, and I will continue to hold you all in our thoughts and prayers in the coming months.
Blessings,
Rev. Lowell Greathouse
Assistant to the Bishop, Metro District
Category Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
Author: web manager Published: March 7th, 2012
Christine Bostick has been at First UMC for almost six years. As the Church Administrator she is responsible for the day to day operations of the church facilities and oversees approximately seven employees, including the church custodial staff, facilities manager, administrative assistant and the church bookkeeper.
The Trustees appreciate her skills at managing our “bricks and mortar.” Over fifty community groups reap the benefit of our outreach into local ministries by using our facilities. We have a community group using our building every day of the week, including our Goose Hollow Shelter for families, Youngset Preschool, the bridge club, language schools, twelve step programs, and many more.
Christine has been working for the non-profit community for over 20 years and last served the Oregon Historical Society prior to coming to work for First UMC. She is a member of the local chapter of the National Association of Church Business Administrators and has helped us to keep current with our employee practices.
Her favorite part of her job is the people of the church that she works for. If she could change anything it would be to solidify First UMC’s funding so as to ensure that our many missions have a solid foundation.
Christine hails from the other Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is thrilled to be a part of First Church. She is engaged to be married in May. If you do not know Christine, stop by the office during the week to say “Hi” and offer her your congratulations on the upcoming nuptials.
Category Staff, Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
Published: February 8th, 2012
Kelly Qualls has been our Executive Director of Music for the past eight years. She was born in Kansas, but has called the Portland area her home since 1982 which is when she joined First UMC and began singing in the Chancel Choir. Kelly taught elementary, middle school and high school general music, choral music, band, remedial reading and math for 28 years in various schools in both Washington and Oregon.
Kelly is very proud of the music program at First Church and strives to keep it one of excellence in all areas. She supervises the musicians that comprise our music staff. The musicians range in age from three-year-olds (Cherub Choir) up through octagenerians in the Chancel Choir. She schedules when each of the music groups and soloists sing or play in the worship services.
Additionally, Kelly takes care of the music budgets (music purchases for each of the choirs, payroll, having pianos tuned and organs repaired), sits on a committee to interview and audition candidates for music staff positions, administers the Nordwall Education Program, and contracts with musicians to play at special times such as Easter or weddings or memorial sevices. She coordinates with the Senior Pastor and other program and administrative staff regularly.
Kelly is married to David Qualls, a retired optometrist. They make their home in Gresham.
Category Staff, Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
Published: January 10th, 2012
Director of Children, Youth & Family Ministries Megan was born in Minneapolis, MN and raised in Waukesha, WI with two brothers. Both of her parents are ministers. Her father is the Chaplain at Carroll University and her mother is an associate pastor and teaches introduction to writing. Megan received her BA from Pacific University in English Literature and Feminist studies. She then moved to Boston and worked at Fourth Presbyterian Church in South Boston, in urban and children’s ministries. She also was a member of the Greater Boston Interfaith Or- ganization and participated in training volunteers in advocating for community issues. Megan then came back to Portland. She started her position at First Church starting in May 2008. In her free time Megan enjoys drinking coffee, exploring nature, singing and any kind of aerobics from step class to Zumba.
At First UMC Megan enjoys working with all generations, hearing people’s stories, hearing why they have come to this church. She likes being able to call on the wisdom of all ages, talking and collaborat- ing with the committees and seeing how the commit- tees actively support the church functions.
She has started a weekly email to the parents, children and youth: “What’s Up Wednesday” for the children and “Shout Out” for the youth. She also is pleased about the development the First Church website.
Megan states that she hopes to put more focus on facilitating the parents and committee members to become the leaders of the children and youth education and activities. This would allow her to have more time to facilitate creating connections within the children, youth and parents of the church. Megan also hopes to be free to attend sports games and other extracurricular activities that our kids participate in and to start making personal phone calls on a regular basis.
Her hopes for creating more involvement for the youth are to enable them to participate in the Sunday service such as reading the liturgy and ushering.
Category Staff, Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
Published: January 1st, 2012
Ministry here at First United Methodist Church is active and varied, and we have involved leaders at many levels to keep the church vital and growing. Staff-Parish Relations Committee is in direct conversation with other FUMC church leaders and with our Assistant to the Bishop, the Rev. Lowell Greathouse, as we look at the goals and direction of our ministry and the needs we have for staffing. The normal timing of a new pastor’s appointment is July 1 each year. To assist our Senior Pastor, the Rev. Donna Pritchard, during this in-between time, SPRC, the Lay Leaders and Rev. Donna, have arranged for some interim leadership.
FUMC Lay Leaders, Sonja Connor, Dan Woodward and Cheryl Bittle, and committee chairpersons are being asked to take the lead in some of our program areas – most notably with visitor and new member efforts, some volunteer recruitment for Sunday morning worship, and in some of our short-term classes and Sunday forums. Mark Ohlson, our Outreach Coordinator, will be adding 5 hours of paid work each week (for a total of 20 hours weekly), and will provide staff support for Church & Society, Planet Church, Missions Committee and the Library Committee. He will also be the contact person for community members who come to the church seeking emergency assistance which is not pastoral in nature. Chris Bostick, Church Administrator, will become the staff support for the Travel Committee. Megan Humphreys-Loving, Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries, will work more closely with Rev. Donna in planning Lenten programs for the church, including identifying themes for worship and learning for all ages.
The Rev. Dr. Tom Rannells, a retired United Methodist elder associated with First Church, will be working 5 hours per week as the “interim Adult Ministries Director”. In this role Tom will help the Adult Ministries Committee develop short-term studies, speaker bureaus, and small group ministries. Tom will also collaborate with other program areas in this work. This position will be in place January through April. If you don’t know Tom Rannells. he served churches in Wisconsin and in California before coming to Oregon-Idaho as the Conference Council Director and his picture is in the Church Directory.
Occasional guest preachers will fill our pulpit throughout the winter and spring when Rev. Donna is away doing continuing education or fulfilling responsibilities to the larger church, or taking a little time to rest and be renewed.
The Rev. Tom Foster continues to provide ministries of pastoral care for members of First Church, and the rest of our staff continues to serve us very well. The SPRC is managing the funding of the additional staff through the funds created with the vacancy in the associate pastor role. Please let us know of any unmet needs and, of course, please tell us when you see our staff performing “above and beyond.” Let us continue to be the church that is “Believing-Thinking-Acting” to make God’s love visible in this world.
Category Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
Published: November 27th, 2011
Janice Gratton, chair of the Staff Parish Relations Committee, spoke during worship today to affirm the changes to our ministerial staff. Here is the message from the SRPC: All of you who are members and active constituents of First Church should have received a letter from the Reverend Peggy Luckman this week. As you know, Peggy has been on leave of absence since the end of October, tending to some medical difficulties. On Monday of this week, Reverend Donna and I met with Peggy and our Assistant to the Bishop, Lowell Greathouse, to find out how her medical care was progressing and to determine if she would be able to return to her pastoral duties here at First United Methodist Church.
As indicated in her letter, Peggy’s physicians have told her that she will not be able to return to her ministry for some time. Consequently, she (with support from the Bishop and the Cabinet) will apply for an “incapacity leave” which is Methodist terminology for what we laity would call “disability leave”. Her paid leave will continue through the end of November as previously scheduled. Our prayers are with Peggy as she works on returning to good health. She wishes that each of you know that she is healing and expects to be fully recovered, but that may take some time.
On that note, the SPRC is asking that you consider sending Peggy a note expressing your appreciation for her ministry and your hope for her recovery. We have a table located in the Narthex and another one in Collins Hall–there are mailing labels available. If you wish you may take a card home to complete and mail it from there, or you may complete it here, seal it and place it in the baskets provided and the Church Office will mail it. After this morning you will find the basket in the FUMC Office for the weeks preceding Christmas. Peggy continues to express her gratitude for the privilege of serving God through you at FUMC.
Our next steps will be to review the gifts and mission of our congregation and our staff, and determine in concert with the Assistant to the Bishop how to fill our needs. From January through June of 2012, we will be asking for assistance from some retired clergy as well as securing guest preachers from time to time so that Rev Donna will not find her job impossible. We will be examining the possibilities of both lay and clergy leadership in various assignments and restructuring as needed. We are blessed at First Church with a strong lay leadership and an excellent staff. While we must be careful with our talents and not exhaust them, we expect to enter our next year strong and fully functional. Please feel free to let members of the SPRC or your lay leader team know of any suggestions you may have. You may find out contact information on the members of SPRC or the Lay Leader Team by contacting the Church Office.
Blessings to each of you–please keep Peggy in your prayers and let her know of your caring.
Category News, Staff-Parish Relations Committee |
