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Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college
English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity”
– just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a
core faculty member and Dean of Faculty for the Center for Action and Contemplation.
and a podcaster with Learning How to See. He is also an Auburn Senior Fellow and is a
co-host of Southern Lights. His newest books are Faith After Doubt (January 2021), Do
I Stay Christian? (May 2022), and Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World
Falling Apart (2024). His co-authored children’s book Cory and the Seventh Story was
released in 2023.
Born in 1956, he graduated from University of Maryland with degrees in English (BA,
1978, and MA, 1981). His academic interests included Medieval drama, Romantic
poets, modern philosophical literature, and the novels of Dr. Walker Percy. In 2004, he
was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree (honoris causa) from Carey Theological
Seminary in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and in 2010, he received a second honorary
doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal).
Uiyeon serves as the Pastor of Discipleship at Myers Park United Methodist Church in
Charlotte, NC. Some of his main responsibilities include overseeing Children’s Ministries,
Youth Ministries, and Discipleship Ministries. He also oversees the Welcome/Hospitality
ministries. Son of a retired Korean Methodist pastor, Uiyeon was born and raised in Seoul,
South Korea. In 1991, shortly after Uiyeon’s ninth birthday, his family moved to Lubbock,
Texas where his father transitioned into the United Methodist Church. Uiyeon majored in
Economics at Grinnell College before going to Duke Divinity School, where he earned his
Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry. He is an elder in the Western N.C. Conference
of the United Methodist Church. Uiyeon and his wife have two beautiful young children and
a fourteen-year-old Morky.
Rev. Dr. David M. Wilson has served as resident bishop of the Great Plains Conference
of The United Methodist Church since Jan. 1, 2023. He was elected to episcopal off
Nov. 2, 2022, on a historic vote by the South Central Jurisdiction’s delegates, when
Bishop Wilson was one of three people elected on the first and only ballot needed to
bishop vacancies.
Bishop Wilson, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, holds the distinction of
being the first Native American elected to serve as a bishop in the history of The Unit
Methodist Church.
Prior to election, Bishop Wilson served as assistant to the bishop of the Oklahoma
Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC), which is comprised of 81 Native American
churches in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. He previously served as the OIMC
superintendent for 18 years.
Bishop Wilson was ordained as an elder in 1995 and served charges in Tahlequah and
Norman, Oklahoma. During his term as conference superintendent, he also served as
the pastor of Norman First American UMC in Norman, Oklahoma, and during his tenure
the church grew and completed their building construction in 2007.
Bishop Wilson served as a campus minister and youth director for many years. He has
served on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Connectional Table and
the General Board of Global Ministries, of which he is currently a member. He also
served on the General Commission on General Conference.
Bishop Wilson received his associate’s degree in mass communications from Eastern
Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, Oklahoma, and is a 1990 graduate of Oklahoma
City University, with a bachelor’s of arts in mass communications. He earned his
master’s of divinity degree from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in
1994. He was the first clergy person from OIMC to graduate from Phillips Theologic
Seminary, and he was named the Phillips Distinguished Alumni for 2007. He received an
honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Bacone College in 2009.
Other honors for Bishop Wilson include the Excellence in Teaching Award for adjunct
faculty at Oklahoma City University in 2012, the Dr. John Edwards Memorial Leadership
Award in 2016 by the AARP, and “Man of the Year” by the Changing Winds Cultural
Society in 2017.
Among other interests, Bishop Wilson has served as an adjunct professor of religion for
more than 15 years at Oklahoma City University, a United Methodist-related institution.
He serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Oklahoma City University and on
the board for the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic. He serves on the board of Garrett
Evangelical Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.
Bishop Wilson also has served as an adjunct professor at the Southern Methodist
University’s Perkins School of Theology and has taught in the summer at the Perkins
Course of Study Program. Among his many mission-outreach projects, he has served as
director for the Rock the Native Vote, an initiative to engage Native Americans to vote in
Oklahoma.
Bishop Wilson often lectures on Native American spirituality in classrooms and for
groups across the denomination. In his personal time, he enjoys running and studying
history, in particular Native American history. His grandfather, Calvin Wilson, was one of
the Choctaw Code-Talkers from World War I. Bishop Wilson is single and resides in
Topeka, Kansas.
Rachel Billups is a visionary, leader, speaker and author. Currently she serves as
pastor at New Albany United Methodist Church. She previously served as Senior
Pastor at Ginghamsburg Church multi-campus ministry in Tipp City/Dayton Ohio.
Rachel draws on her love of people and passion to explore new venues for ministry
and mission. Rachel is an ordained Elder within the United Methodist Church and
holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Bible/Religion and History from Anderson University
and a Master of Divinity Degree from Duke Divinity School. Most days you can fi
Rachel reaching out – praying online, hosting Open Table gatherings in her home or
enjoying moments with husband Jon and their four loves: Adeline, Christopher, David
and Sarah. She also might be cheering for those Duke Blue Devils and The OSU
Buckeyes. Rachel is a popular speaker for national gatherings and has recently
authored BE BOLD: finding your fierce as well as co-authoring Down to Earth: H
and Fears of all the Year Are Met in Thee Tonight and Sent: Delivering the Gift of
Hope at Christmas – all published by Abingdon Press. You can find her on soci
media at: @rlbillups.
Dawn M. Hand is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church.Currently serving
as District Superintendent in the Central Maryland District (Baltimore/Washington
Conference)
Hand has a passion for young people, inclusion, and justice witness. She welcomes
diversity of ideology, political views and theological perspectives. Hand believes
humanity has more in common that unites than divides us.
An engaged communicator and prominent advocate for social justice, she has led and
collaborated in a variety of local, regional and national initiatives including immigration
reform, alleviating children’s poverty, sacred resistance, and chronic
homelessness/affordable housing.
Hand loves to cook, eat and travel. She loves her family. She loves God and believes
God has a wonderful sense of humor for calling her into ordained ministry.
Dr. Jackson brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to the Foundation’s
mission and vision. He served as the Foundation-supported E. Stanley Jones Professor
of Evangelism at Claremont School School of Theology from 2011-2022, and was the
second Foundation for Evangelism Harry Denman Fellow.
The Foundation’s board chair, Gaye Nell Heck, shared that, “Dr. Jackson is a shining
example of the Foundation’s decades-long efforts to equip disciples to share the Good
News of Jesus Christ, as evidenced by his faith journey and his many academic and
practical contributions to Wesleyan-tradition evangelism. His leadership in collaboration
with the Foundation team will undoubtedly strengthen our ongoing efforts to advance
the mission and values of the Foundation and lead our organization into its next
chapter.”
Dr. Jackson is an ordained elder in the Florida Annual Conference of the United
Methodist Church where he served as a pastor for 15 years. From 2011-2022 he served
as a Professor of Evangelism, Mission, and World Methodism at Claremont School of
Theology. Currently, he is the Visiting Professor of Evangelism and World Methodism at
United Theological Seminary. He has also taught courses at Seth Mokitimi Methodist
Seminary in Durban, South Africa; Candler School of Theology’s Course of Study in
Florida, as well as the Costa Rican Methodist Church Pastor’s School. Jackson has also
led regional and national evangelism seminars in numerous countries including the
United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Zimbabwe and Nigeria
Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., is an award-winning author, popular speaker, inspiring
preacher, and one of America’s most trusted commentators on religion and
contemporary spirituality.
Diana’s passion is sharing great ideas to change lives and the world—a passion that
ranges from informing the public about spiritual trends, challenging conventional
narratives about religious practice, entering the fray of social media with spiritual
wisdom and smart theology, and writing books to help readers see themselves, their
place in history, and God differently. She does this with intelligence, joy, and a good
dose of humor, leading well-known comedian John Fugelsang to dub her “iconic,” the
late Marcus Borg to call her “spontaneous and always surprising,” and Glennon Doyle to
praise her “razor-sharp mind” and “mystical heart.”
She holds a doctorate in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of
eleven books. Her bylines include The New York Times, the Washington Post,
CNN.com, Atlantic.com, USA Today, Huffington Post, Spirituality and Health, Reader’s
Digest, Christian Century, and Sojourners. She has commented on religion, politics, and
culture in the media widely including on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, CBC, FOX, Sirius XM,
TIME, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and in multiple global news outlets. In the 1990s, she
wrote a weekly column on religion and culture for the Santa Barbara News-Press, which
was distributed nationally by the New York Times Syndicate.
Her work has received two Wilbur Awards for Best Nonfiction Book of the Year, awards
from Religion News Association for individual commentary and for Book of the Year,
Nautilus Awards Silver and Gold medals, the Illumination Book Award Silver medal,
Books for a Better Life Award, Book of the Year of the Academy of Parish Clergy, the
Frank S. and Elizabeth D. Brewer Prize for Church History, Substack Fellowship for
Independent Writers, and Publishers Weekly’s Best Religion Book of the Year.
She and her husband live in Alexandria, Virginia, with their dog and their
sometimes-successful backyard garden
Michael is currently the Director of the Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Theological Seminary. Director of Fresh Expressions Florida, and Director of Fresh Expressions for The United Methodist Church. He serves as the co-pastor of Compassion UMC and St. Marks UMC in Ocala, Florida, with his wife Jill, where they direct addiction recovery programs, a jail ministry, a food pantry, an interracial unity movement, and house a faith-based inpatient treatment center. Wildwood and St Marks are traditional congregations and a network of thirteen fresh expressions that gather in tattoo parlors, dog parks, salons, running tracks, community centers, burrito joints, and digital spaces.
Michael guides leaders in an individual, regional, statewide, and national capacity. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at several educational institutions. He coaches entrepreneurs across the theological spectrum and has consulted with hundreds of churches, districts, denominations, networks, and dioceses. As an active ministry practitioner, he has started and developed businesses and planted missional communities most of his life. Michael has done this for over a decade while pastoring in the local church. His coaching and consulting work are not theoretical only, but experiential. He believes in maintaining a practitioner’s ethos: “I eat my own cooking and share experimental recipes.”
Beck earned a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Doctorate in Semiotics and Future Studies at Portland Seminary. He’s the author of ten books, including Deep Roots, Wild Branches: Revitalizing the Church in the Blended Ecology; Deep & Wild: Remissioning Your Church from the Outside In, A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions; and co-author of Contextual Intelligence: Unlocking the Ancient Secret to Mission on the Front Lines with Leonard Sweet, Fresh Expressions in a Digital Age: How the Church Can Prepare for a Post-Pandemic World with Rosario Picardo, as well as The 21st Century Christian: Following Jesus Where Life Happens with Michael Moynagh. His most recent books include Painting With Ashes, Fresh Expressions of the Rural Church, and The Five Congregational Personality Types: An Ancient Pathway to Congregational Renewal in the 21st Century.
Thank you to The Foundation for Evangelism for sponsoring the Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck as a Theologian in Residence.
From the Foundation: The Foundation for Evangelism is a Wesleyan-tradition grantmaking organization chartered in 1949 to “diffuse the blessing of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Today, we carry out that vision by providing grants as the catalyst to equip disciples to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our approach empowers teams of pastors and laity working together to spark a movement inviting all people to join the Christian journey. To do this, we focus our grantmaking on three specific areas: Raising Up Gospel Leaders, Engaging the Ministry of the Laity and Equipping the Local Church. To learn more visit www.FoundationforEvangelism.
Jasmine Rose Smothers loves to inspire.create.encourage. with the people of God. She is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and currently serves as Lead Pastor of the historic Atlanta First United Methodist Church in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Pastor Jasmine is a sought-after preacher, teacher, workshop leader, church consultant, leadership coach, Birkman Certified Consultant, author, community advocate, self-proclaimed technology geek, creative, and amateur shutterbug who is committed to transformational community ministry!
Pastor Jasmine is co-author of “Not Safe For Church: Ten Commandments of Reaching New Generations” and “Blank Slate: Write Your Own Rules for a 22nd-Century Church Movement.”
Alongside Atlanta First UMC, Pastor Jasmine’s current focus is developing affordable and attainable housing in downtown Atlanta.
The Rev. Dr. James A. Harnish (Jim) retired after 43 years of pastoral ministry in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. He was the founding pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando and served for 22 years as the Senior Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa.
Jim is the author of more than 20 books and Bible studies including “A Disciple’s Path” and “Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Time.” His most recent book is “Finding Your Bearings: How Words that Guided Jesus Through Crisis Can Guide Us.” He was a Consulting Editor for “The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible” and a contributor to “The Wesley Study Bible.”
He served on the General Board of Discipleship and the General Commission on General Conference, and as a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences and to World Methodist Conferences in England, Brazil, Kenya and South Africa. He is a facilitator for the Florida Conference Institute of Preaching and a member of the Board of Visitors at Duke Divinity School.
He and his wife, Martha, live in Longwood, Florida. They have two married daughters and five grandchildren in Florida and South Carolina. He blogs at www.jimharnish.org.
JaCynthia “JC” Bailey is a Charlotte native who has been serving in ministry for more than 13 years in various capacities. JaCynthia started serving in ministry as a youth leader. Her passion for Christ ultimately led her to a degree in behavioral science. She became an ordained Evangelist in 2021, through a non-denominational faith community, and loves empowering women, youth and marriages through the hope of Christ.
She is the founder of In*Touch Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit that fosters healing community through retreats and biweekly worship events.
The Rev. Riley Short is the youngest son of Bishop and Mrs. Roy H. Short and has been a pastor in the United Methodist Church for over 66 years. His last full-time appointment was First United Methodist Church of Lakeland, Florida. Since retirement he has served twelve interim pastorates. He also served as a professor of Homiletics at Asbury Theological School, Orlando Campus.
Rev. Short started his ministry as a student pastor in North Georgia, was ordained in the Holston Conference, served in the Tennessee Conference and then moved to the Florida Conference. He has preached camp meetings in Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Florida and New Jersey and for years was a featured speaker at Ocean City New Jersey Tabernacle.
After graduating from seminary, Riley married the former, Claire Malone of Coral Gables, Fla. After she passed away he married Patricia Fouts. He is the father of four children and has fourteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
In 2015 Riley wrote a book, “They Gave Their Future” – the account of 34 young men from Lakeland High School that were killed in World War II. He has been asked to share their stories with civic clubs, school groups and book clubs. He is proud of what these young men did for their country and the free world. Rev. Short is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Candler School of Theology at Emory University and holds honorary degrees from Florida Southern College and Bethune-Cookman College.
Jack Shitama is an author, teacher, speaker and coach. His family systems approach to leadership helps congregational and nonprofit leaders achieve their best spiritually, physically and professionally. He is an avid learner with a passion for taking the most recent secular learnings and applying them to spiritual leadership.
Jack is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and currently serves as the Executive Director at Pecometh Camp & Retreat Ministries in Centreville, MD. He is also the Director for the Center for Vital Leadership. He was President of the International Association of Conference Center Administrators from 2003-2007 and served on the United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries Association Board from 2007-2015, including as Vice-Chair (2011-2013) and Chair (2013-2015).
Jack is the author of Anxious Church, Anxious People: How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety, One New Habit, One Big Goal: Change Your Life in 10 Weeks and If You Met My Family You’d Understand: A Family Systems Primer.
Jack and his wife of 41 years, Jodi, have four adult children and five grandchildren. Jack is an avid runner and has completed the Baltimore Marathon three times. He plays guitar and bass in the Jacob’s Well Band, his church’s worship band. He enjoys all kinds of sports, cooking, reading, traveling and, most of all, seeing people experience spiritual growth.
Internationally known for her work on Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic History, Rev. Dr. Sandra Richter brings the Old Testament to life by exploring the real people and real places from which it comes.
Richter is a graduate of Valley Forge University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and earned her doctorate from the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department of Harvard University in Hebrew Bible. A veteran of many years of leading student groups in archaeological excavation and historical geography classes in Israel, she has taught at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wesley Biblical Seminary and Wheaton College. She is recognized among the laity for her The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament and is currently working on a second in that series The Fifth Gospel: A Christian Entry into the Book of Isaiah (IVP Academic). Her current research involves a forthcoming commentary on Deuteronomy with Eerdmans. She is also the author of several adult Bible Curriculums with Seedbed and Harper Collins. Richter is a sought-after speaker in both academic and lay settings.
Professor Tinoco Ruiz is a practical theologian whose work centers on the intersection of homiletics, pastoral care, and evangelism. Throughout her ministry, she has witnessed that most preachers are poorly equipped to respond to the traumatic injuries marginalized and oppressed communities experience. In contrast, she sees in the sermons of Saint Óscar Romero a profound response to the traumatic injuries the marginalized and oppressed people of El Salvador were experiencing during the years he was the archbishop of San Salvador (1977-1980). Influenced by Saint Romero’s preaching, Professor Tinoco Ruiz is exploring how preachers can effectively address the trauma experienced by marginalized and oppressed communities, particularly the community of undocumented immigrants from Latin America in the United States. She completed her Th.D. thesis on “Óscar Romero’s Theological, Hermeneutical, and Pastoral Framework for Preaching to Traumatized Communities.” Her publications include essays in the International Journal of Homiletics, Predicación con Impacto: Preparación y Presentación de Mensajes Bíblicos, The Christian Century, and Duke Divinity School’s DIVINITY magazine. Professor Tinoco Ruiz was awarded the Denman Fellow of the Foundation for Evangelism (FFE) in 2016, the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) Doctoral Fellowship in 2019, and the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI)/Lilly fellowship in 2020. She is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church.
Jimmy Atkins has a background in music and leading worship for over two decades. With his love of leading others in song, he strives to show people the Christ that gives him and others the freedom to live a God-centered life.
Peacemaker. Clergyman. Entrepreneur. Missional Artist. D’Andre R. Ash serves as a community builder and part-time pastor at two congregations in Western North Carolina.
As pastor, he serves Snow UMC & Iotla UMC, a cross-racial appointment. D’Andre says it is a privilege to lead these rural congregations through this dramatic era of social re-setting with preaching, pastoral care, and administrative oversight of vital committees.
As community advocate he serves as co-chair of the Smoky Mountain District’s Justice and Reconciliation Team, planning and hosting the Smoky Mountain District’s annual JUNETEENTH Celebration in partnership with Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. My role includes team leadership, developing partnerships, and grant writing.
Wayne Kerr started in full-time music ministry in 1995. For the next 16 years, God allowed Wayne to travel and share his message and music at roughly 180-200 dates per year, all over the US and abroad. He shares his heart through music and speaking, often with his band, often solo. Wayne has been featured at events like Resurrection with over 12,000 students, Student Life Camps, Youth15 National Event, and many more. Wayne will tell you that some of his favorite events were ones that had 12 kids in attendance.
These days, Wayne splits his time between leading worship at Grace Fellowship Church in Katy, Tx. and doing art shows. Wayne’s degree was in Visual Art, and in the last few years, his works have appeared in art shows across the west… Including Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Texas.
In 2021, Wayne released his book “Braving- the Art of pursuing what makes you come alive.” Wayne believes what makes us truly come alive is walking with Christ in His plans and purposes for our lives.
Wayne and his wife Kelly have two little girls, and a great Pyrenees named Bruce… and a cat that he still can’t seem to figure out.
In her sought-after role as an internationally recognized Performance Artist and Creative Flow Strategist, Rev. Iyana “YaNi” Davis, is helping a broad range of humans across the globe to not only tap into their innate greatness, which is what most coaches’ chant, but to unleash their sacred creative savvy. With this unique proposition, YaNi has built a brand that is steeped in community, compassion, creativity, and collaboration. Affectionately known as the PeacePastor, she is the mastermind behind the Peace People’s Movement, which seeks to bring people together using hip-hop, healing, and wholeness as instruments of activation. YaNi has traveled the world as a teaching artist, motivational speaker, poet/musician and educator. As a performer, she has headlined for music powerhouses like Janelle Monae, PJ Morton, Jars of Clay, Bone Crusher, Jay Holiday, and Dwele, to name a few.
She is the founder of My SupaNatural Life (MSNL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wholistic and communal care for persons living with chronic and mental health conditions. On the horizon is her newest wave of inspiration made manifest, The SupaNatural Way, a guide and system aiming to redefine industry standards on providing mindful coaching and spiritual care. This offering is a result of hundreds of hours of dedicated coaching internationally and extensive research on the connection between the physical body, the emotional body, the spirit and the power of interpersonal and intrapersonal development.
Her academic portfolio includes a Masters of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology, a Bachelors in English from Spelman College,and a stream of spiritual and literary certifications from Columbia Business School, University of Southern California, The Compassion Institute, The Christian Church Disciples of Christ and San Francisco School of Theology, to name a few. YaNi is completing her second masters in Business and Art Design via Maryland Institute College of Art. YaNi currently resides in Los Angeles, California, but continues to call Atlanta, Georgia, and Queens, New York home.
Chuck Bell has served in Methodist churches full-time as a Music Director and Worship Designer since 1996, but has also served in worship ministries in other denominations since 1988. Over the last 18 years, he has actively planned and produced over 3,500 corporate worship services in varying worship styles. He served as the Coordinator of Musicians for the 2012 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, where he assisted Dr. Marcia McFee in planning and musically directing and executing 27 worship services in 10 days.
Currently serving as an independent consultant through his company Chuck Bell Music, he is nationally known as a clinician, arranger and musician. He has worked with churches from the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, as well as in other states, assisting Worship and Arts Ministries with planning, organizing and the redesigning of traditional and contemporary services and the exploration of new opportunities in a wide variety of denominational and non-denominational churches. He has organized and led worship bands for local and national retreats and conferences.
He is often quoted with these words “The opportunity to play alongside others for a ‘greater’ purpose has been a driving force for my passion. I am in a pursuit for God though music, and invite others, on a regular basis to join me on that journey. It is at those moments when I feel like I’m doing what God created me to do.”
James “Slice” Penny grew up in the Methodist church and in a traditional Christian home. After graduating from Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C. in 2012, he went to Florida State University. Although Slice Penny has always known about Jesus, he has not always lived for Him. Slice began drifting away from the church and the Christian roots that were instilled in him. While accruing accolades at FSU, Slice continued to drift and his worldliness continued to grow. His secret alcoholism and drug addictions were brought to light when he was arrested by the DEA for drug trafficking. It was in this time of destruction and despair that Slice was finally humbled to his knees and brought back to Jesus. In the years since his 2015 arrest, Slice has been reborn and begun a new life. Although he was sentenced to and served 3 years in prison for his crimes, he has emerged a new man with a new mission. He was released October 16, 2019. Slice’s goal in life is to lead others to Jesus and to show our youth how to make a life of serving the Lord fun, enjoyable, and even cool.
Slice believes that he is called to be a pastor to the people who feel they do not deserve a seat in the pew of a sanctuary. To minister to those who feel unworthy and undeserving. To offer hope to the hopeless. To show love to those who cannot love themselves. To lead the physically homeless to their eternal home through Christ Jesus. To lead alcoholics and drug addicts to recovery through Christ Jesus. To help prisoners find spiritual freedom despite their physical imprisonment through Christ Jesus. Simply put, Slice believes that God has called him to minister to the person that he used to be. The Holy Spirit has given him the heart, and he believes that Duke Divinity School is giving him the knowledge that he needs to answer this call and bring God glory.
Ginger Wyrick, conductor, author, clinician, lecturer, teacher, and performer, serves on the music faculty at UNC Charlotte. Ms. Wyrick is a life-long musician, established professionally in piano, flute, organ, harpsichord, and voice. The author of 16 books and numerous periodicals on music and curriculum development, Ms. Wyrick frequently leads workshops and lectures on music education; serves as an adjudicator for piano, voice, harp, and choral/band/orchestra; and appears as guest conductor for honor choirs and festivals. Performance engagements include events in 17 states, the District of Columbia, Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Nigeria. Ms. Wyrick leads training events for all ages and has appeared at national symposiums presenting her research on the changing role of music in the United States and the local church. She is active in the local church as a liturgical arts consultant, choir director, and organist. Ms. Wyrick regularly appears as the invited guest conductor at the Charlotte Music Club’s annual performance of Messiah with community chorus and orchestra. She is former chorus master and a performer with Augusta Opera. Ms. Wyrick holds leadership positions in several professional organizations and is the former president of the North Carolina American Choral Directors Association. Ms. Wyrick earned music degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Southern Methodist University. Honors include membership in Pi Kappa Lambda and Mu Phi Epsilon. Ms. Wyrick is the recipient of the Lara Hoggard Award for distinguished service in choral music.
Hilda Ryan has a Bible degree from Columbia International University and a Bachelor and Masters in Piano Pedagogy/performance emphasis from USC Columbia. She served as church pianist, music director, accompanist for choir concerts and solo artists, soloed w/church orchestra, and taught piano in Charlotte for many years. She now lives at beautiful Lake Junaluska and is active playing in area churches, at Lake Junaluska and in an annual 4-piano concert. She has authored 7 books for piano teachers and piano students and enjoys mentoring piano teachers with a social media weekly video “Quick Tips for Piano Teachers.” Her new CD “Finding Him Faithful,” a compilation of her favorite hymn arrangements, is also on streaming platforms.
Timothy G. Bushong is a composer with choral pieces published by Hinshaw Music, Shawnee Press/GlorySound and Choristers Guild. His award-winning advertising jingles have aired on radio & television stations from Alaska to Maine and he has also composed the score for numerous marketing/educational videos, independent films and a television show. As a music educator, he has taught in both public and private schools in Texas and now in Tennessee.
Rev. Jackson Henry is a deacon in full connection who has served in church music ministry for over 25 years, having experience in churches of all sizes, campus ministry, and also in denominational leadership at Discipleship Ministries (formerly The General Board of Discipleship). In addition to his ministry appointment in the local church, Jackson is active as a performer, composer, and arranger, and he has performed extensively with musical artists in Murfreesboro and around the middle Tennessee area. He is a graduate of the Master of Sacred Music program from Perkins School of Theology/Southern Methodist University, and received a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Piano) from Tennessee Technological University. Jackson and his family have lived in Murfreesboro since 2003 and think of this area as home. He is honored to serve First United Methodist Church and the greater Murfreesboro community.
Diana Sanchez-Bushong grew up in San Antonio, Texas singing from the age of 5 at Browning United Methodist Church. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree in Music in Choral Conducting from Southern Methodist University, a Master of Sacred Music degree from Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from UT Austin. She has served in churches and at the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship, where she worked with the Hymnal Revision Committee to develop the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal. In addition, Sanchez- Bushong helped develop the 1992 United Methodist Book of Worship, and Mil Voces para Celebrar, an official UM hymnal for Spanish-speaking churches. She edited The Hymns of the United Methodist Hymnal (Abingdon, 1989) and authored Your Ministry of Planning and Leading Hymn Festivals (Discipleship Resources, 1990). She has written extensively on hymnody and music in worship, including the article ‘Latin American Hymnody, USA’ in the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. She also teaches the course “Culto de Adoracion y los Sacramentos” for the Course of Study Program and is an adjunct professor at Belmont University in the College of Theology and Christian Ministry.
Amy Martin is a Deacon in the UMC and serves as the Minister of Music and Discipleship at Reidland UMC in Paducah, Kentucky. Since 1986 she has been directing vocal and handbell choirs in small, medium, and large churches. In addition to church ministry work, Amy has taught piano and voice lessons, early childhood music classes, and served as Director of The Dixie Children’s Chorus in Huntingdon, Tennessee. Amy loves music, children, hiking, and tofu.
The Rev. Blair Boyd Zant serves as director of the North Georgia Conference Center for Congregational Excellence. Learn more.
Olujimi (Olu) Brown is the father of Daya Elom Brown and Langston Wesley Brown. Olu is a native of Lufkin, Texas. He graduated from Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Gammon Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
He served as the Lead Pastor of Impact Church, a young congregation in the East Point community of Metropolitan Atlanta (impactdcd.org). With Olu’s vision and leadership, since its founding in 2007, Impact grew from a core team of 25 people to more than 5,000 online viewers with a $4M budget and listed at No. 5 in the 25 Fastest Growing Large United Methodist Churches, 2018 Edition.
While at Impact, Olu strongly believed in an active church, one that makes a meaningful impact in the lives of individuals and communities. Impact is a multicultural community committed to Doing Church Differently. Impact DCD redefines the church experience through inclusiveness, relatable messages, energetic weekly gatherings, unique events and activities, relevant youth programs and community outreach. The people of Impact are therefore compelled to help bring healing, justice and compassion to the world.
On May 16, 2021, Olu announced his retirement from the local church effective June 2022. For his retirement, Olu is using the phrase, Normalizing Next, which is the concept about how to best prepare for the future, especially churches that experience any kind of change or transition. Normalizing Next®️ is when you are no longer afraid to do your best to prepare for and strategize so that one can be fully successful.
Olu is looking forward to his ‘next,’ as he has begun a new season and has transitioned from Impact to where he is coaching business leaders, church leaders and church teams.
Olu is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC Level) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Jennifer Pagnard is excited to return to Lake Junaluska, having sung with the Junaluska Singers way back in 1991. She grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended Cokesbury United Methodist Church. While earning her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Tennessee, she was a scholarship singer at Church Street United Methodist Church, singing with the Youth and Adult Choirs. After graduation, she taught elementary school music for one year in Prince Georges County, Maryland. In 1992, she won an alto vocalist position with The United States Air Force Singing Sergeants. During her Air Force career, she performed as a soloist and in ensembles, and as a concert announcer, for military and civilian events, including 32 national concert tours throughout 48 states, as well as 28 recording projects. While in the Air Force, she also completed a Master of Arts in Music from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. After retiring from the Air Force in 2015, Jennifer continued to perform as an actor, singer and concert emcee in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. In 2022, her husband, Christian, also retired from The U.S. Air Force Band after winning the position of principal trumpet with the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera. This past August, Jennifer and her family relocated to her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. Recently, they transferred their membership from Burke United Methodist in Burke, Virginia, to Concord United Methodist Church in Knoxville where she and her daughter, Corinna, regularly volunteer for the Children’s Ministry.
In 1956, The U.S. Army Chorus was established as the vocal counterpart of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” From its inception, The U.S. Army Chorus has established and maintained a reputation of musical excellence. Beyond the traditional military music and patriotic standards, the repertoire of the Army Chorus covers a broad spectrum which includes pop, Broadway, folk, and classical music. The Army Chorus performs frequently at the White House, the Vice President’s Residence, the U.S. Capitol and the State Department. In 2007, the group was featured at the State Dinner held in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2008 at the State Arrival Ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI held on the south lawn of the White House. When in Washington, DC, foreign dignitaries and military counterparts visiting our nation’s senior leadership are greeted by songs performed in their native tongues, as the Army Chorus has performed in more than 40 languages and dialects. The Army Chorus was personally requested to perform for the private interment services of former President Ronald Wilson Reagan in 2004, and President Gerald R. and Mrs. Betty Ford in early 2007 and 2011, respectively. In late 2018, the Chorus was honored to help the Bush family lay to rest its patriarch and our 41st President, George H.W. Bush in a private interment ceremony in Texas. In 2021, the ensemble celebrated 65 years of service to the U.S. Army, its senior leaders, and the American people.
Linda Clayman Lay grew up in Clayman Valley, a tiny community named after her family outside of Bristol, Tennessee. She grew up surrounded by music in a family that treasured tunes, from old-time and bluegrass to gospel and traditional country. Her father, mandolinist Jack Clayman, formed a family band with Linda and his family, taking them to the places where the local musicians gathered, jammed, and performed. Linda later founded and led Appalachian Trail, an innovative bluegrass band that performed for more than 20 years. In Appalachian Trail, Linda truly found her voice, becoming not just the band’s lead singer but one of the most beloved singers in bluegrass. During her years touring with Appalachian Trail, she met the gifted guitar player and singer—and her future husband—David Lay. David Lay grew up listening to his father sing in quartets and preach, as a Methodist pastor, and was fortunate to be able to attend a lot of the all night singing conventions where he heard some of the greats in Southern Gospel. David played bass for a gospel group when he met Linda. He switched to guitar and after a brief courtship they married and he was performing in front of thousands of listeners. David is a very solid, versatile rhythm player and is able to adapt to the diverse styles of music with ease. David encouraged Linda to venture out to tour with other musicians, and today when she plays he is always beside her.
Jon Foulk is native of Atlanta, Georgia, who spent his formative years in East Tennessee. His debut EP “A New Song,” produced by Grammy-nominated and award-winning producer Travis Wyrick, was released in July of 2021. The record takes listeners on Jon’s personal journey through the struggles of addiction; followed by the hope through Christ presented in recovery. Foulk has released four subsequent (open, honest & organic) singles: I’m Sorry, The Drifter, Gone Too Far, and I Was Wrong. He currently resides just outside of Maryville, Tennessee, where he is a solo artist, session musician and keyboardist for the acclaimed southern rock band The Dirty Gospel.
Justin Terry was born and raised in a musical family. He began his professional singing career in 2006 when he joined a touring gospel quartet, Cross4Crowns. He saw success with the quartet including several nationally charting radio singles, national award nominations, as well as being regarded as one of the top bass singers in gospel music. In 2012, Justin left Cross4Crowns to embark on a solo career. Even with a successful solo career in full swing, Justin made time to tour with some legendary artists, including The Blackwood Quartet, The Stamps Quartet, Aaron Tippin, and Gary Puckett and The Union Gap. Although performing in such venues as Silver Dollar City, Dollywood, and Anderson Music Hall, Justin still finds time to come back to his roots and lead worship at many churches across America. We are grateful to have Justin Terry worshipping with us on this, his second visit to The Lake Junaluska Assembly.
John Overholt is a tenor hailing from Newport, Tennessee. He completed his graduate studies at the prestigious University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and his undergraduate degree at East Tennessee State University. John’s versatility and passion for music have led him to perform in a variety of genres, from gospel to opera. In addition to his opera career, John has sung around the world with several gospel groups and has been a featured soloist in numerous church services across America. He has also performed with the Cincinnati Opera Chorus for several years, showcasing his vocal range and artistry. John gained national attention for his performance as Justice Antonin Scalia in the world premiere of Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg at the Castleton Festival in 2015, which was featured on National Public Radio. His commitment to excellence in his craft has earned him numerous accolades and opportunities to perform throughout the United States and the world.
Michael and Chelsae began performing on guitar and flute together as students of the Bryan College Music Department in 2013. Over a decade later, the Tennessee native duo is married, has two beautiful children, and still enjoys playing music together as often as they can. Michael is the music director at Wayside Presbyterian Church and Chelsae teaches music lessons out of their home on Signal Mountain in East Tennessee. Each has enjoyed the occasional studio project, and they dream of one day recording their own feature album together. Michael and Chelsae are passionate about passing on a love of worship music to the next generation.
Bass, K.C. Armstrong has sung on national and international concert stages as a former member of The U.S. Army Chorus and former member of The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants. He just recently retired from The U.S. Army with over 20 years of collective service. As a member of these ensembles, he had the opportunity to sing for the last four presidents and for the funerals of Presidents Reagan, Ford and Bush. A featured soloist on choir tours throughout the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Netherlands and Romania, he is also a highly sought-after soloist for choral works/oratorios. He worked with teachers Dr. Robert Holquist, Dr. Noelle Woods and Dr. Thomas Jenrette during his studies at Western Carolina University and East Tennessee State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance. While in college, K.C. was a Junaluska Singer the summers of ’96, ’97, and ’98! He is currently a freelance musician and sings with professional groups such as Poet Voices, King’s Cadence, Brethren, Voci Virili and many other vocal ensembles. Originally from Mt. Holly, North Carolina, K.C. resides in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his wife, Chara, daughter Adaline, and sons Brogan and Calvin.
The Rev. Dr. Amy Valdez Barker is visiting associate professor of religious education and mission innovation in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and former executive director of global mission connections at the General Board of Global Ministries. Learn more.
The Rev. Magrey deVega has served as senior pastor at Hyde Park United Methodist in Tampa, Florida, since July 2015 and is former pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cherokee, Iowa. Learn more.
The Rev. Dr. James Howell has served as senior pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte since 2003 and is author of 17 books including “Yours are the Hands of Christ,” “Worshipful” and “Weak Enough to Lead.” Learn more.
The Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery is dean of Duke Chapel and an associate professor of homiletics at Duke University Divinity School, and former Perry and Georgia Engle Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary. Learn more.
Rev. Dr. Laceye Warner serves as the Royce and Jane Reynolds Associate Professor of the Practice of Evangelism and Methodist Studies and Associate Dean for Wesleyan Engagement at Duke University Divinity School where she has taught for over twenty years. Dr. Warner teaches courses in United Methodist Studies, evangelism, mission, and women’s ministry.
As an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, Dr. Warner also serves the denomination in a number of capacities such as an elected delegate from the Texas Conference to General and Jurisdictional Conference and. She has also served as a previous member of the Council of Bishops’ Ministry Study, University Senate, Council of Bishops’ Task Force on Leadership Formation and Theological Education, as well as the Board of Ordained Ministry in the Texas Conference.
She is the author of several books including:
Saving Women: Retrieving Evangelistic Theology and Practice (Baylor University Press, 2007), which was rated an “Outstanding book” for 2008 by the University Press Books Committee.
Dr. Warner’s The Method of Our Mission: United Methodist Polity and Organization, published by Abingdon Press in 2014, is a widely used and recognized textbook among United Methodist seminary students.
In 2018 she co-authored with her husband From Relief to Empowerment: How Your Church Can Cultivate Sustainable Mission with Foundery Books.
She was also a contributing editor to the Wesley Study Bible
Dr. Warner lives outside Hillsborough, North Carolina, on a small farm with her husband and daughter where they care for a variety of creatures and grow flowers to share with the local community.
The Rev. Meredith Martin serves as Vice President of Programs at Crossnore Communities for Children where she leads the agency’s child welfare service lines, compliance, and learning and development initiatives across western North Carolina. During her tenure with Crossnore, Meredith has also been the project manager on the launch of several new service lines for the organization, and has led the implementation of The Sanctuary Model, Crossnore’s trauma-informed model of care. She has past professional experience working for organizations that serve children and families who are involved with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, who are experiencing domestic violence and/or sexual assault, and who are struggling with mental illness. Meredith is professionally trained as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She holds master’s degrees from Duke Divinity School and UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work and is an ordained deacon in Western NC Conference of The United Methodist Church. Meredith is married to Rev. Duncan Martin, senior pastor of Hawthorne Lane UMC in Charlotte. The couple has twin 9-year-old daughters.
Photo courtesy Anslee Davidson
Anslee Davidson is a small-town girl from Greensboro, Georgia, who writes songs inspired by life and art. Anslee began playing guitar and writing songs with her dad as a young teen. At 16 she received a Golden Ticket on American Idol before testing positive for COVID and having to leave the show, but this only served to fuel her passion for music. Mixing Classic Country, Americana, Pop and R&B with a voice described by Katy Perry as “Timeless,” Anslee has compiled an impressive catalog of songs she performs throughout the Southeast wowing audiences large and small with her engaging personality and authentic style. Inspired by the legends of country and rock music, she has become a regular artist at the iconic Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee, and Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta, Georgia.
Anslee signed with artist development and label services company, Oconee Music Foundry in 2021, and has been co-writing with some of Nashville’s best and brightest and has shared the stage with her friends Eric Dodd, Chuck Cannon, Rivers Rutherford, Kristian Bush from Sugarland, Drew & Ellie Holcomb, Rhett Akins, Restless Road, Deana Carter, and many more. Anslee released her debut single, “I’ll Wait For You,” in September of 2021 which immediately received playlisting by Spotify’s editorial team. Anslee’s songs are regularly on Spotify’s playlists, “New Music Friday Country” and “Fresh Finds Country,” and her song “Trouble With Georgia” was listed on “Fresh Finds Country: Best of 2022.” 2023 is off to an amazing start as her most recent single, “Forget Me Not” landed on Spotify’s “Next From Nashville.” Anslee released her first official music video for “Forget Me Not” in February, which can be found at CMT.com. With new music and shows planned throughout 2023, Anslee Davidson is only getting started and is a name to remember!
The Lake Junaluska landscaping team uses blooms from across the grounds when they create beautiful floral arrangements and bouquets for Lake Junaluska events. Learn more at Lake Junaluska Florals.
Rev. Bill Gattis has over 50 years of service as a minister in the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church. He’s served churches in rural settings, small towns, suburbs, and next door to a major university (University UMC, Chapel Hill) for 18 years. In addition to his local church ministry, he has served on the North Carolina Conference staff as conference director of youth & young adult ministry, been a district superintendent for eight years, and concluded 50 years as the Executive Director of the Academy for Leadership Excellence. Rev. Gattis is a Certified Professional Co-active Coach and an associate of the International Coach Federation. In 2017 he was endorsed as a Life/Leadership Coach by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the UMC. Bill and his wife, Irene, have been seasonal residents of Lake Junaluska since 1994.
As Director of Youth Ministry at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, Genevieve Brooks provides vision, oversight, and leadership for youth ministry programs, including Sunday evening programming, retreats, domestic mission trips, and small group ministries. After serving as Director of Middle School Ministry at White Memorial for three years, Genevieve accepted the call to become Director of Youth Ministry. Prior to joining the White Memorial staff, Genevieve had considerable youth experience, including launching a Young Life program in Craven County, working as the Summer Camp Coordinator at United Methodist Camp Don Lee and serving as Associate Youth Director at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh.
Genevieve was baptized, raised and confirmed at Starmount Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. In the fall of 2013, she moved to Raleigh to marry her camp sweetheart, Alex. She loves Jesus, coffee, sailing, games and cat videos.
Rev. Dr. Latricia Edwards Scriven is the Pastor of New Life United Methodist Church in Tallahassee, Florida, and Pastor/Director of the IMPACT@FAMU Wesley Foundation at Florida A&M University. Pastor Scriven absolutely loves being called to ministry! Latricia is passionate about empowering women, strengthening marriages, and supporting marginalized and vulnerable populations. She has lived into her passion by engaging in social justice advocacy; by serving on the Board of Directors of Wisdom’s Wellspring, a residential community whose mission is “to equip women with wisdom to responsibly transform their lives and community”; and by partnering with her husband to lead Safe Conversations© workshops for couples and small groups. As an educator and leader, Dr. Scriven strives to create spaces that are energetic, interactive, thoughtful and engaging. She is the author of the children’s books, “When Jesus Laughs,” “When Jesus Rests,” and “Laughter Is My Superpower,” and contributing author of Bloom (Vol. 1): “Stories For Women to Nurture Your Growth and Water Your Soul.”
Latricia has an undergraduate degree and Mathematics, as well as Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University in Mathematics Education and Educational Administration, respectively. Dr. Scriven attended Gammon Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA, where she earned a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. She has held faculty positions at Wilberforce University in Ohio, Baton Rouge Community College, Southern University in Louisiana, Brenau University in Georgia, and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Religion at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where she was also an Assistant Professor of Mathematics for several years.
Latricia is married to her phenomenal husband, Dr. Darryl Scriven, and they have three wonderfully talented children, Destini, Faith, and Samuel Scriven. Latricia loves traveling the world, playing Uno and Sorry with her family, sharing life with her students and congregation, and laughing uncontrollably with friends.
Bishop Charlene Payne Kammerer is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. She was born in Orlando, Florida and grew up in Winter Garden where her home church was First United Methodist. She graduated from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, with a B.A. degree in Religion and philosophy. She continued her preparation for Christian ministry by obtaining the Master of Christian Education and Master of Divinity degrees from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She was ordained deacon and elder in the Florida Conference. She received a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Charlene P. Kammerer was elected to the episcopacy in 1996, and assigned to the Western North Carolina Conference of the Charlotte Area. She served there until 2004, when she was assigned to the Virginia Conference.
Charlene’s service in the church has included equal years in parish ministries and connectional ministries, including service as a campus minister at Duke University and a District Superintendent of the Tallahassee District, Florida Conference. Her long-time interests in ministry include higher education, mission involvement, and the spirituality of administration. She has served as a director of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and as director of the General Board of Global Ministries, including Chairperson of the United Methodist Committee on Relief from 1992-1996. She has received the Outstanding Alumnae Award from both Wesleyan College and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Florida in 1989. She has led Disciple Bible study groups, retreats and taught in Schools of Mission.
Charlene was married to Leigh Kammerer on August 29, 1970. They have one son, Christopher Hal. Charlene and Leigh have been partners in ministry since being students together at seminary.
The Rev. Billy Michael Honor is a public scholar and community organizer whose progressive and compelling insights have made him a sought-after speaker, social commentator and writer. Currently, he is the founding scholar of Truth on the Loose LLC., a thought leadership company working at the intersection of faith, human rights, intellectual health, politics and civic organizing. Previously, he was the Director of Faith and Civic Organizing for the New Georgia Project. In this position, he organized non-partisan voter mobilization and social justice campaigns that have been widely celebrated and brought thousands of souls to the polls. He also travels extensively speaking in colleges, congregations, conferences and civic gatherings. The Center for American Progress named Billy one of the 15 Faith Leaders to watch in 2020 and the Atlanta Magazine listed him as one of the 500 most powerful people in Atlanta for 2021. He also was the Racial Justice and Religion fellow with Aspen Institute’s Inclusive America Project. His writings and work have been featured and published by numerous media outlets including the Huffington Post, USA Today, The Nation, Mother Jones, NPR and Sojourners.
Abbye West Pates is a worship leader from Memphis, Tennessee. Originally from south Mississippi, she spent her summers at Lake Junaluska with her youth group. She’s excited to be here leading others in worship, with her husband, Jeff. Abbye and Jeff live in community, where they grow their own food, cook lots of meals, and find joy in opening their home for their friends and neighbors. Learn more at abbyewestpates.com.
Known as “the funniest man in youth ministry,” the Rev. Andy Lambert is a native of Pfafftown, NC. He received a B.A. in sociology from Appalachian State University and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. Lambert has proclaimed the Gospel at comedy clubs, churches and colleges, traveling throughout the United States, Mexico, Wales and England. Andy is currently enjoying retirement in Winston-Salem, NC.
Nairobi O. Smith has been a musician all her life. From a very early age, she was harmonizing with the church choir and organ at the church her father pastored. She has spent time performing with The Young Americans, traveling across the World teaching kids about character building and music. Nairobi’s passion for worship ministry grew over her 20 years at Casowasco Camp Conference and Retreat Center planning and leading worship and music programming. When she is not making music professionally, she is doing it for fun in bands and with friends. Nairobi has mastered guitar, drums and vocals and loves collaborating with other musicians. She lives with her wife, Liz, and their dog Charlie in Auburn, NY.
The Rev. Melissa Cooper is an ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church. Prior to serving at St. Luke’s, Melissa served as Program Coordinator for the Life Enrichment Center and Warren Willis Camp. Before receiving her MTS in 2009, Melissa earned a B.A. in English from Middle Tennessee State University. She is originally from Tennessee, but began her full-time ministry in the North Carolina Annual Conference at Camp Don Lee, where she served as the Faith Formation and Retreat Ministries Coordinator. From 2011 to 2017, Melissa built a ground-up program ministry at the Life Enrichment Center, at which she was the first program staff member. Building on her previous experience with intergenerational camps and retreats, she developed LECFamily, the intergenerational program ministry of the LEC. Melissa has spoken at various regional and national gatherings for the UMC, the UCC and the ELCA on the topic of intergenerational ministry and cross-generational communication. Since 2010, she has written youth and children’s curriculum for sparkhouse, an ecumenical publishing house. She also serves as an Associate with Vibrant Faith, an ecumenical organization providing coaching, training and consulting to churches seeking to go deeper with adaptive leadership and intergenerational ministry. In the Florida Conference, Melissa has served on the Board of Ordained Ministry, as a Multicultural Resource Facilitator for Cross-Cultural Communication, as a reserve delegate to the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference, and as co-chair of the Children’s Ministry Table. Melissa is married to Will, and they are the parents to the cutest poodle you’ll ever meet.
The Reverend Dr. Elaine’s vocational journey includes having served as Dean of the Divinity School at Duke University, and the McCreless Professor of Evangelism at Perkins School of Theology. She is a pioneer in new forms of theological education. In that capacity, Heath is co-founder and President of Neighborhood Seminary. The author of 12 books, Heath is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and served in pastoral ministry prior to her academic ministry. She lives with her husband at Spring Forest, an intentional Christian Community and farm in rural North Carolina where she serves as Abbess.
An advocate for older adults, Missy Buchanan is an internationally-recognized author and speaker on issues of aging faithfully, drawing from her personal experience as a caregiver for her own aging parents. She has appeared twice on Good Morning America with co-anchor Robin Roberts who describes Missy as “the rare soul that understands, truly understands, older adults: their fears, struggles and hopes.”
With thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook, Missy provides daily insight and encouragement for the journey of aging. Her first book, Living with Purpose in a Worn-Out Body, remains a top-seller in addition to nine other titles which are often found on beside tables in senior living communities and in church libraries. Her book Beach Calling: A Devotional Journal for the Middle Years and Beyond was launched in June 2019 and achieved #1 New Release Christian Devotional on Amazon. Missy’s newest book, Dry Bones to Living Hope, released in the fall of 2021 and was endorsed by the Rev. Adam Hamilton of UM Church of the Resurrection.
Missy has been a speaker at hundreds of churches, senior living communities and aging conferences including the National Boomer Ministry Conference, the Festival of Wisdom and Grace, and the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network National Conference. She has delivered messages about caregiving and faithful aging to churches of many denominations, including the largest United Methodist Church in the United States– UM Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS. She has also been a featured speaker aboard cruises for Educational Opportunities Tours.
A resident of Rockwall, Texas, Missy enjoys regular visits to senior living communities in her area to see her older adult friends, being a greeter at her local church and basking in her favorite role of all: grandmother.
The Rev. David McEntire is a native of Atlanta, Ga. and has lived in Europe, the Far East and throughout the United States. David has pastored churches in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church for more than 41 years having graduated from Florida State University and attended seminary at Duke University. He has been a delegate to both South East Jurisdictional and General Conferences. David has served on several Florida Conference Boards and agencies including the Board of Ordained Ministry, the Conference Council on Ministries, the Florida UM Children’s Home (chair), Florida Southern College Board of Trustees, The Florida Conference Board of Trustees (chair), and the Florida Conference Board of Camps and Retreat Ministries (chair). David is married to Nancy. They have three children; Katie, Andy and Molly, and 2 grandchildren, Crosley and Jude. David’s greatest joy is knowing that a person has come to know the love of Christ in a personal way.
Michael and Joy Mays, and their children Jacob, Natalie, Elena, and Caroline. Michael earned his master’s degree in vocal performance from Southwestern Seminary in 2004, and his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1995; Joy graduated from Tennessee Temple University in 1996 with a degree in piano performance. Like their parents, the Mays children have developed into talented singers and songwriters. Kingdom Come’s genre is eclectic in style, employing folk, adult contemporary, praise and worship, traditional hymns, and other styles in their own composed scores and lyrics. They currently reside in Chickamauga, Georgia, with their two younger children, Jonathan and Chloe.
Nathan Prisk, Bass Vocalist, has been a professional singer for over 20 years. He received a full performance scholarship for piano performance at Clayton State University. Nathan teaches voice and piano in the south metro Atlanta area and is the Fine Arts Director at Creekside Christian Academy, McDonough, Georgia. He wants to build singers and performers, worship leaders and worshipers. Nathan toured extensively for 15 years as a professional vocalist with many ensembles, including Poet Voices! He now travels as a soloist, vocal/choral clinician, pianist, vocal coach, piano teacher, and emcee. Nathan’s debut solo album was released on July 27, 2012.
Phil Cross began his songwriting journey in 1980 and is one of the most highly acclaimed songwriters in Gospel Music. His compositions are well known and well loved. Phil tours with Poet Voices and is also available for solo concerts, choir revivals, worship leading, and songwriting seminars. A few of Phil’s most known songs include Champion Of Love (Cathedral Quartet), When I Get Carried Away (Gold City), Saved To The Uttermost (The Speers), Miracle In Me (The Greenes), Yes I Am (The Hoppers), I Am Redeemed (Poet Voices), and Jesus Built A Bridge (Poet Voices).
Jonathan D. Williams has previously served for three and half years as Organist/Accompanist at Ardmore Baptist Church – Winston-Salem, NC where he chaired Arts at Ardmore, a visual and performing arts series, and organized and performed in the biennial Keyboards at Christmas. Jonathan studied organ performance with Faythe Freese at the University of Alabama where he won the AFMC – Sarah Caldwell Lee Organ Competition at Samford University and the Clarence Dickinson Organ Festival Competition at William Carey University. Jonathan also works in the Forsyth County Tax Administration office and is married to Catherine (Cady) née King. They are blessed with a lovely and rambunctious 1.5-year-old son named Archibald James (Archie). FUN FACT: Archie’s namesake, Archibald Theodore King, was a Moravian Minister in the Virgin Islands during the early 20th century.
Christopher Plaas has entertained audiences throughout the United States and Europe. He earned his BM in Vocal Performance at East Tennessee State University and his MM in Vocal Performance at Appalachian State University. Christopher has been featured as a young artist with Indianapolis Opera, Opera on the James, and Teatro Nuovo and has had recent appearances with Knoxville Opera, Salt Marsh Opera, Barn Opera, and Asheville Lyric Opera. He is currently in his 4th year as an adjunct professor of voice at East Tennessee State University.
Matthew Sleeth, MD, a former emergency room physician and chief of the hospital medical staff, resigned from his position to teach, preach, and write about faith and health. Dr. Sleeth has spoken at more than 1,000 churches, campuses, and events, including serving as a monthly guest preacher at the Washington National Cathedral. Recognized by Newsweek as one of the nation’s most influential Christian leaders, Dr. Sleeth is the executive director of Blessed Earth and author of numerous articles and books, including Reforesting Faith and 24/6.
His most recent book, Hope Always: How to be a force for life in a culture of suicide, released in May 2021. Dr. Sleeth lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with Nancy, his wife of 40 years. Their grown children serve with their families in full-time ministry and as medical missionaries in Africa.
Dr. Sleeth will bring our Keynote Addresses and will speak on “10 Ways to Maintain Mental Health.”
Bishop Kenneth Carder was elected to the episcopacy in 1992 by the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of the U.M. Church. At the time he was the pastor of the Church Street U.M.C. in Knoxville. He was assigned to the Nashville Episcopal Area, effective 1 September 1992. He was assigned to the Mississippi Area in 2000, where he served until retiring in 2004 and joining the faculty of Duke University Divinity School. Currently, Bishop Carder serves as the Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry Duke Divinity School, Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of five books and numerous articles.
Bishop Carder was with us in 2021 and is back in 2022 to be our Preacher for the Festival of Wisdom and Grace.
Rev. Dr. Hyung Jae Lee serves as the Smoky Mountain District Superintendent of the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church. Most recently, Jae has served as pastor of Calvary UMC in Charlotte since 2013. Previously, he was pastor of Wesley UMC and Thrift UMC, both in Charlotte, and associate pastor at First UMC in Brevard. Born and raised in South Korea, Jae completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Hanyang University in Seoul. Coming to the US in 1997, he earned a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and a Doctor of Ministry at Duke Divinity School.
Jae is married to Kim, a registered pharmacist in North and South Carolinas, and they have three adult children. Jae loves Western North Carolina’s mountains and enjoys walking and hiking.
Amber (RYT – 500) is a Yoga & Mindfulness Mentor whose passion is helping women reconnect with themselves through movement, meditation, and the practice of setting sacred boundaries. She is driven by her own transformation that yoga and mindfulness helped unfold when she stepped onto her mat in 2013 after being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease.
When joining her for a Slow Flow or Restorative Yoga class, you’ll be invited to explore the infinite possibilities that good self-care can provide both on and off the mat. Amber is a 500 hour certified yoga instructor who brings her silly sense of humor, creative sequencing, and everyone-is-welcome attitude into her classes for a refreshing experience from head to toe.