Staffing Updates from SPRC

by | Jun 20, 2022 | News

Dear Members and Friends of FUMC-Evanston,
 
On behalf of the Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC), I would like to once again welcome and congratulate Rev. Britt Cox on her appointment by Bishop John Hopkins to serve as Associate Pastor at First UMC Evanston.

First Church has installed Rev. Cox as our Executive Pastor who will directly work with the Board of Trustees and the Finance Committee in overseeing the business of the church and management of the facility. In addition to participating in worship, Pastor Britt will serve as staff liaison for Missions & Outreach. As an elder in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC), Rev. Cox is familiar and well versed with the work of adult missions with UMCOR as well as NIC’s mission efforts through the Living the Beatitudes program.

SPRC feels extremely blessed to have such a talented and experienced leader join our team!

In the past few months, SPRC has focused on discerning how to move forward in the critical work of Youth and Young Adult ministries, both in the short-term and in the long-term. We want to take the time to hear and understand the needs, hopes, and dreams of our congregation for Youth and Young Adult Ministry.  We plan to host focus groups as well as individual interviews with parents, youth, and recent graduates to hear their thoughts and ideas. Once we have a clear vision of how to best serve our youth, SPRC then will begin a nationwide search for the ideal candidate to nurture and grow these important ministries.  

In the meantime, I am pleased to announce we have hired Kelsey Morton and Cherie Asante to serve for one year as the Interim Team for Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Kelsey Morton will serve as full-time Interim Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Cherie Asante will help plan and execute programming while serving as part-time Assistant to Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Kelsey and Cherie will start their new roles on August 1st. Their service will provide the necessary runway for SPRC to fully evaluate the need and plan for the long-term care of our youth and young adults.
Kelsey Morton is a graduate of Northwestern University with a B.S. in Education and Social Policy, and a Masters of Science in Elementary Education. Over the last 7 years, Kelsey has worked primarily with K – 8 students, most recently teaching elementary education at Great Lakes Academy in Chicago.  While a student at Northwestern, Kelsey was on staff at First Church for 2 years as Mary Taylor-Johnson’s assistant and is familiar with many of your names. Kelsey is a resident of Evanston and calls First Church her home. She and her partner, Lindsey Wooster, will be getting married at First Church at the end of July. 

Cherie Asante and her family have been members of First Church Evanston for over 10 years and are known to many in the congregation. Cherie previously led the Children’s Ministry at First Church for many years and has children in both the Children and Youth programs.

Please join me in welcoming Kelsey and Cherie to the First Church staff. 

I will continue to update you as SPRC addresses the long-term plans. Please feel free to email me directly with your ideas, thoughts, and comments about our long-term strategy for youth and young adults. I welcome your questions, feedback, and words of encouragement.
 
Peace,
David Cerra
Staff Parish Relations Committee