Pastor Transition | Smyrna First UMC

Pastor Transitions

A New Chapter for Smyrna First UMC

Smyrna First is entering a new season of leadership and we want you to be informed, encouraged, and along for the ride every step of the way. Rev. Derek Porter is moving on to a well-deserved new role, and a new senior pastor is on the way.

Between now and July, a lot will happen. This page will be your home base for updates, answers, and everything you need to navigate this transition with confidence and hope.

A Video Message from Rev. Porter

Celebrating What We've Built Together

Meet Our Incoming Pastor

Your Questions, Answered

The United Methodist Church operates under an "itinerant" system, meaning pastors are appointed — rather than hired — by the Bishop and are expected to serve where they are needed most across the conference. This system dates back to John Wesley and the early Methodist movement, where circuit riders traveled from community to community spreading the faith. Rather than being a sign of something going wrong, transitions are a normal and healthy part of how the UMC has always functioned.

Each year, the Bishop and Cabinet—which includes the District Superintendent and other church leaders—prayerfully consider where pastors are needed and where they can best serve. Local churches provide input through their Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC), and appointments are confirmed at the annual conference meeting each spring. While the process may feel unfamiliar to those new to Methodism, it is a well-established system designed to match the right leaders with the right communities at the right time.

The final appointment decision rests with the Bishop, in consultation with the Cabinet and our District Superintendent. Our SPRC had the opportunity to share our congregation's needs and hopes, and that input was taken seriously. While we don't control the outcome, we trust that this process—guided by prayer and the collective wisdom of church leadership—is working in the best interest of Smyrna First and of Rev. Porter.

Rev. Porter has been appointed as the new Senior Pastor at Roswell UMC — a significant and well-deserved next step in his ministry. While we will miss his leadership deeply, we celebrate this recognition of the gifts he brings to the church.

Under his leadership, we’ve navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, the purchase and sale of the Tillman House property, tension of UMC disaffiliation, and the growth of downtown Smyrna. We want to congratulate Rev. Porter on his new appointment and know he will continue to do great things while overseeing the congregation at Roswell UMC. In the meantime, we will have plenty of opportunities to celebrate his ministry and send him off well before his final Sunday on June 7.

Senior Associate Pastor Rev. Kathryn Davis and the rest of our clergy team are staying right here at Smyrna First. Rev. Porter is the only one transitioning at this time, which means there will be meaningful continuity in the pastoral leadership you rely on day to day. It's worth noting that transitions are a natural part of both church growth and individual pastoral journeys in the UMC, so while change may come again in the future, it is always part of a larger story God is writing — for our church and for the pastors who serve here.

The most important thing you can do is pray — for Rev. Porter and his family, for our incoming pastor, and for our congregation as we navigate this season together. Beyond that, we encourage you to stay engaged, keep showing up, and resist the urge to sit on the sidelines until things feel "settled." Your presence and participation are what make this church what it is, and that doesn't change with a leadership transition.

Change is difficult and this is a significant one. A mixture of emotions is normal and expected. No matter how you’re feeling, we understand. We’re here to walk with your through this transition and answer whatever questions you have.

Absolutely. Change is hard, even when it's good — and even when you understand why it's happening. If Rev. Porter has been your pastor during a significant moment in your life, or if you've simply grown to love his leadership, it makes complete sense to feel a mix of emotions right now. We're not asking anyone to pretend otherwise.

What we'd encourage is to bring those feelings into community rather than sitting with them alone. Talk to a friend, talk to a pastor, and know that what you're feeling is a reflection of how much this church and its people mean to you. That's not a problem — that's exactly what a healthy church looks like.

Not at all — and honestly, this might be one of the best times to get connected. Transitions have a way of bringing a congregation together, reminding everyone what the church is really about beneath any one person's leadership. The warmth, the community, and the mission of Smyrna First aren't going anywhere.

If anything, we'd love for new faces to be part of this next chapter from the very beginning. You're not arriving at the end of something — you're arriving at the start of something new.

UMC Transition Resources

What You Can Be Doing