Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson has appointed the Rev. Chris Mclain as the Virginia Conference’s Director of Connectional Ministries, succeeding the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Page who since 2023, has served as the Conference Director of Connection and Innovation.
Rev. Mclain has served in churches of all sizes across the Virginia Conference since 2001, most recently as the senior pastor of Shady Grove UMC in Short Pump, a role she has served with excellence since 2017. As Director of Connectional Ministries, Chris will be a steward of the Conference’s vision and stated values by resourcing and supporting ministries of nurture, outreach, and witness for districts and local churches, planning, coordinating, and implementing training and programming for our Annual Conference. She will also serve as the primary conduit between the ministries of local churches, districts and the leadership of the Conference. She will also interface with her counterparts in connectional ministry in other conferences.
“Chris has a tremendous heart for clergy, laity, and the local church, as well as a clear vision for how to focus the immense resources and gifts of the Virginia Conference so that it can be a driver for transformative ministries in local congregations and the communities they serve,” said Rev. Douglas Forrester, Assistant to the Bishop and Chief Operating Officer for the Conference. “I have known Rev. Mclain for twenty years as one of our Conference’s best and brightest, and I am delighted to have her as a part of our staff.
Rev. Mclain will begin her tenure in this new role on November 1.