Every place, every person, every church has its own personality and for Jennifer Long it’s about getting to know who that is.

As the new minister at Kingfisher First United Methodist Church, Rev. Dr. Long said she is excited to be here with her family and looking forward to the opportunities that lay ahead.

“I’m trying to get to know the community and the church and hope to bring whatever God needs me to bring,” Long said.

As she begins a new ministry, she said people will often ask her, “what are your plans...what are you going to do?”

Her answer: “First, I’m going to get to know you.

“If I don’t get to know you, it’s like I’m trying to put a size 12 dress on a size two person... it won’t fit.”

At the close of 2020 a new chapter began for Long, her husband Jason Bush, daughter Rylee (sixth grade) and son Taylor (third grade) as they left Oologah, where she served as pastor at the United Methodist Church for 5 1/2 years.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Long grew up in the Methodist Church and was baptized by Doug McPherson. McPherson’s son Patrick was the pastor in Kingfisher for the past 8 1/2 years until recently being appointed to the First United Methodist Church in Muskogee.

With a love for dance and musical theatre, Long said she initially pursued a degree in musical theater at Oklahoma City University. She later changed her focus and earned a bachelor’s in mass communications, radio, TV and film at OCU, but always maintained a love for music and dance.

After graduation, she moved to New Hampshire where she took a job in sales at a radio station for two years and also worked as a DJ. at a Christian radio station and taught dance.

“During that time, I felt God calling me into ministry,” Long said.

Heeding that call, she set off for Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Illinois, where she earned a master’s of divinity.

While attending seminary, she said, she also had the opportunity to be part of a team starting a new church in Gurnee, Ill., and served as the pastor of praise and worship for 3 1/2 years there.

After a shortbreak and some time in California, Long served as associate pastor at Bartlesville First United Methodist Church for five years and then was appointed as the director of religious studies at OCU.

During her nine years serving at OCU, she met and married Jason Bush and their two children were born.

Long earned her doctorate of ministry from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif., in 2017, with her doctoral focus on how we use the body God has given us and embrace that in all aspects of the ministry, recognizing how God speaks to us through our bodies.

She continues to embrace the teaching of incorporating the movement of our bodies in scripture and prayer in her ministry. Another part of her ministry, she said, is to share God’s grace and love.

“My calling is to love God’s people, teach them about God’s love and how to love bigger and broader than they ever expected, because that is what grace is all about,” Long added.

In Oologah, Long was involved not only in the church, but in the community. She served in the ministerial alliance and worked with the school system in various aspects, as well as other work within the community.

Long received Oologah’s citizen of the year in 2020 and she said it was a special honor.

“When you move into a place, you are an outsider and to be welcomed in such a way that I was able to make an impact in five years was really touching,” she said.

“I love being a part of the community.”

Long has not wasted any time getting involved here, said Mike Copeland, chairman of staff and parrish relations at the Kingfisher First United Methodist Church.

As the church youth were volunteering to take down Christmas lights at the park, Copeland said Long was there working alongside them despite only being in Kingfisher for a short time.

“She is very energetic and passionate about her work,” he added.

With the pandemic, Long said, most churches have had to adapt and sometimes get creative to continue their ministries and meet the needs of the community.

The Kingfisher Methodist Church currently has an in-person and online Sunday service, with plans to return to Wednesday night activities starting on Ash Wednesday, she said.

The congregation has been involved in many other ministries, such as the compassion clinic, homeless blessings bags, blessing box, the angel tree and missions, as well as a host of other activities.

They plan to continue to take COVID precautions and look for ways to connect and meet the needs of the people.

Keeping John Wesley’s three general rules in mind, Long said, the church strives to do no harm, do good and stay in love with God.

“We want to continue staying connected to the needs and to be the hands and feet of Jesus when we can,” she said.

Another important facet of her job, she added, is working with the ministerial alliance to meet the needs of the community.

“I love when the churches work together and I think it is not only important for the community, but for the churches,” Long said.

“We all work for the same God and figuring out how to serve as one is a beautiful thing.”

During her free time, Long said she enjoys dance, reading, family time, traveling and just enjoying life.

“I couldn’tbe more happy for the way she is working with the community and everything she has done so far,” Copeland said.

She is just what the congregation needed at this time, he added.

“Everyone is always welcome,” Long said, “and I’m available if people want to have a conversation.

“I’m looking forward to helping meet people’s needs and being a part of this community.”