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ARLINGTON STREET
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE
The New England Conference
Granite District News
Bishop Peggy Johnson is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Jackie Brannen as the interim District Superintendent of the Granite District. Her appointment will be from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
With the transition in episcopal leadership happening in September 2024, Bishop Johnson is making this an interim appointment to give the new bishop an opportunity to assess the needs of the districts and choose a new superintendent. This will also allow the Cabinet and Conference greater flexibility in 2025.
“I am so grateful to Jackie for her willingness to return to the Cabinet at this critical time in the life of our Church,” said Bishop Johnson. “This interim appointment will offer the Granite District a leader with experience and a pastoral heart while allowing the next bishop to make important decisions about the Conference’s future leadership.”
Dr. Brannen will follow Rev. Taesung Kang, who will be completing seven years of ministry as the District Superintendent in the Granite District. He will begin serving as the pastor of the South UMC in the Seacoast District beginning July 1, 2024.
An elder in the New England Conference, Dr. Brannen served for 19 years before retiring in 2023. She served local churches throughout New Hampshire and Maine in addition to serving as Katahdin District Superintendent. She is currently serving the First United Methodist Church of Portsmouth, NH.
She is a spiritual director with a passion for helping folks connect with God. Dr. Brannen, her grandson Matthew and her two beloved Yorkies live at Wesley by the Sea, the Preachers’ Aid Society community for retired clergy in Wells, ME. She loves to travel, read, and write.
Dr. Brannen said, “While my retirement plan had not originally included serving once again as a District Superintendent, I am thrilled to be able to serve God and the churches and people of New Hampshire, where I grew up and began my ministry.”
Please join us in praying for Dr. Brannen and her family, the congregation of First UMC and the entire Granite District during this time of transition.
Bishop Announces a Cabinet Change
On Sunday, January 14, 2024, Bishop Peggy A. Johnson announced the appointment of the Rev. Taesung Kang to the South United Methodist Church in Manchester, CT, effective July 1, 2024.
Rev. Kang, who serves as the Granite District Superintendent, has been a member of the Cabinet since 2017.
Rev. John Marshall, Jr., who has served as pastor of South UMC since 2011, will be seeking retirement in July.
“These are challenging times for our Church and our Conference, but they also offer us opportunities for new beginnings,” Bishop Johnson said. “I want to thank both of these servant leaders for their faithfulness and dedication.”
Bishop Johnson is working with the Committee on Superintendency to discern the next superintendent for the Granite District. Please join us in praying for Rev. Kang and his family, Rev. Marshall and his family, the people of the Granite District and of South UMC during this time of transition.