Introducing the Mount Holyoke Cooperative Parish
We want to share some good news with you. The New England Annual Conference is now gathering every United Methodist church into something called a “Cooperative Parish.” It is a new way of organizing our churches. Instead of each congregation standing alone, nearby churches are being placed together as a small family of churches — to pray for one another, share ideas, and walk together in ministry. Hope has been placed in the Mount Holyoke Cooperative Parish, a family of five United Methodist churches in our area:
- Hope UMC, Belchertown — our home church
- Wesley UMC, Hadley — led by Rev. Sooyoun “Sue” Kim
- Faith UMC, Chicopee — led by Rev. Hyunung “KC” Chang
- Christ UMC, Northampton — led by Pastor Rob Powell
- The linked charge of Holyoke, South Hadley, and Granby — served by Pastor George Kiakis
These churches vary in size, but they are all about thirty minutes away. What we share is a calling to follow Jesus in this corner of western Massachusetts. Our District Superintendent, Rev. Megan Stowe, has asked Rev. Sue of Wesley to serve as the Parish Coordinator for our group. She will facilitate as our five churches begin to know one another — sharing meals, learning each other’s stories, and praying together. Michelle and Alice, our Lay Leader, will be our Hope representatives in the group.
Please hear us clearly: this is not a merger. Hope remains Hope. Our worship, our building, our budget, our staff, and our identity do not change. Michelle is still your pastor. The Cooperative Parish is simply about building friendship and partnership between churches that are already neighbors.
We are at the very beginning of this journey. The leadership of the five churches have begun meeting together and starting to learn who we are together. Over time, we may discover ministries we can do better together than alone — perhaps a youth event, a mission project, or a shared Bible study. This summer, we gathered together for a picnic hosted by the Holyoke/South Hadley/Granby parish. We look forward to future opportunities to gather for fun and ministry. Any future steps will come through prayer and conversation, never through pressure.
What we ask from you is simple: pray for our four sister churches by name. Pray for their pastors. Pray for Michelle and Alice as we step into these new roles together. And join us in giving thanks that we do not have to walk this road of ministry alone.
With love and gratitude,
Michelle and Alice