Church of the Good Shepherd Bids Farewell to Pastor Phil Sheets

After completing eleven years as the pastor of Oswego’s Church of the Good Shepherd UMC, the United Methodist appointment system is moving Pastor Sheets to a new assignment at the First UMC of Lockport, effective Sept. 1.

Significant milestones in Good Shepherd’s life that have occurred during Rev. Sheets’ tenure include the establishment of a Stephen Ministry program; the introduction of several weekly AA meetings; Good Shepherd becoming a Kendall County PADS site; the paying off of the church’s major 2001 addition and renovation; the expansion of the adult Christian education program; the establishment of the ReBorn Praise band under the leadership of Jon Conover and Tom Hartnett; the reclaiming of an annual VBS program; the offering for several years of the weekly Grace Meal; the establishment of a puppet ministry; the establishment of an endowment fund; the installation of a Rogers digital organ; the founding of a church handbell choir; and the installation of modern AV equipment in the church building, including the sanctuary.

When asked about his role in these programs and improvements, Rev. Sheets said, “I can take very little personal credit for any of these. All of these initiatives were made possible by and originated with our members and church leaders. My role has been to provide encouragement and guiding the church structure to respond in a positive way to these proposals, and turn them into realities.” When asked if he would miss Good Shepherd and Oswego, the pastor responded, “It’s been my privilege these past ten plus years to develop strong relationships with Good Shepherd and with the community. But the United Methodist leadership feels it’s time for me to hand this position over to someone else, and to offer both the congregation and myself the gift of a fresh start. I’m genuinely grateful that I was able to be at Good Shepherd for a longer term than the UMC system usually allows.”