Rhonda Ramsey, Office Administrator at Plainwell UMC, is new PAUMCS vice president.
The Professional Association of United Methodist Church Secretaries (PAUMCS) 35th annual conference was hosted by the Northern Illinois Annual Conference PAUMCS Chapter in Chicago, Illinois May 3-6, 2017. At the meeting, the association membership voted to change the name of and adopt a new logo for the organization. Beginning immediately, the organization is known as the Professional Administrators of the United Methodist Connectional Structure. The acronym, PAUMCS, remains the same.
The membership elected a new slate of officers listed here with their annual conference affiliations: Gail Douglas-Boykin (New York), President; Rhonda Ramsey (West Michigan) Vice President; Mary Schramm (Baltimore-Washington), Secretary; Josie Hickom (North Georgia), Treasurer; Bev Amperse (Desert Southwest), Finance Chair; Lori Sluder (Holston), Communications Chair; Denise Wilson (North Georgia), Membership Secretary; and Barbara Buck (Missouri), Professional Training and Standards (PTS) Committee Chair.
New PAUMCS Vice President, Rhonda Ramsey, has served as the Office Administrator of Plainwell United Methodist Church (Kalamazoo District) for the past 20 years. Rhonda says, “Connection, that’s what first drew me to the West Michigan PAUMCS and later to the National Executive Committee of PAUMCS.” She adds that those experiences “exposed me to how connected we all are, no matter what size church you work for or if you work in a district, conference or agency office, we all share a common ministry and a common bond.”
This spring’s annual meeting exposed attendees to speakers on diversity in ministry, radical hospitality, and office ergonomics. Attendees participated in a mission-outreach event with Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON), a faith-driven ministry welcoming immigrants into churches and communities.
The organization, founded in 1982, is the professional association for those who work for local churches, annual conferences, general agencies and other related entities of The United Methodist Church in the role of administrative support. The leadership of the group researched the use of the term “secretaries” in professional organizations and, after surveying the membership, determined the term should be replaced with phrasing that reflects the work of those who hold the positions.
The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) assigns a staff person to work as liaison for the organization and assists with the administration of the group’s roles and responsibilities within the denomination. Bishop Michael McKee, the President of the Board of GCFA said, “PAUMCS strives to support professionalism and personal development for its members. We are in full support of their work in designing the online certification portal and initiating the change in the organization’s name. We know that persons who work in this ministry are important to the full administrative function of the church or organization for which they work.”
Rhona Ramsey is a witness to the value of an organization like PAUMCS. She notes that participation in PAUMCS gatherings “benefits both the churches/offices and the individual through personal growth and development.
Rhonda Ramsey is a witness to the value of an organization like PAUMCS. She explains that participation in PAUMCS gatherings benefits both the churches/offices and the individuals through personal growth and development. “There is a sense of freedom when you know you’re not alone in what you do and that someone else understands,” she concludes.
Interested in joining a Michigan PAUMCS chapter? Contact
- West Michigan Conference: Mandana Nordbrock, 269-372-7525 or [email protected];
- Detroit Conference: Teri Rice, 989-793-8838 or [email protected].
Last Updated on June 10, 2017