Rev. Johns to retire from St. Marks United Methodist Church in Rockville Centre

After 13 years of ministering to the parishioners of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, its pastor, the Rev. Dr. Roger D. Johns has announced he will retire as of Sept. 1.

Johns said his mandatory retirement date is July 1, 2012 and that he had always planned to retire in 2010. But last year, when he talked with his Bishop, he decided to put that off and worked through the year. He had suggested working part-time for his last year and the Bishop agreed, but as the time got nearer, Johns said he had second thoughts.

  After five years of illness, Johns said his health is now good. He’s ready for a change and this seemed like the best time. He said he is planning to catch up on a lot of reading and writing that he had put off for a long time.

  So on June 29, Johns met with the Bishop who approved his request to retire at the beginning of September. Although it does not leave much time, the Bishop said that he will facilitate the move. Johns says he believes that his departure at this time is best for him, for the new pastor and for St. Marks, leaving his replacement to begin with a new season and put his or her touches on worship, leadership and programming.

Johns said he and his wife, Louise, who is a pastor in Amityville, will move from Rockville Centre and live in the parsonage where she works. After Louise retires in 2014, the couple will move to North Carolina or Virginia to be near their son and his family or their daughter, who lives and works in the D.C. area.

Johns said he will miss his ministry in Rockville Centre even though it has been a “tough” assignment. The congregation never fully recovered from a crisis that took place in the church before he arrived, although it has stabilized and come a long way financially. But Johns said that like most other churches and synagogues, St. Marks still struggles.  

The church is planning a celebration of his ministry some time in September and details are being finalized.