Getting to Know You
Greetings Coalburg United Methodist Church! I am very excited to be called to serve your congregation as pastor beginning July 1. I cannot wait to get to know all of you, and to see what God is up to in your lives, and in this congregation and community! We have a lot to look forward to, together. But first, I would like to thank Pastor Ray for his service to this congregation and community. The love and respect that this congregation has for him is a testament to his hard work in the service of the Lord. “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
I know that you all are probably curious as to who your new pastor is, so I thought I’d share some of that information with you.
Name: Heather Dianne Runser (but you can call me Pastor Heather)
Email: Pastor.Heather.UMC@gmail.com
Social Media: Facebook, and I could be persuaded to reactivate my Twitter and Instagram accounts. I've also recently joined Snapchat. I will not send you a friend request on any of these media sites because I don't want to make you feel obligated to be my friend, but I will gladly accept yours!
Birthday: March 11, 1983 (For those who don’t like Math, I’m 34)
Am I married? No. But I am close to my parents, Fritz and Dianne Runser, and my sister and brother-in-law, Megan and PJay Shuey.
Any children? I have a lot: I count each child or teenager who enters my life as “my” kid, and love them as if they were mine.
Hometown: Level Green, PA (suburbs of Pittsburgh, Monroeville area)
Education: I graduated from Penn-Trafford High School in 2001, West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education and from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2014 with a Master of Divinity.
Other churches where I’ve served/been affiliated: Guernsey UMC in Guernsey, OH / Wolf UMC in Newcomerstown, OH; Grace UMC in Coshocton, OH; First United Methodist Church in Greensburg, PA; The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Monroeville, PA; Friendship UMC in Falls Church, VA; Latrobe UMC in Latrobe, PA; and I was raised in First United Methodist Church in Irwin, PA. (Don’t worry, there won’t be a test…)
Other jobs: Baker’s IGA (Newcomerstown, OH) receptionist, Family Christian Stores sales associate, and Verizon Business administrative assistant. I have also had multiple work-study jobs while in school, including one at the seminary daycare.
My favorite scripture: There are too many to list just one! My life verse is Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
My favorite part of ministry: Spending time with people of all ages, hearing their stories, and seeing what God is up to in their lives.
Groups/Organizations I am part of: Community bands (trombone), community choirs (2nd soprano usually, but I can sing alto as well - or 1st soprano if you step on my toe!), and the Order of the Eastern Star. Could someone please point me in the direction of local organizations that could use these talents?
Hobbies: In addition to my music, I like to do crafty things (though I haven’t had much time for that lately) and read a good book. I also, on occasion read (and write!) fanfiction for one of my fandoms listed below. (Fanfiction: a made up story using characters from an existing work, such as a TV show. Fandom: the collective group of people who are fans of a specific TV show, movie, book series, etc.)
Favorite TV Show/Movie/Band: I am a proud sci-fi geek. I am a Whovian (fan of Doctor Who) and Trekkie (fan of Star Trek in all of its incarnations, but especially The Next Generation). I’m also a fan of all CSI’s, NCIS’s, (or pretty much any CBS drama), Downton Abbey, and the British crime-drama, Broadchurch. I don’t have a favorite movie per-se, but I love just about anything Disney, Broadway musical movies, and the occasional romantic comedy. As far as music goes, I love contemporary Christian music, and my favorite band of all time is Casting Crowns.
What else do I do for fun: Um… sleep? And drink coffee. (You might think that the two would contradict each other, but you’d be surprised!) I also like to go for long walks.
One more thing about me: I am an open book. There’s not much about me that I am not afraid to talk about. I also believe that there is no such thing as a dumb question or a dumb idea. However, not all questions have easy answers, and not all ideas need to be given the same consideration.
Again, I look forward to serving alongside you as co-workers in the Body of Christ. As we begin this new chapter of ministry together, I pray that God will protect you and your loved ones, and move you to be the people He has called you to be!
Amazed by God’s Grace,
Pastor Heather
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