Pastor's Welcome

Greetings!

As Pastor of the Jacksonville United Methodist Church, I welcome all who are part of this faith community as well as those who visit and worship with us. Ours is a ministry of love, redemption, and reconciliation. As Paul said in Colossians 1:28, “We proclaim him (Jesus), admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

My own faith journey began many years ago. I do not remember a time when I did not know that I was a child of God. Since I was a very small child I have sung “Jesus Loves Me” and believed it. As a teenager I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at a Billy Graham crusade. Since then God has been using, shaping and molding me for his ministry. For several years now I have resisted the call to leave the comfort of the pew and step into servant ministry as a pastor, but our God is persistent and my journey to become a licensed local pastor has begun.

The United Methodist Book of Discipline says, “The heart of Christian ministry is Christ’s ministry of outreaching love. Christian ministry is the expression of the mind and mission of Christ by a community of Christians that demonstrates a common life of gratitude and devotion, witness and service, celebration and discipleship. All Christians are called to this ministry of servanthood in the world to the glory of God and for human fulfillment.” My prayer for each one of you is that you will grow in faith and blossom in your ministry for Christ.

- Pastor Patti