"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. We love, because God first loved us."
(I John 4:7a, 18a, 19)

This has been the theme for my Christian journey since I was a little girl growing up in the church.  Please take the time to read the whole charter of I John 4.  I believe with all of my heart that God is love.  And I am extremely grateful that God has chosen to love me and to call me into the service of God in the set-apart ministry of being an ordained pastor.  As we begin our journey together as pastor and parishioners, my prayer is that love will be the basis, the foundation of our relationship in Christ.  I believe that ministry in the local church is a partnership between the pastor and the laity, and I hope that will come to describe our work together in the Lord at Algiers UMC.  I am looking forward to getting to know you, and hopefully, for you to know me, too!  In the Kairos ministry with prisoners, one of the basic foundations for those involved in the ministry is to “listen, listen, love, love.”  It is written in the instruction manual for this type of spiritual ministry in the prison.  I hope that will also guide us in our beginning journey, that we listen to each other repeatedly, and that we keep on loving one another as we go. 

I grew up in South Carolina and Florida.  Most of my seminary years were spent in Kentucky and I completed my Master of Divinity degree at the San Francisco Theological Seminary.  My husband, Rev. Jeff, and I came to Louisiana in 1984.  We have loved living here, and consider it our home now.  Rev. Jeff is originally from Georgia.  Most of my ministry has been in the New Orleans District.  I have pastured Lacombe UMC, Jefferson UMC, UNO Campus Minister, Asbury UMC in West Monroe, Pharr Chapel UMC in Morgan City and my last appointment has been the New Orleans East Cooperative Parish of Cornerstone UMC, Covenant UMC and Hartzell UMC.  I was ordained an elder in the Louisiana Annual Conference in 1999, but have been serving churches since 1990.  Rev. Jeff and I have been married for thirty-one years, and we have one son John who is 24 years old.  I will be serving with Rev. Jeff at St. Matthew’s UMC in Metairie as well.  I have a dual appointment with ¾ of my time at Algiers, and ¼ at St. Matthew’s UMC.  I also serve on the Louisiana Conference Board of Ministry, the Louisiana Conference Task Force on Hispanic/Latino Ministry, and the New Orleans District Board of Ministry.

Please pray for me and be patient with me in this time of new beginnings as I try to learn everyone’s name and learn my way around the church and the community.  My personal e-mail address is bconn444@earthlink.net and my cell phone number is 504-256-8989.  Tentatively, I plan to be in the office at Algiers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  I well be at St. Matthew’s on Mondays, and Fridays will be my day off.  We will be living in the St. Matthew’s parsonage.

Rev. Jeff and I are both very happy to be continuing to serve in the New Orleans District.  There is still so much work to be done, even four years after Hurricane Katrina.  We can accomplish so much when we work together in building the family of God and expanding it to welcome everyone!  I look forward to working with you to grow in the church and in the love of God for all.

Grace and peace,
Rev. Becky