Heifer International's mission is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth. We empower families to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity – but our approach is more than just giving them a handout. Heifer links communities and... Read More →
Grant Hagiya is the resident bishop of the Greater Northwest Area, encompassing the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and Pacific Northwest Conferences. He is the current chair of the Council of Bishops' Task Force that plans the learning retreats for all active bishops. He also chairs the Ministry... Read More →
General Secretary, United Methodist Communications
As chief executive of United Methodist Communications, Dan Krause leads the global communications agency of The United Methodist Church in telling the story of God’s love through research, technology and strategic communication.Named to the position in June 2015, he is responsible... Read More →
Bishop Bruce R. Ough is the resident bishop of the Dakotas-Minnesota Area of The United Methodist Church, where he has served since Sept. 1, 2012. He served as the resident bishop for the West Ohio Area of The United Methodist Church from 2000-2012. Prior to his election and consecration... Read More →
Amy Valdez Barker serves as the top executive of the Connectional Table of The United Methodist Church. An ordained deacon from the North Georgia Annual Conference, Amy has served as a leader throughout the UMC for more than 20 years. Most recently, she coordinated the Vital Congregations... Read More →
A lay person from Mozambique South Annual Conference , Benedita is a member of the Connectional Table and Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters.
Director of Communications in her Annual Conference she has served as Secretary for Africa Central Conference for two quandrennia... Read More →
Bishop, Central and Southern Europe Episcopal Area, Chair, Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters
Bishop Patrick Streiff leads the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. He had been pastor of various United Methodist congregations in Switzerland, Director of Studies at the French-speaking Methodist Center of Theological Education in Lausanne, and Lecturer in Modern... Read More →
Director of Connectional Ministries, Baltimore-Washington Conference
The Rev. Maidstone Mulenga serves in the dual role as the Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Communication in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. An avid believer in the power of the global church, Rev. Mulenga also fosters the conference’s partnerships in Zimbabwe, Eurasia... Read More →
General Conference Delegate, North Texas Conference
Tim Crouch is chair of the North Texas Conference Delegation to the 2016 General Conference. He has been a lay delegate to every General Conference since 1996. A 1980 graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, he owns The Crouch Group Inc., an advertising and public... Read More →
General Conference Delegate, Central Texas Conference
Associate Conference Lay Leader.Delegate to General Conference from Central Texas Conference since 2004.Served on Conferences Legislative Committee since GC2008.A sponsor of A Place of Reason UMC - Seeking Common Ground in the UMC. Check out the website: APlaceOfReasonUMC.org
Tracy Merrick has been a lifelong United Methodist and over the last 30 years has served in a wide variety of leadership roles. He and his wife are active members of First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh. Merrick currently serves as chair of the Northeastern Jurisdiction Global... Read More →
Lonnie D. Brooks is lay leader for the Alaska Conference and chairs the legislative committee for the Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders. A retired oil exploration geophysicist, Brooks also teaches an adult Sunday school class at East Anchorage United Methodist Church. He... Read More →
Grant Hagiya is the resident bishop of the Greater Northwest Area, encompassing the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and Pacific Northwest Conferences. He is the current chair of the Council of Bishops' Task Force that plans the learning retreats for all active bishops. He also chairs the Ministry... Read More →
A. Moses Rathan Kumar is the General Secretary and Treasurer for The General Council on Finance and Administration. Prior to being elected general secretary in 2008, he served for eight years as the Treasurer and Executive Director of Administrative Ministries for the Eastern Pennsylvania... Read More →
Greg Nelson is the Director of Communications for the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. He has held that staff position for seven years, but Nelson has been a leader in the church longer than that. He served several years on the conference leadership team, as a district lay leader... Read More →
Susan Brumbaugh is a lay person who has been active in the church most of her life. She has volunteered as staff with the Secretary of the General Conference since 1996, when she managed the first General Conference website. Since 2008, she has served as the Coordinator of the Calendar... Read More →
The Rev. Gary Graves has served as a member of the staff of the Secretary of the General Conference for seven sessions, having served as Petitions Secretary since 2004. In addition, he is a former Conference Secretary of the Kentucky Annual Conference. Graves currently serves on the... Read More →
Interim Associate General Secretary, Discipleship Ministries
The Rev. Dr. Ken Sloane is the UMC's Director of Stewardship & Connectional Ministries, housed at Discipleship Ministries (GBOD) in Nashville, TN. He is a clergy member of the Greater New Jersey Conference, where he served 20+ years in local church ministry (including a successful... Read More →
Presented by the United Methodist Office of Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns and the Portland Episcopal Area General Conference Host Committee.
The Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe is General Secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society, with offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York City. Prior to her current role, Henry-Crowe served for 22 years... Read More →
With the hope of providing services that support wholeness and wellbeing for individuals, communities, and institutional systems, Stephanie Hixon seeks to integrate best practices in alternative dispute resolution with principles of faith and spirituality, communication theory and... Read More →
General Conference Delegate, Kentucky Annual Conference
Clergy member of the Kentucky Annual Conference delegation. I was honored to attend my first GC in 2008 (first clergy alternate), again in 2012, and now Portland. My day-job is professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary. I volunteer my time and energy... Read More →
General Conference Delegate, Methodists in New Directions
Dr. Dorothee E. Benz has been a Methodist since immigrating to the U.S. with her family in 1968. She is a member of Memorial UMC in White Plains, NY, and a delegate to the 2016 General Conference. Benz is a founding member of Methodists in New Directions (MIND) and served as MIND’s... Read More →
Superintendent Lansing District, West Michigan Conference
The Rev. Kennetha Bigham-Tsai currently serves as the Superintendent of the Lansing District, West Michigan Conference. Growing up in Austin, Texas, she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Harvard University. Her Master of Divinity was earned at Austin Presbyterian Theological... Read More →
Stanislas Kassongo Kasuedi is the head of the delegation of the Central Congo Episcopal Area to the 2016 General Conference. He was a delegate to the 2012 General Conference held in Tampa and has held key positions in his Annual Conference, including Secretary of the Health board... Read More →
General Conference Delegate - Yellowstone Conference, Member of Division on Ministries with Young People
Currently Tyler serves as a Pastor in a new style of shared ministry between two churches in Helena United Methodist Ministries(stpaulshelena.org and covenanthelena.org). For 5 years he has been developing ways to connect new young people to the gospel in an age when people need... Read More →
General Conference Delegate, Wisconsin Annual Conference
Dan R. Dick currently serves as Assistant to the Bishop with the Wisconsin Annual Conference. He served as the Director of Connectional Ministries from 2009 to 2015. Dan worked for Discipleship Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, for 15 years – providing resources in stewardship... Read More →
General Conference Delegate, Germany Central Conference
Christine Flick serves as conference lay leader in the Germany South Conference. Prior to that, she was district lay leader for 12 years. A delegate to General Conference 2016, she is a member of the Commission on General Conference and the Standing Committee of Central Conference... Read More →
The Rev. Tom Albin is the Dean of The Upper Room Chapel in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1999. The Upper Room, a global ministry of prayer and spiritual formation, is a part of Discipleship Ministries. An ordained elder in the Oklahoma Conference, Albin provides spiritual leadership... Read More →
Erin M. Hawkins is General Secretary of the General Commission on Religion and Race. A noted leader, Hawkins is a transformative voice for change and innovation within the church, initiating direct and authentic conversations about its future. Her leadership at GCORR has focused on... Read More →
Danette Clifton is the Director of Communication for the North Alabama Conference. She has served on the conference staff since 1998. Over the past 20 + years she has guided the conference’s communication efforts as they have evolved from a monthly printed magazine to a coordinated... Read More →
As Director of Public Relations for United Methodist Communications, Diane Degnan oversees the development and execution of public relations initiatives to enhance a positive image of The United Methodist Church. Named to the position in 2006, she is also responsible for media relations... Read More →
Mark Doyal serves as the Director of Communications for the Michigan Area of The United Methodist Church. He has over 30 years of experience in brand development, marketing, advertising, communications, crisis communications and public relations management.A graduate of Michigan State... Read More →
Director of Communications, California-Nevada Conference, UMC
Larry R. Hygh, Jr., Ed.D. is the Director of Communications for the California-Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church overseeing communications for the 370 churches and 78,000 United Methodists in Northern California and Northern Nevada. Prior to his current post, he spent... Read More →
Communicator, PNW Office of Connectional Ministries
Patrick Scriven serves as Director of Communications and Young People’s Ministry for the Pacific Northwest Conference, where he has worked since 2007. A seminary educated lay person, he is passionate about helping churches to reach new people, particularly when those churches are... Read More →
Book Editor, Chief Content Officer, United Methodist Publishing House
The Rev. Brian K. Milford is the Chief Content Officer and UMC Book Editor at The United Methodist Publishing House. Formerly, he was a District Superintendent, and Dean of the Appointive Cabinet in the Iowa Annual Conference. He has served numerous churches, chaired jurisdictional... Read More →
If you were unable to complete the Pre-General Conference Briefing EVALUATION during the event, please download the attached evaluation document, complete it and return to United Methodist Communications.
Email - ttanton@umcom.org
Mail - United Methodist Communications Attention: Tim Tanton P.O. Box 320 Nashville, TN 37202
