Bishop Elaine J.W. Stanovsky intends to appoint the Rev. Shalom Agtarap as Associate Director of Strategic Faith Community Development for the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference beginning July 1, 2017. In this new position, Rev. Agtarap will work alongside the Rev. Dr. William D. Gibson toward the faithful United Methodist and Pacific Northwest Conference goal of creating new spaces for new people.
“We are excited to have Shalom join the office of congregational development. She brings a unique set of gifts to our work of new church development across the Pacific Northwest Conference,” said Rev. Gibson. “Shalom’s addition to the team will enable us to broaden our ability to steward new projects well, and to foster cultural shift in our conference and wider contexts.”
Since 2008, Rev. Agtarap has offered pastoral leadership to several churches in both Central and Western Washington State. Her current appointment is to Highline United Methodist Church in Burien, Washington.
In this position, Rev. Agtarap will help to manage, resource, and support the growing number of church planters and the new church and repurposing projects the Pacific Northwest Conference is engaged in. The last two development cycles have produced a 225% increase in the number of new church projects launched from previous seasons, bringing to 28 the total number of new church projects that have not yet chartered.
The primary task of the Pacific Northwest Conference is the calling, credentialing, equipping, sending forth, and nurturing of transformational lay and clergy leaders. Strategizing for new ministry development and congregational redevelopment is one of several key functions of our connectional work.
