Welcome Our New Pastor!

July brings big changes to Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church! As with many times of change, it is bittersweet as we bid farewell to Pastor Barbara and wish her well in her retirement, and joyous as we welcome our new pastor, Jeff Cedarfield. As an introduction, I’ve copied the letter to the congregation from our SPRC chairperson, Angela Root, as she puts words together much better than I can! Please read on to learn more about Pastor Jeff, and plan to join us on Sunday mornings to make him welcome! Of particular interest, please note the Sunday morning worship time moves to 10:30am, to allow Pastor to serve both his congregations.

Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ.

I am pleased to announce that the Bishop and Cabinet have appointed Pastor Jeffrey Cedarfield to serve as pastor at PVUMC beginning July 1, 2026.

Pastor Jeff has been serving as a half-time pastor at Copper Hill UMC in Granby since July 1, 2025. Effective July 1, 2026, he will share his time between the two churches. Next month, at Annual Conference, he will be recognized as a licensed Local Pastor within the New York Annual Conference.

Pastor Jeff was born and spent the first part of his childhood in northern Vermont before his family later moved to Warwick, Rhode Island. He earned degrees in Political Science and English Literature before going on to receive his law degree. He practiced civil and criminal law for 21 years before transitioning to work in insurance for four years.

Jeff lives in Canton, Connecticut with his wife, Lisa, and two of her three children. Jeff’s two sons, Ethan and Riley, are grown, as is Lisa’s eldest daughter. Outside of family, work, and church, his interests include hiking, camping, fishing, and barbeque in its many forms.

Pastor Jeff’s spiritual journey has been equally meaningful. Several years ago, he was a member of Plainville UMC, where he delivered messages as a certified lay speaker. In 2023, he became a member of North Canton UMC, where he has served in leadership and delivered messages in several churches throughout the quad prior to his appointment at Copper Hill UMC.

His spiritual gifts and talents include serving as co-leader of the Methodist Youth Fellowship at Plainville UMC and developing and co-coordinating an 11-year Thanksgiving food drive that collected over 150,000 pounds of donations, valued at more than $300,000, for the Plainville Community Food Pantry. Currently, Copper Hill UMC hosts a youth group for grades 6–12 that meets twice monthly, as well as two men’s groups that meet weekly on Tuesday evenings and Friday mornings.

Our time with Pastor Barbara has been an incredible gift to our church. As Pastor Barbara begins to wind down her ministry with us over the next seven weeks, the SPRC will work closely on a smooth transition plan with Pastor Jeff. I will also be reaching out to him to invite him to visit again sometime in June so that he may introduce himself and answer questions from the congregation.

I know that change can be difficult, but it also brings opportunities for growth. Pastor Barbara agrees that Pastor Jeff will bring many gifts and talents to our church community.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or any member of the SPRC.