Dear Ashland Place Family,
It is with deep gratitude and great joy that I echo an announcement that was made last Sunday in worship. After a season of prayer, discernment, and thoughtful reflection on our staffing needs, we are welcoming Rev. Julie Hare to our church staff as our new Minister of Community Care.
As you may recall, we have been navigating a staff vacancy since December. In that time, many have stepped in—especially Rev. Jennifer—to ensure that essential ministries continued with faithfulness and care. This season has also given us the opportunity to step back, listen for God’s guidance, and consider how we might not simply “get by,” but truly grow in our mission to make disciples for the transformation of the world.
Through that discernment, it became clear that one of our greatest opportunities lies in strengthening the ways we care for one another and connect more deeply with our neighbors. Rev. Hare’s role as Minister of Community Care is designed with that very purpose at heart: to connect the gifts of this church with the needs of our community.
In this role, Rev. Julie will:
● Assist our pastoral team in visitation of hospitalized and homebound members.
● Provide leadership and support for our membership care ministries.
● Help guide and organize a much-needed membership audit.
● Encourage and collaborate with our children’s, youth, and preschool ministries.
● Participate in worship, teaching, and occasional preaching.
● Discern and help launch new support groups and care initiatives for the community.
● Oversee our nursery ministry with a focus on excellence and hospitality.
I could not be more excited about the gifts Rev. Hare brings to this work. Julie is a Deacon in Full Connection in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, deeply committed to bridging the church and the world through ministries of compassion and service. She currently serves in numerous leadership roles across the Conference, including the Board of Ordained Ministry (Vice Chair) and as a mentor to those discerning a call to ministry.
Her experience is both rich and remarkably aligned with our needs. Julie served for fourteen years as Director of Care Ministries at Auburn UMC, where she developed and led a wide range of impactful ministries—hospital visitation, homebound communion, grief support groups, Stephen Ministry, and more. She is also the founder of the REACH Community Respite Ministry, a groundbreaking program supporting individuals with dementia and their caregivers, in partnership with Auburn University’s School of Nursing. Most recently, she has been serving as Pastor to Families and Children at Foley UMC, continuing her work of nurturing faith across generations.
In addition to her ministry experience, Julie holds a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a unique combination that equipped her vocation of compassionate, holistic care.
With the support of our lay leadership and the blessing of Bishop Jonathan Holston, Rev. Hare will be appointed to serve ¾ time at Ashland Place, beginning May 1, 2026. In the remaining ¼ of her appointment, she will serve as the Registrar of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) assisting Dr. Jeff Wilson, Director of Ministerial Services for the Alabama West-Florida Conference. As the Chair of the BOM, this is an additional gift for me, too.
This hybrid appointment has also allowed us to share Rev. Hare’s compensation with the Annual Conference (and thus, keeps us under budget, thanks to your generous stewardship). Let the church say, ‘Amen!’
On a personal note, I have known Julie for many years and hold her in the highest regard. Her gifts for connection, empathy, encouragement, and leadership are evident to all who know her. I am confident that she will be a tremendous blessing to our congregation and to the wider community we are called to serve.
I consider it a real privilege to share life together with the wonderful team of leaders that we are building here at Ashland Place. I look forward to the ways God will continue to shape and strengthen our shared ministry. Thank you for welcoming Rev. Julie and her family–Jason, John (15), and Jake (13).
Yours,
Darren