August 30, 2023
By Elizabeth B. Chryst
Sometimes gratitude isn’t enough when it comes to thanking a person for their hard work and loyalty to a cause. This writer echoes this sentiment. The Wesleyan Covenant Association’s global council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, bid a bittersweet goodbye to Jay Therrell as he leaves his post as President of the WCA. Jay will immediately assume the role as the President Pro Tempore in the Florida Provisional annual conference of the Global Methodist Church. As the council voiced their deep appreciation for Jay and his work, they voted unanimously to place the Rev. Dr. Scott Field in the position as the Wesleyan Covenant Association’s next President. After the resounding vote by the council, Rev. Field gave a brief overview of what he sees as his tasks at hand as the new President. In a nutshell, the mission of the WCA is not over!
Rev. Dr. Scott Field has long worked toward Methodist reform and renewal. He served as a pastor in the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church for 41 years. Scott served on the Board of Directors of Good News for 15 years and, along with an outstanding team, led the Reform and Renewal Coalition efforts at four UMC General Conferences. He, along with his wife Lynda, were the local arrangement organizers for the inaugural gathering of the Wesleyan Covenant Association in Chicago in 2016 with 1800 in attendance.
Scott also took the lead to form the Northern Illinois Regional Chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and worked voluntarily there for the last seven (7) years. His days were spent working within northern Illinois to inform, connect, advise, and resource Methodists in the disaffiliation process for separation from the United Methodist denomination. Scott retired from the UMC in 2019.
Scott has been a part of the Leadership Council of the Great Lakes Provisional Annual Conference, and also serves on the Great Lakes Board of Ministry both of the Global Methodist Church.
Scott is deeply committed to the mission of the WCA to advocate for a fair, transparent, feasible, and globally available process for congregations and pastors to determine their most faithful and fruitful ministry future, whether within the UMC or another denomination.
The WCA remains strong! The WCA will continue to help churches around the world find a place where they can contend for the Lord the way that best enables them to carry out their disciple-making mission. Please know that under Scott’s leadership, the WCA will finish strong and until then, we are not finished! We would appreciate your prayers in the coming months for Scott and the entire WCA global council team and the four (4) jurisdictional regional chapters nationwide. Also, as always, we welcome your financial support. There is much work yet to be done.
Elizabeth B. Chryst is the chair of the Wesleyan Covenant Association global council.