Beloved in Christ Jesus,

The 55th Session of the West Ohio Annual Conference is behind us. I want to commend you for accomplishing so much in terms of our legislation, the character, quality, and demeanor of our conversations, and the splendor and spiritual depth of our worship. You have adapted incredibly well to a new space and location. Thank you.

The most important part of this note is to express a huge thank you to the members and friends of the Annual Conference and the staff of our wonderful conference. The ways in which you showered love and appreciation on me, Cynthia, our family, and special guests were overwhelming. You lavished us with kindness in spiritual, emotional, and material ways, far beyond what we deserve, and we received it with deepest gratitude. We are deeply committed to paying it forward, as we can never fully repay your love and kindness. Your place in our hearts and minds was secure long before May 29, 2024. We will be writing, calling, and sending thank-you's for the foreseeable future with utmost joy.

I want to assure you that my formal Episcopal address, which I couldn't deliver last Friday due to time constraints, will be recorded and posted once I coordinate a time and location with our Communications staff. This will allow me to continue expressing my gratitude to you and the entire church for the privilege of my vocational ministry, as well as to offer what I see as a few essentials for a faithful and fruitful future of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

I look forward to every opportunity I will have to interact with you over the next three months. As always, I am

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

+Gregory V. Palmer