Sunday, April 14, 2024

Dear Chamblee First UMC Members & Friends,

I am writing on behalf of Bishop Robin Dease and District Superintendent Rev. Byron Thomas, to announce the pastor appointments for the 2024-2025 year.

As you may know, the United Methodist Church has itinerant pastors, pastoral appointments are assessed each year. Sometimes reappointments are made unexpectedly, not as any comment on the church or pastor, but to address the changing missional needs across the entirety of the Conference. In this case, Rev. Minho Chung is being appointed to support the work of Congregational Development across the entire Northeast region of our Conference. Likewise, to ensure Chamblee First United Methodist Church has the experienced pastoral leadership we need to pursue our mission, this summer we will welcome our next appointed senior pastor.

We are pleased to announce that we will be welcoming Rev. Blair Boyd Zant as our newly appointed Senior Pastor this July. Rev. Zant is coming to us from The North Georgia Conference as the Director of the Center for Congregational Excellence. Her official first day will be July 8th, with her first Sunday being July 14th.

Rev. Zant is an Atlanta native and a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and Duke Divinity School. She has held various roles across different UMC churches. From her current role as the Director of the Center for Congregational Excellence to various pastor roles, Sardis UMC, Sandy Springs UMC, and Cannon UMC in Snellville, where she served as Co-Senior Pastor alongside her husband Rev. Will Zant. Rev. Will is currently the Lead Pastor of Haygood Memorial UMC in Midtown Atlanta. Rev. Zant has two children, Katie (11) and Bethany (9), who will also be joining us, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Chamblee UMC Family.

Rev. Chung and his family have been an integral part of our church this past year. We wish him the very best in his new appointment as the Regional Church Development Coordinator for the Northeast District in the North Georgia Conference. We will work with Rev. Chung and Rev. Zant on a transition plan over the next few months. Please save the date for a goodbye celebration lunch for Rev. Chung and his family, Janet, Noah, Jonah, and Abby, on Sunday, June 30th.

Please join me in adding Rev. Chung and his family, Rev. Zant and her family, and Chamblee First UMC to your prayers as we all prepare for the new appointments and pastoral changes.

Blessings,

Brittany Dunlap

Chair, Chamblee First UMC Staff-Parish Relations Committee