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The district superintendent of the Southern Prairie District of the United Methodist Church, Minnesota annual conference, has announced that it is the intention of Bishop Lanette Plambeck and the cabinet of the Minnesota annual conference to appoint John Mitchem, who currently serves at United Methodist Church in Albert Lea, to be pastor of First United Methodist Church of Worthington/Adrian. He will begin his service there on July 1.

Mitchem will lead his last worship service in Albert Lea at 10 a.m. May 19. A farewell reception will be at the church following that service, and visitors are welcome to attend the service and join the congregation in wishing him farewell and good luck in his move to Worthington to serve in his new appointment.

Mitchem has been at the Albert Lea United Methodist Church since July 2015.

While in Albert Lea, he has been active both locally and within the annual conference. Locally, he was a member of the Freeborn County Ministerial Association, serving as president for three years and coordinator of services. He also served as chaplain for the Albert Lea Police Department, Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and Minnesota State Patrol. He has worked with Freeborn County Emergency Response and Emergency Management. At the conference level, he has served on various committees and has chaired the finance and administration committee from 2016 to 2023.

Prior to his appointment in Albert Lea, Mitchem was pastor at Faith United Methodist Church in Sleepy Eye for two years, and before that served in various capacities with the Hastings United Methodist Church.

He began his work in ministry in Colorado in various capacities with youth ministries. Many of his current adult life friends were formerly youth he worked with in Colorado and Minnesota.