Rev. Simeon C. Law Appointed Metropolitan District Superintendent for the New York Annual Conference

Ask people about their impressions of Rev. Simeon C. Law, the current pastor of Connecticut’s Stratford United Methodist Church, and you’ll hear notably similar observations ranging from thoughtful and scholarly to innovative and inspiring. 

Bishop Bickerton describes Rev. Law as a person who is deeply called and committed to the mission and ministry of the Church on all levels. But come this July 1, there will be yet another way to refer to Rev. Law: new Metropolitan District Superintendent for the New York Annual Conference (NYAC). 

“Simeon is a person of great integrity,” Bishop Bickerton says, adding that “he will bring passion to his work in the Metropolitan District and as a member of the Cabinet.”

A Season of Change and Transformation

In this new season, 36-year-old Rev. Law will step into the appointment held by Rev. Dr. Denise Smartt Sears, who is transitioning into the role of NYAC Director of Connectional Ministries. 

Rev. Sears believes this new appointment is a fitting continuation of the visioning and development currently taking place throughout the entire NYAC. “Rev. Law comes with pastoral experience, integrity and, most importantly, an eye toward the future of our Annual Conference. We definitely need more young leaders who are willing to foster the courageous conversations that advance lasting change.”

As he prepares to move into this new role as missional strategist for the Metropolitan District, Rev. Law offers a vision that will focus on both transformation and the vital ministry of service to the community.  

When asked for his view of what’s to come, Rev. Law is quick to point out that there is no “one-size-fits-all approach” to his style of leadership, while adding that he plans to stress the importance of building community relations, informing partnerships and encouraging our ongoing transformation into a 21^st century church. 

“There’s a multiplicity of communities and various identities in the Metropolitan District,” he explains. “The work is to enter into communities and to celebrate, acknowledge and lift them up while fostering unity. I see my role as empowering and supporting clergy and laity as they do ministry, while simultaneously, providing the leadership to help them evolve and grow.”

Young, Gifted and Leadership Focused 

All this begs the question: what kind of leader is Rev. Law?

Rev. Dr. Alpher Sylvester, Superintendent of the New York Annual Conference’s Connecticut District, recalls how as a probationary elder under the leadership of Bishop Martin D. McLee, Rev. Law led the morning devotion at Annual Conference; the youngest person ever granted such an opportunity. 

Rev. Sylvester also points to the time when Rev. Law was invited represent the voice of young adults and sit as a member of Conference Relations as indicative of the consistently positive impression he makes upon those who work with him. 

Within his current NYAC home in Connecticut, he is known as a leader who holds himself to a high standard and seemingly expects the same from those within his circle of  influence, Rev. Sylvester says. 
Rev. Law has worked collaboratively with elected officials, government workers, and members of the faith community to improve neighborhood cohesiveness at the town level. He also served as vice president of the Stratford Clergy Association and on the board of the Stratford Partnership for Youth and Families. 

Prior to his appointment at Stratford UMC, Rev. Law served at Bayport UMC (from 2010-2015) where, with the help of Deacon Glenn Adone and church parents, he helped revive a fledgling youth ministry. 
All this, Rev. Sylvester says, speaks to how he does not retreat from challenges, but rises to the demand of any occasion: “He exudes a non-anxious presence with intentionality on the best outcomes that will glorify God. This quest for excellence informs his leadership and the care that he provides for his charge.” 

Rev. Law says having to operate between different cultural contexts as he was growing up helped him become the person he is today: a listener, empathizer, and natural advocate for others.  He speaks of how having one foot in the world of the dominant culture and one foot in the world of an immigrant culture landed him in a place of “tenuous tenderness” which has helped him “appreciate the voices and experiences and identities of every person—especially those who find themselves on the outside.” 

Deep Roots in the New York Annual Conference

A child of the NYAC, he grew up in Rockland County. Rev. Law’s parents,  James and Stella Law, are Chinese immigrants who met and married at Chinese UMC in Chinatown. When Rev. Law was young, his father was called to ministry and ultimately became pastor at their home church.  

Rev. Law holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering in Computer Science from Cornell University (class of 2007) and he earned his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in 2010. Rev. Law was commissioned when he was 25-years-old and at the age of 28, he  became an elder in full connection. 
All this infers that Rev. Law will bring his usual passion and focus on excellence to the Metropolitan District. “I am thrilled to welcome Simeon into this new role,” says Bishop Bickerton. “He is unafraid to lead. He also offers fresh insight and perspective to our work, especially in these times of great change. He is able to see both the wider picture and the specific need. We are blessed to have him as a part of our team.”
 
Rev. Law is equally excited—he will move to New York along with his wife, Brooke Adams Law, and their two young children—and ready to rise to the challenge of District Superintendent. “I look forward to working in cooperation with leadership at the local, district and Conference levels,” he says, adding that he takes seriously the Great Commission. “All that we are called to do is about making disciples. I am more than ready to continue the work needed to proclaim the gospel, transform lives and transform the world.”