news article

Mark Jones receives John Wesley Fellowship Award

June 1, 2021 / By Steve Ranous, Vice President, United Methodist Men

On April 30th, 2021, Mark Jones from the Mohawk District of the Upper NY (UNY) United Methodist Church (UMC) Conference, and current President of the Upper NY UMC Conference United Methodist Men (UMM), became a John Wesley Fellowship Award winner, only #845 world-wide since the award started in 1982!  Being named a Fellow in the Society of John Wesley is the top award within the UMM community.

Mark was given the award at the 13th Annual Spring UMM Retreat at UNY Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center.  Former Conference UMM president Buddy Heit read the formal induction words, and former conference UMM president Ted Johndrow (also a past John Wesley Fellowship Award winner himself!) read the Letter of Congratulations from UNY Conference Bishop Mark Webb, as Bishop Webb could not attend.  Besides Mr. Johndrow from N. Syracuse, Mark now joins fellow John Wesley Fellowship Award winners Ken Summers from Endicott and John Burlew from Manlius. 

Mark was totally caught off guard by this wonderful surprise!  His wife Susan and daughter Whitney were given advance notice so they could witness this special event first-hand, along with about thirty men in attendance at the retreat and the award announcement.

Mark earned this award by being involved with the UMM organization formally since 2004 when he became Mohawk District President, and has been Conference President since 2014.  Mark also was awarded the prestigious Harry Denman Evangelism Award by the UNY UMC Conference in 2017.  Mark, his wife Susan, and their son Ryan, all live in Frankfort.