Clergy of the California-Pacific Annual Conference,
As the Cabinet and I begin the season of appointive decisions, we are continuing the practice of posting our clear appointment openings. We do this to provide transparency and to have creative flow and collaboration in the appointment process.
Clear appointment openings are listed below for churches that need a new pastor due to retirement, the ending of an interim period, or a change in status of the previous pastor. Each church includes brief descriptions of its ministry settings and a link to its website, if available. Specific statistics about the churches are available through the Annual Conference Journal, and demographics of the surrounding communities are available through MissionInsite.
Clergy members interested in putting their names forward for specific openings should contact both their current District Superintendent and the District Superintendent of the district with the church opening. In some cases, it might be the same D.S. who supervises both appointments. As a courtesy, if the D.S. is not the same, notification to both is required. There is absolutely no guarantee that the clergy member will be selected for an appointment based solely on the request, but the Bishop and Cabinet will deeply discern the gifts and graces of the clergy members putting their names forward and the needs of the mission fields and the local churches. We are committed to making appointments based on the match between what is needed in the local communities and churches, and the gifts and skill sets of the potential pastors.
All inquiries will be held in strict confidence. Pastors wishing to put their names forward are not to contact their own local churches, nor the pastors or laity of the churches in which they have interest, as this has the potential to harm their current church appointments. The Cabinet will not release any information regarding those who put their names forward.
We do ask that clergy who plan to put their names forward enter into a prayerful discernment before contacting their District Superintendents. Consider taking part in the process only after careful consideration of where God is leading you, and be affirmed by God that this is both realistic and a true calling.
For those the Cabinet eventually asks to move to new appointments, we are committed to providing the specific reasons why we are asking for this new opportunity. There is also the expectation of an open itinerancy, and if one cannot move because of grave family issues, we will enter into a “covenant of limited itineration,” whereby full-time appointment may not be granted, as we see what is available in any given local area.
We hope and pray that this way of appointment-making will continue to be both liberating and helpful to our annual conference and God’s Kin-dom that we are pledged to serve.
Grace y paz,
Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank
Los Angeles Area Resident Bishop
The United Methodist Church
2025 Clear Openings
EAST DISTRICT
Community UMC of Wrightwood – Less than full-time appointment
1543 Barbara St, Wrightwood, CA 92397
Current Pastor- Son-Pom Ye, serving in retirement.
Membership: 27 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 43
A church located in the beautiful San Gabriel mountains seeks a Christ-centered pastor who will lead and care for a small, yet vibrant congregation. This appointment offers an annual compensation package of $36,000, making it an ideal ministry opportunity for a retired pastor or seminary intern passionate about serving in a close-knit and traditional setting.
La Mirada UMC – 50% Appointment
15700 Rosecrans Avenue, La Mirada, CA 90638
Current Pastor- Laura Perez (Lay Person Assigned).
Membership: 62 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 63
This welcoming and inclusive church is excited to explore new opportunities and needs an engaging and visionary leader who can guide the congregation into a new chapter of ministry. The incoming pastor will find a supportive church community, and a strong and committed leadership team in place. Together in partnership, may the church live out God’s mission and continue to inspire people to grow in faith, service, and love.
Alhambra First UMC – Full-Time Senior Pastor Appointment. Chinese Ministry.
9 N Almansor St, Alhambra, CA 91801
Current Pastor- Tom Tseng, retiring.
Membership: 325 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 75
This is a Senior Pastor position at a vibrant church located in Alhambra. Although the Senior Pastor will primarily focus on the Chinese ministry, the pastor will also play an important role in providing general leadership and guidance across the entire church community, which includes Chinese and English language ministries.
The ideal candidate will be fluent in Mandarin and has the gifts to lead a dynamic, multi-staff, multi-language congregation. The church is looking for a pastor who will inspire, equip, and care for this growing community so that it may continue to impact and spread the Gospel to the broader Chinese community and beyond.
La Habra UMC – 50% appointment
631 N Euclid St., La Habra, CA 90631
Current Pastor- Karen Tannheimer, serving in retirement.
Membership: 103 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 88
This faithful congregation has been in ministry for 125 years, and the church looks forward to exploring what God has in store for them. The church community is warm and has great potential for growth in faith and ministry. A pastor who can shepherd the congregation by building on their strengths, challenging them to step out in faith, and casting vision will be an ideal candidate.
Montebello UMC – 25%-50% appointment
1220 W Whittier Blvd., Montebello, CA 90640
Current Pastor- N/A
Membership: 84 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 42
This church needs a seasoned pastor who can lead the congregation towards healing, restoration, and unity. A pastor who has a heart for pastoral care and nurturing the current members while reaching out to newcomers. In addition, gifts and graces are needed in the areas of administration, spiritual formation, discipleship, and service within the church and the surrounding community.
HAWAII DISTRICT
Harris UMC – 100% Appointment
20 S. Vineyard Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96813
Current Pastor – Fran Wiebenga, serving in retirement.
Membership: 178 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 75
Originally founded in 1888 to serve the immigrant community in Honolulu, Harris UMC has evolved into an English-speaking and diverse congregation. The church actively participates in various outreach ministries and has a strong online ministry. An ideal candidate for this position would be a progressive pastor with a vision and the relational skills to lead the church to its next level of growth and impact.
Kona UMC – 100% Appointment – Bilingual in English and Tongan
74-4960 Palani Road, Kailua-Kona 96740-9652
Current Pastors – Sunny Ahn (English); Lavaka Malakai (Tongan)
Membership: 162 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 86
Kona UMC is a warm, inviting, multi-cultural congregation that welcomes residents and tourists. The church is a vibrant group where adults, youth, younger adults, and children come together to plan and carry out various projects in the church, the community, and around the world. It is looking for one pastor who can minister fluently in both Tongan and English. The church has a strong online presence and actively participates in American Sign Language (ASL) ministry to the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Wahiawa UMC – 100% Lead Pastor Appointment.
1445 California Ave, Wahiawa, HI 96786-2598
Current Pastors – Piula Alaʻilima and Sam Domingo, both serving in retirement.
Membership: 125 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 40
Wahiawa UMC is a progressive, friendly congregation in Central Oahu. It is committed to social justice, reconciling ministries, missions, and community outreach. It has a strong music ministry, and the worship style is blended. The congregation is welcoming and open to working with both a younger, less experienced or a seasoned pastor to grow the ministry together.
NORTH DISTRICT
Community UMC of Pearblossom – 50% Lead Pastor Appointment.
34143 126th Street East, Pearblossom, CA 93553
Current Pastor: Glenn Hoskins
Membership: 55 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 37
Community UMC of Pearblossom is serving as a place of hope for the small community of Pearblossom located in the Antelope Valley of the Mojave Desert. The congregation is committed to providing for the physical needs of those in the community and nurturing spiritual growth for the church as well as the community. They have a weekly free lunch serving about a 100 people. In addition, they recently added a youth program to their ministries. In their commitment to live the Gospel this church values worship, Bible Study and service.
Christ Our Savior UMC – 25% Lead Pastor Appointment
5027 Columbia Way, Lancaster, CA 93536
Current Pastor: Glenn Hoskins
Membership: 18 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 10
Christ Our Savior is community located in the city of Quartz Hill near Lancaster, in the Antelope Valley. This active laity long to work with a pastor to grow the church and reach out to the community. They are a mostly conservative congregation who seeks to be in mission by providing spiritually based programs and service to those in need in their community.
First UMC of Arroyo Grande – 100% Lead Pastor Appointment
275 N Halcyon Rd, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
Current Pastor – Mary Birgelaitis
Membership: 200 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 100
First UMC of Arroyo Grande, located just southeast of Pismo Beach, in San Luis Obispo County is a warm, vibrant and very much alive Church. Even though the congregation is aging they have both a Contemporary Service and a Traditional Service, with a band, choir and bell choir that provide a strong musical component to both their in-person & online services. FUMC Arroyo Grande is well organized with strong lay leadership and a popular preschool and children’s center. Many retirees live in Arroyo Grande and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in Arroyo Grande are highly rated. An idea candidate for this position would be a younger pastor and team player with a vision and passion for reaching young families and young people.
Ridgecrest UMC – 100% Lead Pastor Appointment
639 N Norma Street, Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Current Pastor: Wesley Elmore, retiring.
Membership: 176 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 100 (85 in person; 15 online)
Ridgecrest UMC is an active church located in the Indian Wells Valley in northeastern Kern County. The congregation is committed to serving the families of the community as well as finding new ways to minister to the economically and culturally diverse neighborhoods surrounding the church. They host a free community dinner and game nights to serve and grow love in their community.
SOUTH DISTRICT
Laguna Country UMC – 75% appointment
24442 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Woods, California, 92637
Current Interim Pastor Rev. David Atkins – Serving in retirement.
Membership: 115 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 105
Laguna Country UMC is a “small but mighty” parish in Orange County. Even though the average age of members is around 75 and the membership is 115. The laity and five retired clergy are very active in providing and participating in worship, fellowship, educational, and mission ministries.
LCUMC is located on the edge of a retirement community with 17,000 residents, however, there are 3 elementary schools within a five-mile radius of the church, a population that is untapped.
In-person worship averages 60 per Sunday, and the live-stream worship averages 45 viewers per week. The music program is especially strong. The large size of the facilities provides space for many community groups and has been shared with a Korean UMC for 26 years.
St. Paul’s UMC of San Diego – 50% Appointment
3094 L St, San Diego, CA 92102
Current Interim Pastor: Eugenio Raphael – Serving in retirement.
Membership: 87 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 205 (30 in person; 175 online)
St. Paul’s UMC is a 99% African American/Black and 1% Hispanic congregation in San Diego, CA with a big heart for outreach in the community. Through a bi-weekly food pantry and diaper distribution ministry since 2016, this congregation is constantly in contact with families within the community. With a growing children’s ministry, active Parents of Toddlers outreach program, a Post-Covid-19 Support group, and now with the addition of an Alcoholics Anonymous group coming in 2025, this congregation continues to be actively committed to meeting some of the special needs of the surrounding neighborhood.
St. Paul’s UMC of San Diego desires pastoral leadership that will encourage and support greater outreach ministries to this community which needs compassionate care, creative solutions and visionary leadership. Moreover, the congregation is committed to evangelism and church growth to enable this congregation to strive and flourish in order to be responsive and welcoming to the residents of the surrounding community.
First UMC of Orange – Full time lead pastor.
161 S. Orange St., Orange, CA 92866
Current Pastor: Rev. Bill Johnson, retiring.
Primarily English Speaking
Membership: 197 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 95 (65 in person; 25-30 online)
Established in 1874, First United Methodist Church is located in the Historic Old Town section of the City of Orange. This is an aging congregation, but its members and constituents are active, warm, and spiritually alive. In addition to the English-speaking Sunday morning congregation, First UMC has also hosted a Gujarati Indian congregation for four decades; both congregations share in cross-cultural ministry on a regular basis. In recent years the congregation successfully launched a thriving preschool, with a diverse population. First UMC members are working diligently to be in ministry to the preschool families. First UMC also supports Family Promise of Orange County, and The Friendly Center of Orange, two community outreach ministries. The congregation is welcoming and affirming of all persons. Chapman University is located 3 blocks from the First UMC Campus, and the congregation is hoping to develop a student outreach ministry by the end of this decade. This is in a transition time; they are seeking to honor their treasured past while at the same time helping midwife a new vision for ministry and step into God’s future.
WEST DISTRICT
Grace United Methodist Church of Los Angeles -100% Lead Pastor Appointment
4112 W Slauson Ave, Los Angeles CA 90043-2806
Current Pastor: Lydia Waters (Interim Pastor)
Membership: 239 | Average Worship Attendance: 80
Grace United Methodist Church of Los Angeles is located in the heart of the Windsor Hills/Slauson corridor of Los Angeles, California. This predominantly African American congregation is a fellowship of ordinary people doing extraordinary works in the name of Jesus the Christ. Based on their theme scripture: Philippians 4:6-7, 19 this congregation strives to create a partnership with God to make a beloved community.
Wilmington First United Methodist Church -100% Lead Pastor Appointment.
928 N Lagoon Ave, Wilmington, CA 90744
Current Pastor: Choel Kwak, retiring.
Membership: 135 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 67 in-person, and a strong presence on YouTube.
The majority of this congregation are of Asian descent. It is located at the heart of Wilmington, California. English is the language used in all of their programs. They seek to live lovingly and justly as servants of Jesus Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed, being a compassionate presence, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel.
Maywood United Methodist Church – 50% Lead Pastor Appointment.
4535 Randolph St., Maywood, CA 90270
Current Pastor: Pulpit Supply.
Membership: 85 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 50
Maywood United Methodist Church is a multi-racial congregation located at the center of the City of Maywood, California. The main language used is English while the majority of the members are of Samoan descent. They are a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and inclusive community. They strive to love God and neighbor.
Zion Korean United Methodist Church – 100% Lead Pastor Appointment
231 E Lomita Blvd. Carson, CA 90745
Current Pastor: Kyung Hwan Oh, retiring.
Membership: 108 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 70
Zion Korean United Methodist Church is located in the City of Carson, California. The worshiping language is Korean and is used throughout their programs. The members strive to emphasize ‘loving God and loving your neighbor’. They root themselves in God’s word through daily meditation and study. From these personal equipping, the members go out and put the Words into action by actively participating in their church works, community partnerships and help fund-raise for various disasters domestically and overseas.
Los Angeles Gospel UM Mission – 100% Lead Pastor Appointment
1200 S Manhattan Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Current Pastor: Hoyong Kim, retiring.
Membership: 116 | Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 80
This Korean language congregation is located in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles. It was started in 2011 and offers four different worship services throughout the week. This congregation strives to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world through worship, Bible studies, community involvement and more.