"Big" Days Ahead...

Apr 10, 2025 | by Dr. Darren M. McClellan

Dear Church Family, 

We have a series of “big days” happening here at APUMC. 

Last Sunday, the announcement was made that our incredibly gifted and beloved Associate Minister, Dr. Kristen Wright, is projected to receive a new appointment this year as the next Associate Minister of Fairhope UMC. She will be the successor of the Rev. Laura Parker, an equally celebrated leader who will be retiring this June.  

Naturally, we want Kristen to stay with us forever. This church has a history of loving its associates well. God knows that Kristen, Micah, and Callie have been a gift to us. For the past 6 years, you all have marveled at the growth and development of her ministry. How proud we are of her! We are confident that God will do great things through this precious family wherever they go. Her last Sunday with us in this role will be June 15. We begin our party planning now. 

Following that news, it was announced that the Rev. Jennifer Hope Porto is projected to be appointed as the next Associate Minister at Ashland Place.  

Jennifer was raised in Alexander City, Alabama and graduated from Benjamin Russell High School in 2015. She continued her undergraduate studies at Huntingdon College (Montgomery, AL) where she majored in religion and minored in English. Since graduating from Huntingdon in 2020, Jennifer has served as the Director of Student Ministries at St. Luke United Methodist Church (Enterprise, AL) while completing her Master of Divinity degree at Duke Divinity School through the university’s hybrid program. 

In Jennifer’s words, she also “married her best friend, Evan Porto, on December 14, 2024 and is forever grateful to have him by her side as she continues to say ‘yes’ to God’s call on her life. On top of all of these grace-filled milestones, (I) will graduate from Duke this May! 

Jennifer enjoys a variety of hobbies, but a few of her favorites are reading, running, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves beach days, listening to music, and writing poetry. She hopes to publish a book one day that includes her testimony (which she looks forward to sharing with you) and her poems. Last but certainly not least, Jennifer is a true coffee enthusiast and is excited to hear all of your local coffee shop recommendations.

My appreciation for Jennifer Porto actually began a number of years ago when she was beginning her candidacy process for the United Methodist Church. I was assigned at that time to be one of the conveners of her group, which involved months of discernment, study, and reflection around each participant’s call to ministry.  It was then that I thought to myself “this young woman shines!” It was the sort of mental note that I committed to memory, as one never knows when the need for an outstanding team member may arise. Thus, you can imagine my enthusiasm when I learned from our District Superintendent, the Rev. Sheila Bates, that Jennifer would be coming to APUMC beginning July 1. 

At the end of the Ascension Service on April 6, our Lay Leader, Mr. Eric Cooper, offered this prayer for the occasion: 

Lord, we thank you for your servant, Kristen. Thank you for her friendship, for her mentorship and the love that she has shown to this congregation and community. Lord, her love for you and her desire to make disciples has always been obvious and we pray for your blessings over her, Micah, and Callie as they continue their journey together. Protect them, show them your will and give them the assurance that they are forever loved by you and their Ashland Place family.

Lord, we also thank you for Jennifer Porto and her husband, Evan. Prepare them, and us, so that we may see all the great things you have in store for your church. We ask all of these things in Christ’s name. 

Amen! 

We have another “big day” ahead of us on Palm Sunday, April 13.  

Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! 

I hope to see you in worship! 

Darren