In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us that He came so that we might have life—and have it to the full. And let me tell you, for the past several weeks, my life has truly been full in every sense of the word! But before I share that with you, a bit of backstory (you’ll hear so much more as we get to know each other better):
In January, Grace United Methodist Church in Lemoyne made a generous donation to a cause that’s very close to my heart: the Carmel Educational Trust in Southern India. The goal was to build an auditorium on the campus of the hostel there. The original plan was for me to go to India in September to “cut the ribbon.”
But then, on Valentine’s Day, I received the news that I had been called to serve as the pastor of Elm Park United Methodist Church. It took me by surprise, but my immediate thought was, I have to cut that ribbon in India! So, I quickly rearranged my plans and decided to travel in June instead of September. I knew June would be busy and, well, busy it was! What a full life!
I left for India on June 8 and returned on June 21. The very next day, June 22, was my final Sunday at Grace Church in Lemoyne, and the moving truck arrived on June 23! Now, I have the incredible privilege of beginning my ministry with all of you as your pastor. And let me tell you, the start has been so much fun!
It’s been a season of hard goodbyes; saying farewell to my friends in India and to my church family in Lemoyne. But with every goodbye, there’s been a beautiful “hello,” and I’m so grateful to be able to say that this hello has been nothing short of wonderful. Thank you for welcoming my family and me into the Elm Park community. I can already tell that this is going to be an incredibly life-giving chapter for all of us.
As a little background, I’m originally from the Bronx, New York. After attending St. Raymond’s High School, I came to Marywood University, where I met my amazing wife, Michelle. We’ve been married for over 26 years and have two wonderful sons: Dante, who’s a senior at Delaware Valley University, and Elio, who will be starting 8th grade here in Scranton. Although I transferred from Marywood and ultimately graduated from Caldwell University, Michelle and I lived in Northeast Pennsylvania from 1999 to 2006. During that time, I worked at 98.5 KRZ and Froggy 101, while Michelle served as a youth director at a church in Clarks Summit.
My MDiv is from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and I’m proud to say that July 1 marked my 14th year as a pastor.
Elm Park, I am beyond excited to serve as your pastor. We have such a proud history, and an incredibly bright future ahead of us. I want to take a moment to thank Rev. Mike for his faithful ministry here. His work has laid such a strong foundation, and I stand on his shoulders as I step into this new chapter with you.
Together, we are going to make sure the good news of Jesus Christ is truly good news for as many people as we can reach in the city of Scranton. There are no limits to where we can go or what we can do! I invite you to dream with me as we seek to share the love of Jesus throughout this neighborhood and community.
There will be many opportunities for us to get to know each other better, and I look forward to each one of them. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to stop by the office to say hello!
What an exciting time this is. I am so ready to live this FULL life…after all, that’s exactly why Jesus came!
Grace and Peace,
Jason