THE REV. DR. ROBERT E. COSTELLO

Bishop Devadhar, Resident Bishop of the Greater NJ Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has appointed the Rev. Dr. Robert Edward Costello (“Bob”) to serve as District Superintendent of the Gateway North District. His term of service became effective on July 1, 2006. Bob has been residing in Somers Point with his wife Marjorie.

Bob is a much sought-after teacher, preacher and seminar leader of dynamic stewardship campaigns throughout the country. Bob is a General Evangelist of the United Methodist Church. In addition to his theological training, Bob earned a Juris Doctor degree and is a licensed attorney in NJ and PA. He is especially well known for presentations on the creation and funding of endowment programs, capital campaigns, and local church revitalization efforts. He has shared special insight into the ways a church can help its members with estate planning and planned giving. He has written, A Guide To Sound Stewardship and contributes monthly “Stewardship Tips” in the Relay. He has developed the SWAT outreach (Stewardship Workers Adequately Trained), Mission Messengers, and PEP programs.

The life-long resident of New Jersey comes to his new position with a rich and varied background. Bob has had a long career in the ministry that has been marked by churches that grew in discipleship, in outreach and in their stewardship. Before becoming the District Superintendent of the Gateway North District, he was part of the conference program team for three years. Just prior to that he served as the interim pastor of New Dover United Methodist Church. For 11 years he was the pastor in the United Methodist Church of Somers Point. During that tenure they formed the present congregation and built their new church. He also served as the pastor of St. Paul’s UMC in Paulsboro (and as Coordinator of the Paulsboro area Cooperative Parish), and Mount Pleasant – Millville. He was the student pastor at West Creek / Warren Grove and New Brooklyn / Sicklerville. While on extension ministry appointment he served as an interim pastor at First UMC - Freehold and Indian Mills UMC.

Through the years Bob has served in on a variety of committees and agencies within the conference and in the community. He has been in the delegation to Jurisdictional Conference. He is known for participation in many conference activities, including the conference Primary Task Team, Ministries Team, Board of Ordained Ministry, NJ United Methodist Foundation, Stewardship Team, C F & A, the Liberia Initiative, and Lay Speaking Ministries. His service through the years has also included service in areas of evangelism, stewardship, youth ministry, camping, social concerns, missions, and a variety of other ministries. Bob has a long history as Associate Editor of the Relay.

Bob is well known for his worldview. He has traveled overseas on 128 occasions. He has particularly enjoyed organizing and leading study tours and pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Greece and Turkey, England. He has visited a total of 39 countries. He states, “I am always energized by the typical church pilgrimages, but some of my most exciting experiences were Holy Land, Greece, Methodist Heritage programs, World Methodist Conference gatherings, the Oberammergau Passion Play, our GNJAC retreat at Taize, and visiting the Liberia Annual Conference session as a preacher.”

Throughout all of Bob’s life his hobbies have been centered on family, travel, and sports. He has always been active skiing and boating. For many years he was a referee and umpire in college and high school soccer, football, basketball, and baseball.

Our District Superintendent states, “I appreciate the confidence that Bishop Devadhar has placed in me. My goals are quite simple. I will try to help energize and empower pastors and laity to do creative, relevant ministry. We surely want church to be both effective and viable. My hope is that our congregations will grow in the ability to make disciples, create new levels of outreach, and model wise stewardship of the abundant time, talent, and treasure given to us by God.”