05/23/2026
Superintendent Leadership Transition from Bishop Kaye
Dear members of the Ohio Conference,
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6
As I pray for your churches and leaders, I am grateful for the good work God is doing through you and for what is yet to come. There are a few short weeks between today and annual conference, and I want to take time for communication and a call to prayer.
As you know, Superintendent Brent Thompson has sensed the Lord calling him to a new season of life and ministry outside of Ohio. He has loved you well and lead from a heart for Jesus and his church. Together, we will have the opportunity to thank him and pray for him as we gather in Dalton in June. He will continue to lead the conference through mid-July with a desire to finish strong and provide a good hand-off to your leadership.
After consultation with your Leadership Team, and in consultation with your MEG board as proposed by the Book of Discipline, I have been meeting with individuals who might potentially step in as interim superintendent to serve out the remainder of Superintendent Brent’s term that was to end in 2027. I am pleased to say that Pastor Mark Hirst has been offered and agreed to this opportunity to serve you. Pastor Mark is well known among you as a long time member of your Leadership Team, Multiplication Director for Ohio Conference, CDN trainer, and fruitful lead pastor at Living Water Church. Mark is a multiplier who wants to empower people for the sake of mission.
We are at an exciting time when we can be grateful for our past, engaged in this present moment, and expectant for what God wants to do in the future through the Free Methodist Church. Please join me in prayer as we dream and discern how we might create a new conference that best stewards what God has given us for ministry, most especially His gifted, creative people, that are the Spirit-empowered human resource for building His kingdom. Would you also pray for Superintendent Brent and Pastor Mark in transition? Pray for the Lord’s abundant grace and favor to be poured out on both of them and for their continued submission to the Spirit of God. Finally pray that God would be glorified and we would know we have encountered His presence together at annual conference.
One of the ways you can be engaged in this present moment is to be sure to register and attend the conference in Dalton, OH on June 5-6. While these are required events for lay and clergy delegates, more than that we need to worship, learn from and celebrate our God together as one church. Please use this link to register if you have not done so already: https://fmcusa.org/tricon-2026
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11
Amen! I look forward to being with you soon,
Bishop Kaye Kolde
