Announcements

Rev. Gary Meekins Appointed Pastor of Harmony United Methodist Church

Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling and The Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church announced that Reverend Gary Meekins has been appointed to pastor Harmony United Methodist Church in Millsboro, Delaware. Historically, Harmony United Methodist Church is one of the oldest established churches in Sussex County, and is located at 27270 John J. Williams Highway.

Rev. Meekins is a native of Cambridge, Maryland and he comes to Harmony with many years of valuable experience after serving in the ministry since his ordination in 1971. He is a graduate of Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He received a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Rev. Meekins has served as pastor of various churches on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and in Lewes, Wilmington, and Bridgeville, Delaware. He has served as pastor at Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Chestertown, Maryland. Rev. Meekins was appointed to the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference in 1988 where he served the following churches: Senior Pastor of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Wharton Wesley United Methodist Church, Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church, and the first African American minister to serve the congregation at Pocono Lake United Methodist Church in Pocono Lake, PA, Most notably, Rev. Meekins was Associate Pastor at the nationally known Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, PA.

Rev. Meekins has a stellar reputation as an outstanding orator, preacher, and teacher. He has exhibited superior leadership skills in the numerous positions he has held including President of the Black United Methodist Preachers of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, Secretary of Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, Co-chair of the CTI (Congregational Transformation Team), Secretary of the Methodist Action Program and The Vision Team. He has been and continues to serve on the Board of Directors of several religious and community organizations.

Rev. Meekins officially retired from full-time ministry on October 1, 2012 but was asked by the Dover District Superintendent to pastor Mt. Calvary United Methodist Church in Bridgeville, Delaware, and Bethel United Methodist Church in Federalsburg, Maryland. He successfully pastored these two congregations until he accepted the call to pastor Harmony United Methodist Church in Millsboro.

Rev. Meekins and his wife, the former Fonda L. Burton of Lewes, Delaware are anxiously looking forward to a fruitful ministry at Harmony United Methodist Church and with the Millsboro community. According to Rev. Meekins, "I am honored to be called to Pastor Harmony United Methodist Church and I look forward to seeing God's amazing grace shine on His people here. I am reminded of the beautiful United Methodist hymn that says "the church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people. We're many kinds of people, with many kinds of faces, all colors, and all ages too, from many times and places. I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together. All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we are the church together!"