Meet Superintendent Bronwyn Yocum

The Rev. Bronwyn E.  Yocum                                                                                      

This week we gathered at the Lord's Table to mark the beginning of the Lenten journey.  This is a journey of discovery, for as we grow in our knowledge of God, we grow as well in our knowledge of ourselves.  Who we are is intimately tied to whose we are.  Expanding our understanding of God helps us better know who we are and who we were intended to be.  In the eating of the bread and the sharing of the cup, God is present in a way we cannot explain.  God reveals himself to us in the breaking of the bread, God nurtures us by this meal, and God shapes us for the work that has been prepared for us. 

 

Like explorers of old, we go into uncharted territory, learning more about God, learning more about ourselves.  We enter that territory by intentionally engaging in what Wesley called the means of grace - the Lord's Supper, prayer, fasting, studying God's word, worship and devotions, and holy conferencing.  When we participate in these activities, whether alone or in the company of others, we open ourselves to seeing with new eyes.  As we experience God's presence through the means of grace, we become aware of who we are in the totality of God's creation.  God's presence, like a light shining in the darkness, illuminates us and we see ourselves more clearly. 

 

May this Lent be a journey of discover for you.  Let the means of grace open new understandings of God to you, and in the light of that knowledge, enable you to see yourself more clearly. 

 

 

Rev. Yocum was appointed District Superintendent as of July 1, 2008.  Prior to coming to the Northeast District, she served as the Senior Pastor of the First United Methodist Church, Phoenixville, PA, from 2000-2008.  Ordained deacon in 1997 and elder in 1997, she also served as the Associate Pastor of Hopewell UMC in Downingtown, from 1997 to 2000, and as Discpleship Coordinator at Berwyn UMC from 1991 to 1997.

 

A second career pastor, Rev. Yocum worked in the area of human resources with Fortune 100 companies before entering seminary.  She was Director of Human Resources and Employee Communications in the publishing division of CBS, Inc., and managed the MBA recruiting program for Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail).  

 

She is a gradauate of  Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass, with a B.A. in Philosophy, and pursued additional study in philosophy at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa.  She received her M.Div. from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, now Palmer Seminary. 

 

She and her husband, Gordon, have two children, Jenny and Douglas.  She is an avid reader, has taught courses in leadership and conflict management at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary and led workshops in Christian clowning.  She loves to write liturgy and develop worship experiences.