news article
Building Unity and Vision: SUS and UNY Missional Cabinets Gather for Joint Retreat
September 22, 2025 / By Shelby Winchell, Upper New York Director of Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Missional Cabinets from both the Susquehanna (SUS) and Upper New York (UNY) Conferences gathered in Corning, NY, in early September for a multi-day retreat. Over four days, leaders from both conferences engaged in worship, learning, and collaboration with a focus on team building and moving forward together. The last time the Missional Cabinets from both conferences met was January 2025. You can read about that collaborative missional meeting here.
The schedule for the fall gathering included generative conversations, data analysis, and visioning along with opportunities to strengthen leadership, integrate insights, and discern next steps.
What is Missional Cabinet?
Under the direction of Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez, the Missional Cabinet includes the Conference Lay Leader, District Superintendents, Assistant to the Bishop, Director of Missional Excellence/Director of Connectional Ministry, the Conference Treasurer, Communications Director, and the Episcopal Office Manager.
The role of the Missional Cabinet is to provide general oversight for the spiritual and organizational life of the conference and to provide executive strategic leadership.
Why a Joint Cabinet Meeting?
Following his election to the episcopacy in November 2022, Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez began serving as the episcopal leader of the Upper New York Conference on January 1, 2023. On September 1, 2024, his leadership expanded to include the Susquehanna Conference, as he was appointed to oversee the newly aligned Susquehanna–Upper New York Episcopal Area. This transition was made in response to a decision of the 2024 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference, reflecting a commitment to shared leadership and missional alignment across both Conferences.
“Joint Missional Cabinet meetings are a sacred space where leaders from both Susquehanna and Upper New York Conferences come together to listen, discern, and align around a shared vision for ministry. These gatherings allow us to steward our collective gifts faithfully, foster deeper collaboration, and embody the unity of the Church while honoring the unique identity and context of each Conference in a sustainable way. In a time of deep adaptive change, this kind of synergy is not only strategic—it’s Spirit-led,” said Bishop Héctor.
Key Components
The retreat featured two key components. The first was a Peer Learning Session—a generative, forward-looking conversation focused on the emerging religious landscape. Rather than centering on problem-solving, this session invited participants into a posture of curiosity and exploration, opening space to imagine new possibilities across diverse ministry areas. Cabinet members from both Conferences engaged the shifting contexts for mission through fresh perspectives, fostering deeper understanding, and shared discernment.
The second was a Strategic Consultation with church consultant, Michael Bonem. September marks the launch of the Strategic Visioning and Planning Process, approved at both the SUS & UNY 2025 Annual Conference sessions in May 2025. The process is a Spirit-led effort to renew our vision, clarify our values, and define the next faithful steps for both the Susquehanna and Upper New York Conferences of The United Methodist Church. This process will culminate in a Ministry Action Plan to be presented at each conference’s 2026 Annual Conference.
Through this visioning journey, both conferences will:
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Revisit and renew its vision
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Clarify its core values
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Define strategic goals and priorities for the next three to five years
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Identify needed cultural and structural shifts
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Identify opportunities for collaboration between the Susquehanna and Upper New York Conferences.
Conference Lay Leaders Express Hope Moving Forward
Joyce Davis and Jessica White serve as Conference Lay Leaders for both Susquehanna and Upper New York Conferences, respectively. Both expressed that the time spent together was not only a blessing, but a time that fostered connection between clergy and laity.
“It is always such a gift when clergy and laity come together to worship, pray, and learn side-by-side. Our time together strengthened the bond between both conferences and created space to listen deeply for God’s direction. For me personally, it was a time of renewal and discernment. I left with a clearer sense of God’s call for the path ahead," explained White.
Jessica continued, “The focus of the retreat centered on how clergy and lay can faithfully navigate the new realities within our conferences and denomination. Even as we face change, I leave with a heart full of hope and a strong sense of renewal. With Christ at the center of all we do, I believe the road ahead is filled with promise and purpose.”
Joyce Davis expressed that the perspectives of lay leaders provide valuable insights in discussions and especially in decision-making on critical issues. Lay leaders are not only engaged inside church communities, but much of their time is occupied in work outside of the church. They can bring expertise and professional experience, but also to help widen discussions to include how decisions may impact the wider community.
“As a Conference Lay Leader, I feel honored to be included in thoughtful dialogue, worship, and strategic planning, realizing I am supporting people called by God to lead the Church. I also feel the ideas lay leaders bring to the table are highly valued and appreciated, and I am mindful that as laity, we should not hold back the insights God places in our hearts. We must be fully engaged in deliberations about our Church's future— at the local and conference levels— to help ensure the right decisions are made and that communication will be clear and understandable to the entire body. We cannot leave leadership solely to our dedicated clergy. They need help. Laity are also called to lead,”
Joyce added, “During these times, as our Church looks to a new and exciting era of reformation and growth, laity must walk hand-in-hand with clergy to revitalize our ministries to better reflect Christ's teachings of love and service to all mankind. That is what I sought to do during our retreat to help support Bishop Héctor and the strong group of clergy leading our Conferences.”
Next Steps
Members from both Missional Cabinets support the value of collaborative work and agreed to continue meeting in a joint format once a month, either virtually or in-person, to continue the work on behalf of both Conferences.
“I’m excited about Susquehanna and Upper New York Missional Cabinets working together,” expressed the Rev. Dr. Sherri Rood, Dean of the Upper New York Cabinet. “This is a great opportunity to share best practices, resource one another, and be creative as we support our ministry context in New York and Pennsylvania. We’re already off to a great start, and I can’t wait to see how our work will further the mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church.”
“Together as United Methodists both the conversation shared and work of the joint Missional Cabinet has set a high standard for the ministry of Christ that will be done. The flow of shared ideas and the confirmation of needed resourcing will be spiritually beneficial to our two Conferences,” remarked Rev. Gary Weaver, Dean of the Susquehanna Cabinet.
As the Susquehanna and Upper New York Missional Cabinets move forward, the retreat has set a strong foundation for shared vision, collaboration, and faithful leadership. With monthly meetings planned to continue this work, both conferences are committed to stewarding their resources, exploring new possibilities, and walking together in mission and purpose.