LIBERTY — With a special hymn sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” planned at 11 a.m. Saturday at Trinity United Methodist Church in Youngstown, the Rev. Sam Mohn is looking forward to his new assignment as lead pastor of the Youngstown United Methodist Collaborative.

The collaborative includes Trinity United Methodist Church and the Churchill United Methodist Church in Liberty, which Mohn began serving July 1.

Mohn, of Liberty, who previously served three years at Coalburg United Methodist in Hubbard and two years at Vienna United Methodist, said he received a call of his new appointments in April when he met District Superintendent Edgar Brady.

“For the United Methodist denomination, July is the start of the new year when appointments take place and the bishop consults with the cabinet,” he said.

Mohn said he enjoys the two new churches and notes that Churchill has a food pantry, Bible study, grief share, and during the school year offers King’s Kids program for children and a courtyard garden that involves local Liberty school children.

“The Trinity church is an enormous structure that is known as the Methodist cathedral. It is a church that people come to downtown Youngstown to attend,” Mohn said.

Mohn said he is meeting with Youngstown State University to see if college students would be interested in coming to the church for programs and events.

He said the hymn sing is bringing different organists and church denominations together to benefit Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past.

“The different clergy participating will give reflections on the hymns that will be sung and a mass choir that will participate. Trinity is a very large church and houses the largest pipe organ in the Mahoning Valley”, he said.

He said his calling to ministry is that he enjoys talking to people from all walks of life.

The Girard High School graduate is attending the Ohio Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio.

He said he began pastoring in 2021 — a year after COVID and had the task of how to reintroduce church to people who were not able to attend in person.

“People could watch the worship online but there was something different about coming to church and sitting in the pews with others and receiving communion. There is a connection that happens when you are all together,” Mohn said.

Mohn said he wants to focus on building relationships inside the church and also outside the church walls such as with local businesses.

“There are many people a church can reach out to and connect with. We have to go out to these people and bring them to the church,” Mohn said.

He said the church offers the Good Shepherd Food Kitchen and hands out lunches and hosts a lot of concerts. He said the church’s chapel is also used for many weddings.

Mohn said it is very common for United Methodist pastors to be part of a multi-point charge for different churches.

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