Councils & Commissions Nominations
2026 General Conference
Nominations Committee Announces
Councils & Commissions Slate
The General Conference Nominations Committee has announced its recommended slate of members for the seven commissions and two councils of the general church. The slate is drawn from over 600 nominees submitted by the annual conference delegations. Note that the Global Episcopacy Committee nominees were chosen by the Connectional Council, as prescribed by the Book of Doctrines and Discipline.
While the slate is the list of recommended members, delegations may submit additional nominees, and the General Conference plenary session will decide the final makeup through an election process. Besides those elected at the General Conference, the Connectional Council may appoint additional members for most of the commissions to fill in needed skills, experience, or diversity.
The Connectional Council acted to increase the input given the nominations process by adding an eight-person non-voting advisory team to the Nominations Committee. The advisory team included three bishops, three conference superintendents, and two general church staff. Their input was invaluable in fostering a more balanced slate with greater confidence in the giftedness
and effectiveness of those nominated. Section VIII of the Plan of Organization outlines the criteria used by the Nominations Committee in its work. The Nominations Committee took care to consider geographical, racial/ethnic, gender, and age diversity in the makeup of the commissions and councils, while also prioritizing members’ gifts and experience. The slate draws members from 38 different annual conferences.
The regional breakdown of nominees is:
- Africa – 30 percent
- East Asia/Philippines – 8 percent
- Europe/Eurasia – 9 percent
- Latin America – 1 percent
- United States – 51 percent
In addition, 41 percent of the slate nominees are women. In addition to seeking diversity of gifted and experienced members, the Nominations Committee was cognizant of trying to maintain some continuity with current commission membership to allow for institutional memory and maintaining momentum. At the same time, new voices were added to bring new perspectives and ideas.
While the Nominations Committee did the best it could to provide a balanced slate, seven annual conferences did not submit any nominees. This was mainly attributed to the fact that most of these conferences formed and joined the GMC late in the process. Even some of the conferences that did submit nominees did not submit very many, limiting the choices available to the Nominations Committee. It is hoped that having more established annual conferences and a longer runway for submitting nominees will facilitate a more effective process in 2032. Finally, the Book of Doctrines and Discipline tasked the Nominations Committee with designating the proposed chair for six of the commissions. If those designated as chairs are elected by the General Conference, they will serve as commission chairs.
With release of the slate, annual conference delegations now have until June 1 to re-submit the names of any nominees not on the slate that the delegations believe should be considered for election. These additional nominees will be listed along with the slated nominees
on the commission ballots. General Conference delegates will make the final decision on commission and council membership through the election process in Johannesburg.
Nominations Committee Members
- Mbingeleli Diko – South Africa
- Holly Joy – Heartland (committee chair)
- Jessica LaGrone – Trinity
- Jonathan Lee – Upper Midwest
- Tami Nies – Allegheny West
- Henriette Okele – Democratic Republic of Congo
- Dennis Rader – Northeast
- Debbie Smalley – Alabama Emerald Coast
- Samson Muzengeza – Zimbabwe (non-voting)
- Sheela Shankar – India (non-voting)
- Thomas Lambrecht – GMC Staff (non-voting)
Advisory Team
- Mike Schafer – GMC Staff
- Simon Mafunda – GMC Staff
- Bishop Jeff Greenway
- Bishop Leah Gregory
- Bishop Kimba Evariste
- Gabi Kopas – Central Europe
- Wilton Odongo – Kenya
- Jordan McFall – Heartland
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
- The annual conferences that did not submit nominees for the commissions and councils were: Ethiopia Nazrawiyan, Korean-American, Oasis, Peru, Thailand, Uganda, and Venezuela. In some cases, that was because their convening conference took place after the deadline to submit names for consideration.
- Several conferences submitted nominees, but none were chosen for the slate. These were: Central Nigeria, Florida, Mexico, and Virginia. Some of these submitted only a few nominees or for only a few of the commissions.
- Based on their percentage of the overall delegation, several conferences were clearly underrepresented. These include: North Alabama, North Carolina, and South Georgia. Several other conferences were clearly overrepresented. These include: Central Russia, Covenant Philippines, and Grain Coast.
- After the recommended slate was published, annual conferences could re-submit the names of prior nominees. These are included in the list below. Delegates can vote for anyone on the list for a given commission, whether they are on the slate or not. In the end, it will be the General Conference delegates who determine who will serve on the commissions and councils through the election process in Johannesburg.
How the slate compares to the delegation
Regionally, the slate of nominees emphasized the global nature of the church, with U.S. nominees making up only half of the slate, while making up 62 percent of the total delegation. Nominees from Europe and Eurasia made up 11 percent of the slate, but only 3 percent of the delegation. Nominees from Africa (28 percent of the slate) and Latin America (1 percent of the slate) were proportional to their percentage of the delegation.
Nominations Committee Slate for
General Church Commissions, Councils, and Committees
Asterisk (*) indicates a current member
Bold italic indicates someone recommended by the Nominations Committee
Updated on September 4, 2026
CONNECTIONAL COUNCIL
Elect 4 clergy and 4 lay (*current member), officers chosen by the Council
Additional 4 members will be added by the Connectional Council for expertise and balance
Clergy
Jeremy Barbee – West Plains
Ryan Barnett – Mid-Texas
Tyler Best – Great Lakes
John Beyers – North Georgia*
Artie Cadar – Trinity*
Todd Chancey – Mid-South
Kim Collins – North Carolina
Luciano da Silva – Panama [elected]
Gabriella Kopas – Central Europe [elected]
Jessica LaGrone – Trinity* [elected]
Henriette Okele – Democratic Republic of Congo* [elected]
Scott Pattison – Great Lakes
Daniel Topalski – Bulgaria*
Jimmy Towson – South Georgia
Laity
Gene Floore – Alabama Emerald Coast* [elected]
Juliet Jere – Malawi [elected]
Eugene Paik - Korean-American*
Sheela Shankar – India [elected]
Tammy Stott – North Carolina [elected]
COUNCIL ON APPEALS
Elect 4 clergy and 3 laity from the total list, with an equal number of alternates (*current member)
Officers chosen by the Council
Clergy
Zawdie “Doc” Abiade – Great Lakes* (chair)
Yon Taek Bae – Korean-American
Steven Bell – Trinity* [elected]
Ebenezer Belleh – Grain Coast [elected alternate]
Elliot Chikwenjere – Zimbabwe [elected alternate]
Daniel Fulton – Mid-South [elected]
Paul Idi – Northeast Nigeria [elected alternate]
Richard Jones – West Plains* [elected]
John Kalambo – Zambia
Sungwon Nam – Korean-American
Stanislav Prokhorov – Central Russia
Jay Therrell – Florida [elected alternate]
Robert Zilhaver – Allegheny West
Laity
James Bannister – South Carolina [elected alternate]
Ron Enns – West Plains* [elected]
Marcel Kakudji Faliala – Democratic Republic of Congo
Sheryl Gadia – Mega Manila
Beatrice Iliya – Northern Nigeria [elected]
Sherlin James – India
Vicky Johnson – Trinity* [elected]
Claudette Kon Kand – Democratic Republic of Congo
Curtis Kurhajec – Mid-Texas
Martina Lukic – Central Europe [elected alternate]
Esther Mwaniki – Kenya
Gideon Salatan – Covenant Philippines* [elected alternate]
David Smalley – Alabama Emerald Coast
CONFERENCES
Elect 6 clergy and 6 laity (*current member)
No additional members to be added
Clergy
Clark Atkins, Jr. – Trinity* [elected]
John Howard – North Carolina [elected]
Jonathan Lee - Upper Midwest* (chair) [elected]
Michael Morrissey, Jr. – Mid-South [elected]
Washington Emmanuel Mtende – Malawi
Wilton Odongo – Kenya [elected]
Keihwan Kevin Ryoo – Korean-American*
Alban Amour Gonda Yagozo – Central African Republic* [elected]
Laity
Kirsten Mains – Great Lakes [elected]
James Massaquoi – Grain Coast [elected]
Brayan George Mwakalinga - Tanzania [elected]
Pauline Ntombura – Afrika Makarishi [elected]
Lori Smith – Mississippi-West Tennessee* [elected]
Frankie Watson – Trinity
Mickey Wheeler – Mid-Texas* [elected]
DISCIPLESHIP, DOCTRINE, AND JUST MINISTRY
Elect 10, - 5 clergy and 5 laity (*current members)
Additional 5 members can be added by the Connectional Council for expertise and balance. At least half laity.
Clergy
Kenneth Collins – Mid-South* [elected]
David De Silva – Florida
Michael Dillon – Great Lakes
Cali Eck – Heartland
Drew Holland – Mississippi-West Tennessee
Jack Jackson – Florida
Theddius J. Kim - Korean-American
Martin Longanga – Democratic Republic of Congo [elected]
John Wayne McMann – Trinity
Suzanne Nicholson – Mid-South* [elected]
Dennis Obadiah – Southern Nigeria [elected]
Virgilio Olonan – Covenant Philippines [elected]
Shea Reyenga – Mid-Texas
David Ryu (Sung-Soo) – Korean-American
Travis Stevick – Upper Midwest
Vladimir Zhelezov – Bulgaria
Laity
Pau Ayi-Bonte – Eastern Russia-Central Asia [elected]
Gregg Benefiel – Mid-South
Jill Davis – Great Lakes
Nikki Dillard – West Plains
Kathleen Engleman – Great Lakes
Jonathan S. Jeon – Korean-American
Elena Melnikova – Central Russia [elected]
Krista Pettit – Northeast [elected]
Kathy Rohrs – Allegheny West (chair)* [elected]
Nolizwi Stofela – South Africa
[elected]
ECUMENICAL RELATIONS
Elect 4 clergy and 4 laity, a bishop chairs the commission (*current members)
No additional members to be added
Clergy
Dissashi Omba Djamba – Democratic Republic of Congo
Rick LaDue – Northeast
Samson Muzengeza – Zimbabwe [elected]
Debo Onabanjo – Allegheny West [elected]
Sakiusa Vakadewatabua, Jr. – Heartland* [elected]
Vatroslav Zupancic – Central Europe* [elected]
Laity
Heather Carter-Young – North Carolina
Bridget Douglas – Great Lakes [elected]
Linda Ishee – Mississippi-West Tennessee
Kankolongo Johnson – Democratic Republic of Congo [elected]
Colleen Leath – Great Lakes
Debbie Smalley – Alabama Emerald Coast* [elected]
Kiho D. Sohn – Korean-American
Elena Sokolova – Northwest Russia-Belarus [elected]
Sid Strebek – West Plains
FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION, PENSION, AND BENEFITS
Elect 10 members, 6 clergy and 4 laity (*current members)
Additional 5 members can be added by the Connectional Council for expertise and balance. At least one-half laity.
Clergy
Harrison Bell – Alabama Emerald Coast* (chair) [elected]
Richard Monga Kamuyombo – Democratic Republic of Congo
Sung-Soo Kim – Korean-American
Vivian Kinnear – Trinity* [elected]
Michael Lindsay – Mississippi-West Tennessee
Dan Lyons – North Carolina
James Noble – Mid-Texas* [elected]
Matthew Seel – Mid-South* [elected]
Elizabeth Young – Heartland
Laity
Sherry Austin – Great Lakes* [elected]
Olandor Boyce – Grain Coast* [elected]
Lyndsey Clark – North Carolina [elected]
Renea Clevenger – Great Lakes
Richard Croll – Heartland*
Dave Elyea – Florida
Tom Finley – Great Lakes
Sam Gregory – West Plains* [elected]
Gisele Kabezya Nyota – Democratic Republic of Congo
Joy Perry – Allegheny West* [elected]
Luvo Thwethwa – South Africa* [elected]
Kevin Vaughn – Florida
GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMISSION
Elect 16 members, at least one-half laity (*current member)
Voting for 6 clergy and 10 laity
Additional 8 members can be added by the Connectional Council for expertise and balance
Clergy
Yon Taek Bae – Korean-American
Beth Ann Cook – Great Lakes*
Mbingeleli Diko – South Africa* [elected]
Mike Grant – Allegheny West* [elected]
Joy Griffin – North Georgia* [elected]
Ben Huebner – Mid-Texas [elected]
Ilyoung William Kim – Korean-American
Charles Puno – Mega Manila* [elected]
David Ryu (Sung-Soo) – Korean-American
Nicolas Munongo Sukisa – Democratic Republic of Congo* [elected]
Laity
[all elected]
Elizabeth Fink – Trinity
Dana Gilliam – North Alabama
Ephraim Ibrahim Jen – Southern Nigeria
Inna Kim – Central Russia
Bridget Kirk – Heartland (chair)*
Muriel Nelson – Grain Coast
Walter Oduke – Kenya
Giftson Rajan – India
Stacy Taylor – Northeast*
Mandy White – West Plains
GLOBAL EPISCOPACY COMMITTEE
Elect 6 laity and 6 clergy by a 60 percent vote, (*current members)
Officers elected by the committee, no additional members to be added
Clergy
Jason Burnham – Trinity* [elected]
Ilyoung William Kim – Korean-American
Theddius J. Kim – Korean-American
Robin Parr - North Georgia
[elected]
Chris Ritter - Great Lakes*
[elected]
Joanne Turmalip Valenzuela - Mega Manila*
[elected]
Aaron Opa Yankee - Grain Coast*
[elected]
Sarah Wanck – Great Lakes*
Kira Yufereva - Central Russia [elected]
Laity
Don Bourland - Mississippi West Tennessee* [elected]
Alan Campbell – Upper Midwest
Patrick Chibhagidhi - Zimbabwe [elected]
Brad Folsom - South Georgia [elected]
Tyson Heins – Heartland* [elected]
Sergei Kim – Central Russia
Sarah Maher - Allegheny West* [elected]
Nhoris Mbayo Ngoyi – Democratic Republic of Congo
Ievgenii Semashko – Bulgaria [elected]
Kiho D. Sohn – Korean-American
KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT (EVANGELISM, CHURCH MULTIPLICATION, MISSIONAL MOBILIZATION, AND DISASTER RESPONSES)
Elect 6 laity and 5 clergy (*current members)
Additional 6 members can be added by the Connectional Council for expertise and balance.
Clergy
Failuma Afeaki – Western States [elected]
Wes Griffin – North Georgia* [elected]
Joshua Johnson – Heartland
Patrick Magaqa – South Africa [elected]
Kabah Mwenze – Democratic Republic of Congo*
Phil Rogers – Upper Midwest
Laura Saffell – Allegheny West [elected]
Sherri Tabaka-Morrissey – Mid-South*
Tim Turner – Trinity
Martin Kasongo Wakubatwa – Democratic Republic of Congo [elected]
Greg West – Virginia*
Laity
Diana Briselli* – Northeast (chair) [elected]
Bill Brown – Heartland [elected]
Daniel Buck – Great Lakes
David Doty – Great Lakes
Jim Flury – Florida
Jeff Jernigan – North Georgia*
Robby Kalitongi – Zambia [elected]
Yoonhee Kang* – Korean-American
Elena Lyovushkina – Southern Russia [elected]
Mariela Mihaylova-Siderova – Bulgaria* [elected]
Angelo Perez – Covenant Philippines [elected]
MINISTRY AND HIGHER EDUCATION
Elect 5 clergy and 5 laity (*current members)
Additional 5 members can be added by the Connectional Council for expertise and balance
Clergy
Dalma Cribb – North Carolina
Brad Dush – Heartland
Daniel Gildner – Allegheny West* [elected]
Kora Mujinga – Democratic Republic of Congo [elected]
Sungwon Nam – Korean-American
Sergei Nikolaev – Central Russia
Burt Palmer – Trinity
Lauren Porter – Mississippi-West Tennessee
Thadius Sales – Northeast [elected]
Travis Stevick – Upper Midwest
Margarita Todorova – Bulgaria*
Leslie Tomlinson – Mid-Texas (chair)* [elected]
Jaimie Willis – Heartland
Christopher Wise – Great Lakes
Brian Ebel
–
MidSouth*
[elected]
Laity
Diana Cabauatan – Covenant Philippines* [elected]
Jane Finley – North Georgia* [elected]
Audra Gaines – Mississippi-West Tennessee
Ellen Harbin – Great Lakes
Jonathan S. Jeon – Korean-American
Leesa Judd – South Carolina [elected]
Kelvin Kofi – Eastern Russia-Central Asia [elected]
Daniella Ngoy Masangu – Democratic Republic of Congo
Nicodeme Katokolo Ndomba – Democratic Republic of Congo
Catherine Sullivan – Trinity
[elected]