During the postponed 2020 General Conference in Charlotte, NC, Bishops consecrated 26 lay people as Deaconesses and Home Missioners. Among those was Andy Hill, a member of Hope Collective Church in Dayton, OH. He was commissioned at the 55th session of the West Ohio Annual Conference.

Influenced by the women in his life, Hill felt he could best live out his call by becoming a Home Missioner. “This makes the connection to the Deaconess and Home Missioner office, which operates under United Women in Faith, especially significant and meaningful in my life,” Hill said.

Deaconesses and Home Missioners are laypeople called by God to be in a lifetime relationship in The United Methodist Church for engagement with a full-time vocation in ministries of love, justice, and service.

Hill serves in an online ministry at Hope Collective to reach those who do not feel connected to traditional church or are shut- in. Hill said, “My approach is to use online tools to create welcoming and accessible spaces for worship and fellowship.”

“This effort not only answers the Methodist call to service,” Hill continued, “but also uses today's technology to connect people and foster a community that truly reflects Christ's inclusive love.”

For more information on the Deaconess and Home Missioner program, click here.