Katie Peterson is a Director and Deaconess serving as a Church and Community Worker with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. Her current missionary assignment is with the Eastbrook Mission Barn, New Castle, Pennsylvania. Katie coordinates the donations and coordination of UMCOR relief supply kits, as well as supplies for the Western Pennsylvania Conference Disaster Response teams. She also assists the local New Castle UMCs to develop or enhance ministries in poverty alleviation and drug and alcohol rehab programs. Some of these ministries include assembling and installing handicap accessible ramps.
Of her call to mission service, Katie says, “I have felt God’s presence working through all of my life. Most recently, I have truly seen God working miracles and moving me into new opportunities to serve God through missions.” A native of Ohio, Katie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in gerontology from the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, and her Master of Arts and Religion in Christian education from Memphis Theological Seminary. She was commissioned as a deaconess in 2001 and as a Church and Community Worker in 2004. Katie was a young adult missionary through the US-2 program from 1998 to 2000, working in inner-city Memphis. Her first assignment as a deaconess and Church and Community Worker was with the East Sub-District of The United Methodist Church in Fayette County, Tennessee from 2000 to 2006.
From 2006 to 2013, Katie was director of the God’s Country Cooperative Parish in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of northern Michigan. She worked there with the pastors and laity of seven congregations in building partnerships in mission and ministry.
2014-2016 Katie served as the director of Out In Faith Bakken Oil Rush Ministry in Williston ND. Out in Faith provides blankets, coats, and household goods to individuals and families in need. She assisted people who migrated to ND from all over the world to work in the oil field. She assisted the church in reaching the needs of the local community.
Katie is a member of Epworth United Methodist Church of New Castle, and also holds associate membership in Trinity United Methodist Church in Fremont, Ohio.
GOSPEL Matthew 25:34-45 (Mission Barn UMCOR paraphrase)
“Then the king said to those on his right, ‘Come, you who receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. My house was flooded in the terrible storm and you sent me a cleaning bucket and worked beside me to clean up. I lost everything in the house fire and you send me a hygiene kit so that I could take care of myself with dignity.
Then those who are righteous will reply to him ‘Lord, when did we see you flooded out of your home and give you a cleaning kit and help you? When did we see you burned out of your home and give you a hygiene kit to take care of yourself with dignity?
“Then king will reply to them, I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, who were being overlooked or ignored, you have done it for me.’
“Then he will say to them on his left, GET away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. My house was flooded in the terrible storm and you did NOT give me a cleaning bucket or work beside me to clean up. I lost everything in the house fire and you did NOT send me a hygiene kit so that I could take care of myself with dignity.
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you flooded out of your home and not give you a cleaning kit or help you? When did we see you burned out of your home and not give you a hygiene kit to take care of yourself with dignity?
“Then he will answer, I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, my brothers or sisters who were being overlooked or ignored, you haven’t done it for me.’