Antioch United Methodist Church

Welcome to the Antioch United Methodist Church website! I am Pastor Sharon Kunselman and I have been blessed with an appointment to serve the Antioch Church. My appointment began in July 2013. If I have not yet had the chance to meet you, I hope to greet you in our Sunday morning worship services. I am also open to meeting with you by personal appointment. You may contact me through email: antiochumcpastor@aol.com or by calling me at 937-902-6908. I will take this opportunity now to tell you a little about myself.

 

I spent my early formative years growing up on a farm in Clinton County, Ohio. During my teen years, my family moved to the suburbs of Beavercreek, Ohio. I graduated from Beavercreek High School and went on to Wright State University where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health. My former career existed in the secular world. I have worked 19 years in state and city government jobs and the last 2 years in the industrial sector. By the grace of God I was moved to make some very important decisions in my life and in 2010, I left my last secular position in order to attend seminary and submerge myself into ministry full-time.

 

I have a variety of lay ministry and staff ministry experience within the United Methodist Church. I started out at Ohmer Park UMC in Dayton working with youth; being active in Sunday and Wednesday worship services; and conducting many pastoral care visits outside of the church. When I entered into the ordination process, I was assigned to a mentor at St. Andrew UMC in Beavercreek. My initial focus at St. Andrew was in pastoral care, but I soon expanded into areas that included liturgist, preaching, youth group activities, prayer station, Bible study, and administrative office duties.

 

As a work-study student at United Theological Seminary, I worked closely with seminary staff, professors, and students. In relation to my formation work as a student, I volunteered as a chaplain at a nursing home and earned school credits as a chaplain intern at Kettering Medical Center. Soon after I graduated from seminary, I obtained a full-time chaplain residency position at KMC and completed my training requirements for Board Certified Chaplaincy. I have had frequent opportunities to preach and lead worship services in the church, in nursing homes, and at the hospital chapel. My position at Antioch UMC is my first appointment as a pastor in congregational ministry.

 

God has been in pursuit of me my entire life, but I did not know it until I turned to him in earnest prayer and asked him to use me for his purpose. Ever since I found that courage to trust in him, the Holy Spirit has moved in miraculous ways in my life. Whether you are a new explorer in the Christian faith or whether you have been a life-long Christian, may we have a chance to continue to seek God and call upon him together. I know the truth in these words Christ speaks from the Gospel of Luke 11: 9-10, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

 

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Sharon