John Spelman has known Camp Aldersgate from nearly every angle. He was a camper there, spent several years on the maintenance staff, and eventually became its executive director, a role he has held for the past nine years. But for a long time, John did not see UMCRM as a community meant for him. When he was serving as a program director at another camp in 2013, he assumed UMCRM and its National Gathering were mainly for executive directors. Even after stepping into executive leadership, John found plenty of regional conferences to attend in New England. Yet much of what they offered did not quite fit his ministry context.
That began to change in 2020. As the pandemic moved gatherings online, John joined UMCRM’s virtual conversations and discovered a much broader network than he had imagined. Around the same time, the murder of George Floyd left John and his team wrestling with urgent questions about diversity, equity, and inclusion. They needed space to process what was happening, consider their ministry’s response, and talk honestly about the challenges they faced. They found that space in UMCRM’s DEI Leadership Team. The group became a trusted sounding board where John could bring ideas, ask questions, and learn from leaders doing similar work in their own settings. It also gave him language and context for the work underway at Aldersgate. Through the group, John collaborated with Jack Shitama on the Diverse Staff Initiative and began to recognize that Aldersgate was part of something larger. “We understood that we weren’t doing this work alone,” John said. “We were part of a mission looking to do this across the board.”
In 2025, John attended his first UMCRM National Gathering at Camp Allen. The difference was immediately clear. These were people who understood his ministry. They spoke a shared language, worshiped together, and built relationships over meals. “The beauty of UMCRM is in how it brings together seasoned leaders who have life experience and wisdom with really young leaders who are energetic and have new ideas,” John said.
Those connections are now accompanying John into a new chapter. He recently accepted a director position at an ECCC camp in California after finding the opportunity through UMCRM’s e-newsletter and job board. His connection to UMCRM was one reason the camp hired him. Its leaders hope he can help them grow more ecumenical, drawing on his experience of United Methodist connection and social holiness.
John once watched UMCRM from the edges. Today, he carries its relationships, wisdom, and connectional spirit across the country and into a new ministry community. Your support makes that journey possible. Because you invest in UMCRM, leaders like John find people who understand their work, help them meet the challenges in front of them, and remain beside them as their calling leads somewhere new.