Special Announcement: Flourishing of the Union Combined Parish

Important Organizational and Staff Updates

July 2, 2026

“The body is one; all the parts, though many, comprise a single body.” (1 Corinthians 12:12)

Dear Beloveds —

Last month during Juneteenth and Pride, we celebrated this blessed truth: God loves us into freedom! We are set free to flourish and fabulously so! As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on this Fourth of July weekend, we rejoice that we are connected to one another as the Body of Christ during this Year of Interdependence (click here for more on our 2026 theme). With this spiritual grounding, at the start of the new appointment (fiscal) year, we write to share important organizational and administrative updates regarding the mission and ministry of the Union Combined Parish:

MERGERS

After deep prayer and discernment, Bethany Church (Roslindale) and St. Stephen’s Church (West Roxbury) voted unanimously on May 16th to merge with Union. As of June 1st, the Union Combined Parish is now composed of six legacy congregations:

Together, we are faithfully stewarding the six church buildings, six residences, and daycare center (leased to an independent business) that are owned-in-trust by the Union Combined Parish. As you see in this parish map, we now have a presence in Roxbury, West End, Roslindale, West Roxbury, Brighton, Everett, Dedham, and the South End:

EXPANDED CLERGY APPOINTMENT

As you know, we’re doing extraordinary things at Union as well-documented in The Union Update (April 2026) and the recent Church Conference Booklet (November 2025). Out of this strength, Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, District Superintendent Byungmoo “Moo” Lee, and the Cabinet have appointed Pastors Wonjin, Kyle, and Jay to First Church of Winthrop (United Methodist) — in addition to their continued appointments to the Union Combined Parish. While not formally part of the Union Combined Parish, your clergy now lead the spiritual and temporal life of First Church Winthrop. “To whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48).

We are honored to lead the transformational renewal of the United Methodist movement in greater Boston, in fulfillment of God’s mission:

CLERGY TEAM + SITE PASTORS

We strive to lead this renewal well, and the Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) continues to develop our comprehensive staffing plan to care for our growing mission field. 

Today, we’re delighted to announce exciting news about our current staff configuration:

• Rev. Nikki Renée joins our full-time clergy team as the Pastor of Worship and Formation. As a senior member of the clergy team, Pastor Nikki will contribute to the congregation's preaching, worship life, and clergy/lay formation initiatives like The Union Academy.

• The Staff-Parish Relations Committee has differentiated the Roles of our Clergy, as we introduce “Site Pastors” to guide Union’s ministry in Roslindale, West Roxbury, and Winthrop. Our site pastors will preach three times a month at their primary ministry location, provide pastoral care, and embed in their neighborhood and community life:

  • Pastor Solomon Alipoh is the Site Pastor for Bethany Church and St. Stephen’s Church (part of the Union Combined Parish), as well as Union’s Pastor of Connection.

  • Pastor Wonjin Kim is the Site Pastor for First Church of Winthrop, as well as Union’s Pastor of Communications.

  • Please click here for more on role differentiation of Union’s clergy. 

• Rev. Jane Lawrence, Minister of Congregational Care (Retired Elder, not-under-appointment), will focus on the pastoral care needs of Old West Church, Glendale Church, Brighton Church, and Union Church.

• Pastors Jay, Kyle, and Nikki, as tenured Elders in Full Connection under appointment, serve as “senior staff” primarily for the Union Combined Parish. As they guide the worship life at Union Church and Old West Church, they also lead the administrative life at all locations of the Union Combined Parish. This model returns to the early days of the Methodist movement in the Americas, where a pastor served a “circuit” of congregations and moved about from place-to-place.

• Preaching Calendar — We’re delighted to share our public-facing Preaching Calendar

OTHER STAFFING UPDATES

• Eric Falley (they/them) is now serving as our Worship Tech Coordinator for Sunday worship at Union Church. In this role, they ensure that the Audio/Visual experience of worship both in-person and online is both accessible and excellent. We’re delighted that Eric is stepping into this tech role, given Pastor Wonjin's appointment as the Site Pastor of First Church Winthrop.

• The Staff-Parish Relations Committee is also in the process of hiring an Executive Assistant and Bookkeeper/CPA to support the Pastoral Team in their leadership of the Parish. 

CELEBRATIONS

• Grants — God continues to pour out extraordinary blessings to the Union Combined Parish, by way of major grants:

  • $100,000 Strategic Planning Grant from the Preserving Black Churches program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation: This grant will fund the creation of a written, comprehensive plan that governs the architectural preservation, financial sustainability, organizational capacity, and corporate governance of the Union Combined Parish.

  • $50,000 matching grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission: This funding will address urgent, life-safety repairs of deteriorated stonework, mainly to the very prominent South Elevation (Columbus Avenue) and tower of Union Church. For more, please check out unionboston.org/preserve. 

  • $50,000 grant from the Henderson Foundation: This grant goes toward the Old West Church Accessibility Project. With last year’s $400,000 grant from Boston’s Community Preservation Act (CPA), this project is now fully-funded! 

• Bethany Church Public Park — The completion of the Bethany Church Public Park is now in sight! Thanks be to God! Funded with a $485,998 grant from the Boston CPA, we have transformed Bethany’s side yard into a community gathering space and amphitheatre. We’ll have a Park Opening Celebration in August/September — so stay tuned for the Save-the-Date!

Bethany First Church. Left: Before. Right: After (rendering).

Construction at Bethany First Church as of June 30, 2026

• Old West Church Accessibility Project — We’re thrilled that our grant-funded renovation of the historic Old West Church (constructed 1806) is now underway! This project will reset the main stairs to create a landing, drastically improving life safety and accessibility. In addition, the project will repair the retaining wall and ornamental fence — as we continue to preserve the home of New England’s first Methodist church!

• Summer Events Calendar — There’s really a lot happening across the Union Combined Parish. And summer is for re-creation! Join us for events happening throughout Boston, including (but not limited to):

  • 7/10 – Bowling Night at Kings Bowl (Friday, 6-8pm)

  • 7/16  – Fellowship at Fenway, Red Sox Game (Sunday, 1:35pm)

  • 8/1 – Deep-Sea Fishing Trip in Onset, MA  (Saturday, 6am)

  • 8/2 – Church Cookout at Union Church (Sunday following 11:15am worship)

  • 8/15 – Back-to-School Cookout at St. Stephen’s Church (Saturday, 11am - 1pm)

  • 8/19 – Titus Sparrow Park Concert at Union Church (Wednesday, 6-8pm)

  • 8/21 – Movie Night at Bethany First Church (Friday, 6-9pm)

  • TBD – Ribbon-Cutting for Bethany Church Public Park

During this Year of Interdependence, let us celebrate this truth: “each of you is a member of the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27) — and in Christ, we all are set free to flourish together! 

in love, liberation, and light,

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