Languages   |   Education   |   Training   |   Ministry History   |   Questions

 

LANGUAGES

English

EDUCATION

School

Degree

End (mm/yy)

 

Asbury Theological Seminary

Doctor of Ministry (church planting cohort)

05/18

 

Asbury Theological Seminary

Master of Divinity

05/98

 

TRAINING

Course

End (mm/yy)

 

Church Planting Cohort - Asbury Doctoral Program

05/18

 

Conflict Resolution

1998

 

team-building

2009

 

Church planting training

2003-2018

 

Mission Partnerships

2015

 

CERTIFICATIONS

Certification

End (mm/yy)

 

No certifications other than educational degrees

05/18

 

MINISTRY HISTORY

Church/Organization

Position

Begin (mm/yy)

 

Global Methodist Church

Interim Bishop

11/24

 

Mosaic Church Evans

Founding and Lead Pastor

06/03

 

Athens First UMC

Associate pastor / new congregation

06/1998

 

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS

Having graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary, I was first appointed to Athens First UMC in Athens, Georgia, where I planted and led a weekly contemporary worship service in a renovated historic theater. Attendance, which included many college students from UGA, grew to 150. During that time, I developed a lay-led team to steward a full ministry for and with international students.

In 2003, I moved to Evans, Georgia to plant a UM church as a 'parachute drop.” During my 21-year tenure at Mosaic Church, I developed a staff team of multiple full-time and part-time employees; oversaw purchase and design of a 20,000 square-foot worship and ministry center; led the church to develop a separate non-profit to serve folks with disabilities; led this church through three successful capital campaigns to purchase and develop our property; and saw the congregation through a successful transition to a second-generation pastor. Two years post-transition, the church is thriving and healthy (and bigger than when I was there!).

I now work with a team of bishops to teach, preach, and guard the faith in the GMC. Together, we form policies and practices, develop teaching materials (video and written), and provide spiritual leadership for this growing denomination. I serve as the primary bishop for six episcopal areas around the world (I spent 205 days on the road in 2025!). I had the privilege of helping form the India (South Asia) Annual Conference. I have spear-headed multiple writing projects for the Assembly (video scripts, pastoral letters and theological white papers). I serve the Assembly as the liaison for the denominational prayer team and as the Chair of the Ecumenical Relationships Commission, and am currently working with the team developing a $5 million grant proposal to encourage church-planting in the U.S.

QUESTIONS

 

1. Gospel: What is the gospel?

The gospel is the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ which fulfills Israel's story, establishes Jesus as Lord, and anticipates his second coming and the welcome and advance of God’s Kingdom.   At the center of that story is the call of Jesus for all people in all times to repent in preparation for and as a sign of the in-breaking Kingdom. Our response to that story is not only to accept its truth and repent of rebellion from God, but to allow the Lord of Life to fill us with his Holy Spirit and sanctify us wholly, so there is nothing left but the life of Jesus living itself out in us and the love of Jesus pouring out from us. This is the goal of the gospel message, as we participate in the redemption of all of creation from the curse of the fall.

 

2. Trinity: How would you articulate the doctrine of the Trinity and why it matters?

Our Trinitarian God is beautifully expressed from the first verses of the Bible, where Father, Son and Holy Spirit were present in complete unity as the world began — creating, speaking, hovering … being. This opening word demonstrates the deep, loving community life that exists within the Trinity, reflecting both unity and diversity. Because God is complete and exists as three persons in one being, we strive in faith toward wholeness both within ourselves and with the world around us. We find our true home in community where we worship the Triune God together. We value our global connection, bearing one another’s burdens and holding one another accountable for growing in grace. We promote small groups, recovery groups, mission and ministry teams because we believe healing, mission, spiritual formation and leadership development best happen in the context of community, after the example of God who is the original Community.

 

3. Jesus: In what sense did Jesus die for our sins, and how does it impact your understanding of the Church’s mission?

The cross of Jesus Christ is our assurance that God takes sin seriously. Sin carries consequences, and God’s pure holiness demands a response. Because of his great love for us, our Messiah willingly became the sinless, atoning sacrifice called for in the first Covenant — one final sacrifice for all time. Hebrews 10:9-10 reveals, “He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Every person is now invited from death into life and from darkness into light. Because of his victory over the darkness, grace (not sin) now defines our relationship with God. The Church is the carrier of this hope. Our mission is to share the good news that Jesus is Lord over sin and death until every knee bows and every tongue confesses this truth.

 

4. Holy Spirit: How does the ministry of the Holy Spirit relate to your understanding of the Church?

The supernatural power of the Holy Spirit is the essential characteristic that distinguishes the church from every other institution on earth and transforms the world’s Christians into the very body of Christ on earth. Paul instructs us to “…be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) so we might produce fruit. The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to equip every believer to edify his Body (the Church) and proclaim the Gospel. We believe that all the spiritual gifts are fully operative today and we value Spirit-filled leaders who preach the infilling of the Holy Spirit and engage in Spirit-led ministry — especially the ministries of healing, deliverance, and the reconciliation of souls to Christ. We value the power of prayer and deepening personal encounters with God.   The Church’s dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit creates a culture of celebration, unity, and expectant faith that is warm-hearted and mission-focused.

 

5. Sanctification: Do you affirm the doctrine of entire sanctification, and how would you explain it to someone who has not encountered it before?

I enthusiastically affirm the doctrine of entire sanctification. Working from the biblical call to be holy because God is (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16) and to be perfect because God is perfect (Matthew 5:48), John Wesley developed a way of thinking about our spiritual growth as an optimistic trajectory that has the potential to fully restore the image of God within us. Given this possibility, we have permission to seek that kind of Christian perfection that purifies our motives, perfects our capacity to love without agenda, and allows us to be made whole and holy in this life. In other words, our salvation is far more than “fire insurance.” It is a spiritual journey toward the character of a loving, pure, gentle Creator who defines by his very presence what holiness is. This is the essence of the good life, and every believer is called to pursue it.

 

6. Holiness: How do you understand holiness as it relates to human flourishing?

From our earliest history, God’s people have mishandled the gift of holiness, carefully carving it into hundreds (or countless) rules to memorize and master, rather than a character and a wholeness to pursue. Without love, the active ingredient in God’s art of holiness, all the right behavior in the world won’t get you there. God is love, so to be holy as God is holy is to love as God loves. Holiness is   the very character of a loving, creative, joyful, joy-giving God who has told us we can become loving, creative, joyful and joy-giving by sheer proximity to him. If holiness is the character of God, then surely it is also the prevailing quality at work in the good life, a life we are invited to enjoy as God has designed it. It is not an engineered life that keeps us from sinning, but the art of living abundantly.

 

7. Sacraments: What is your understanding of the Sacraments and their role in the life of the Church?

Sacraments are an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, conveying the mystery of the faith. Jesus taught us to baptize people in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-19), and to remember his sacrifice on the cross (Luke 22:14-19). Both sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion remind us of the sacrifice of Christ — that he has died, was resurrected, and will come again — and convey the love, mercy, and redemptive grace of God into our lives. When we receive these gifts, we participate in a spiritual act that expresses deep truths and an ongoing grace communicated through both the elements and the Holy Spirit. The role of the Church is to guard the integrity of these sacred acts and to offer them wholeheartedly to all who are properly prepared, in love with Jesus, and at peace with their neighbor.

 

8. Scripture: What is your understanding of scripture’s inspiration, authority, truthfulness, and sufficiency?

The Bible is the inspired word of God and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. It is without error in everything it asserts and contains everything necessary for salvation. Defined by the sixty-six books of the Protestant canon, the Bible teaches us how to live a holy life, love each other well, and offer faithful pastoral leadership. It conveys in its pages the story of God but more than that, it is Living Word, with the capacity to hold a conversation with its reader. It holds such power that of it Wesley would say, “O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God!” The Bible carries messages of hope for everlasting life and expectation of obedience. The more fully believers absorb and embody the teachings of the Old and New Testaments, the more transformed we are by Jesus, the Word Made Flesh.

 

9. Human Sexuality: What is your understanding of human sexuality expressed in terms of human flourishing?

Human life is sacred and is designed to flourish within the context of faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness, in relationships that develop healthy families and just, loving communities. In Genesis, we learn that our sexuality is expressed as a covenant union — both physical and emotional — between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). We are shown a beautiful image of mutual servanthood: the woman comes out of the man to give him companionship as the man comes out of his home to give her companionship. There is a deep sense of interrelatedness and a clear sense from the creation story of God’s intentions for men and women to populate the earth and be present to one other for companionship. Though we are prone to defy that design, we have been called to exercise self-control in the face of temptation and practice holiness in all of life.

 

10. Human Beings: How does the biblical vision of human beings made in the image of God form your attitude toward the dignity of human life at every stage from conception to death?

All people matter, because all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and have been given his breath of life (Genesis 2:7). We bear the spiritual likeness of our Father and are conscious only because of his breath. We trust, then, that all human life — from dust to dust — is under God’s care and control. Though life was marred at the fall (Genesis 3), Jesus came to restore it and offer life abundantly (John 10:10). In Moses’ final words to the Israelites he advised them, “Choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). From beginning to end, the scripture passionately extols the treasure of life. For that reason, we oppose abortion and physician-assisted suicide, and instead lean on the grace of God to carry us through the valleys so we might feast at God’s table of redemption.

 

11. Wesleyan/Methodist Contribution: What is the Wesleyan/Methodist contribution to the Church universal?

Methodists were at the center of both Great Awakenings, and their circuit riders and camp meetings transformed early American culture. John Wesley’s letter to William Wilberforce is widely understood to have influenced that legislator’s push to end of slavery in England. Methodism has been in the middle of outpourings of the Holy Spirit, reformation of social systems,   and evangelization across cultures and across the world. Beyond social and societal reforms, Methodism carries the unique responsibility of preaching the doctrine of entire sanctification. Wesley himself wrote, “This doctrine is the grand depositum which God has lodged   with the people called Methodists; and for the sake of propagating this chiefly He appeared to have raised us up” (Letter to Robert Carr Brackenbury, September 15, 1790). This theological distinctive, which quietly calls people to whole and holy living, may well be the reason God has continued to renew the people called Methodist.

 

12. Global Methodist Church: What is your vision for the GMC?

I want to continue developing our vision for returning to a historic episcopacy — one focused more on spiritual and servant leadership and less on administration, with an emphasis on teaching and prophetic ministry. I also want to continue living into our vision for a Spirit-filled Methodism. I believe we can occupy our space in the Body of Christ most effectively if we will focus on what it means to be entirely sanctified and to carry the Holy Spirit into our ministries in a holistic way. I embrace our vision for developing a strong culture of churches that plant churches and disciples who make disciples. We also need to teach Global Methodists what it means to be Methodist. Many who came to us from the UMC or from independent networks have no idea what it means to be committed to spreading scriptural holiness. Let’s restore the heart of Methodism!

 

13. Evangelism: What is evangelism and how have you practiced it effectively in your ministry?

Evangelism is the intentional sharing of the good news about Jesus, God’s Messiah, so individuals can be invited to respond in faith to the gospel truth and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. The responsibility of the evangelist is obedience; fruitfulness is defined not by how many people are invited into a church but by how many are sent out. I was given the opportunity to help plant two congregations largely populated by those with little or no experience of church. This gave me the opportunity to develop basic discipleship systems, teach people about spiritual gifts, and send them out in the spirit of Luke 10 to share what they received. At Mosaic, we formed a non-profit designed to serve children with developmental disabilities and disabled adults living in low- and no-income housing. In both settings, the gospel is shared. In my speaking ministry, I invite believers into Spirit-filled Methodism.

 

14. Discipleship: What is a disciple, and how have you effectively made disciples in your ministry?

Jesus defined a disciple as one who has been baptized into the faith (having a commitment to follow Jesus), is on a path of learning the gospel and what it means to live a holy life, and is seeking to obey the call of God (Matthew 28:19-20). By that definition I have baptized hundreds into the family of God, developed discipleship systems in both congregations we served, and focused our outreach ministries on teaching the gospel while offering healing and deliverance ministries. As a bishop, I’ve become especially aware of the discipleship gap in places where evangelism has been practiced. To compensate, we have raised resources to provide a Bible to every Global Methodist in Uganda (including study Bibles for pastors). I developed a School of Global Methodism — a five-day “boot camp” to teach the Articles of Faith along with other facets of basic Christianity.

 

15. Local Engagement: How have you led congregations to engage their local contexts with the gospel?

While pastoring Mosaic Church, God gave me a vision for helping our church create a local non-profit with the specific mission of serving those with disabilities in our community. When I cast this vision to our members, it resonated, so in 2019 The Mosaic Center was incorporated as a 501(c)3. Today, we host a full-time therapy program for children with developmental delays, a twice-per-month gathering for young adults on the spectrum, and a multi-faceted ministry for adults with disabilities living in low- and no-income housing. As a bishop, I encourage conference leaders to make this paradigm shift so that conference leaders create vision, train and equip, while local churches carry out vital ministries. As chair of the Ecumenical Relationships Commission, I have led our team in developing a resource to train and encourage churches to work together missionally with other churches in their local communities.

 

16. Unreached People Groups: How do you understand the mission of the GMC in relation to unreached and unengaged people groups?

The GMC mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe. We are not geographically bound and in fact our mission will not be fulfilled until we have reached every tribe, nation and race in the world. Staying focused on mission frontiers is how we will remain a movement and continue to be distinguished as a truly global church. Our system is uniquely designed to allow those we engage to become full investors in our movement (rather than targets of our ministry). The world truly is our parish. Nepal is a great example. While not in any way connected to our former denomination, Christian leaders in that country chose to align with us and now serve as GMC pastors better equipped to serve effectively where non-conversion laws make evangelism a challenge particularly for outsiders.

 

17. Global Missions: What is the local church’s role in global missions? How will you equip local churches for that role?

From raising up cross-cultural workers to praying for unreached people groups and mission efforts to partnering with believers in other cultures, the local church carries the full weight of responsibility for carrying out the Great Commission. GMC mission partnerships offer a great opportunity for local churches to connect for the sake of mission. For instance, we invited children in North Carolina to collect Bibles during VBS for Ugandan Methodists — most of whom didn’t have Bibles of their own. Through that project, enough resources were collected to provide a Bible to every Global Methodist in Uganda. Meanwhile, Ugandan churches are ministering in refugee camps on the border of South Sudan. The moral is that every person and every church can do something. And because the local church is the basic unit of the GMC, the responsibility is theirs. A bishop’s part is to cast vision, educate, and resource.

 

18. Christian Unity: What is your understanding of Christian unity? How will you lead the Church toward greater unity in Christ and the Spirit both within the GMC and in relation to other ecclesial bodies?

Jesus prayed that all believers would be one as he and the Father are one “so that they may be brought to complete unity” (John 17:20-23). This has been the guiding vision of the Ecumenical Relationships Commission which I have chaired since 2024. Our commission has focused on educating and encouraging local churches to seek Kingdom-building relationships with other churches and ministries in their communities. There, relationships are built and bridges are formed through shared ministry. We have also worked to inform groups and commissions within the GMC of best practices as we discover them in conversation with others. We have joined three ecumenical groups and have worked with Open Doors to ensure the persecuted church is not forgotten. With a posture of generous hospitality, humble learning, and ongoing conversation, we continue to look for opportunities to resource leaders as we learn from the larger Body of Christ.

 

19. Bishop's Work: What is your understanding of the work of a bishop?

The office of bishop in the GMC is meant to be an apostolic office, an exercise in true spiritual leadership. Those set apart to serve as bishops for the Church serve as the   custodians and defenders of orthodoxy — guarding, transmitting, and teaching “the apostolic faith as it is expressed in scripture and tradition, and understood from a Wesleyan perspective” (BoDD, par. 503). Bishops are overseers of the whole, maintaining a global perspective and representing the entire GMC, ensuring theological integrity across our connection. Bishops are the conveners of General and Annual Conferences and ordainers of elders and deacons. They set appointments and assign and coach conference superintendents. They facilitate mission partnerships and participate in the work of commissions. They itinerate widely and cast vision, always thinking globally and biblically about our movement as it spreads. They empower annual conferences for mission.

 

20. Your Qualifications: What qualifies you for the office of bishop?

I currently serve as a Bishop in the GMC. I have found delight in this role but I am under no illusions. I did not serve in denominational leadership prior to taking on the role of Bishop. Other than participating in the leadership of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, I have no history of leading at this level. When I look at the list of those currently nominated, I note women and men of great stature and capacity and pray only that a solid Assembly is chosen to lead us into the future. Should I be part of that team, I will bring the experience of the last two years, a history of contending for the faith, a genuine passion for the global Body of Christ, and a familiarity with both the current structure of the GMC and the culture of grace and truth we want to create.

 

21. Assembly of Bishops: What do you see as the role of the Assembly of Bishops?

From the beginning, we on the WCA board dreamed of a different kind of episcopacy — one rooted in the gifts of those who serve and expressed as distinctly spiritual leadership. It has been gratifying to hear in recent meetings with the Connectional Council that not only has this vision taken root but it is now being actively supported. The Assembly of Bishops should be and are the spiritual leaders of the denomination, leading pastorally and prophetically, as “overseers of the whole.” Think of the Assembly as guardians of the faith, evangelists, global thinkers, and spiritual leaders of the denomination who work to assure accountability and continuity of mission across the globe. As our guidebook says, our work is to oversee both spiritual and temporal affairs of the denomination, but with a clear understanding that the day to day management of an Annual Conference belongs to the Conference Superintendent.

 

22. Fellow Bishops: How do you envision working together with fellow bishops?

Our Assembly made a written covenant with each other when we began our work in 2024. That covenant has held us well, so I would recommend it to the next Assembly. We held one another accountable for personal spiritual disciplines and church attendance, agreed to spend significant time praying together weekly (both for annual conferences and one another), cared for each other’s souls, worked on teaching projects together, and shared resources as we discovered them. We developed a number of teaching videos and documents. We promised to maintain an atmosphere of transparency, boldness, and healthy communication. I would hope that all these practices might be continued in the season ahead. Mark Webb often voiced his desire that we operate as a unified leadership team, rather than an individualistic team of leaders. That aspiration was adopted by our Assembly, and I hope we have realized it.

 

23. Conference Superintendents: How do you envision working together with and supervising conference superintendents?

A healthy and productive partnership between the Conference Superintendent and Bishop depends on a recognition of spiritual gifts and job description. Both are spiritual leaders within the Conference, and both have temporal or administrative responsibilities. The Bishop, however, leans more on apostolic, prophetic and teaching gifts. The Bishop’s role is to keep an eye toward the denomination as a whole with a primary call of teaching, preaching and guarding the faith. In the annual conference, they support, coach and equip conference superintendents, fix appointments, convene annual conferences and ordain clergy. The Conference Superintendent leans more on administrative gifts, focusing on the day to day management of the conference, building a strong leadership team and cabinet, and casting vision for the growth of the conference. The Bishop and CS work closely together as a team to resource the conference for ministry and guide it into the river of the Holy Spirit.

 

24. Handling Concerns: If laity or clergy bring concerns directly to you bypassing their presiding elders and/or conference superintendent, would you include the applicable conference superintendent and/or presiding elder in the conversation? If so, how would you empower your conference superintendents and/or presiding elders in the discussion?

I recommend the following protocol for conferences I serve:

1. A layperson should always begin with their pastor if they have a concern. A pastor should always begin with their presiding elder. A presiding elder should bring concerns to the Cabinet.

2. If the issue is not resolved with the above conversations, email the Conference Superintendent and copy the PE and/or pastor.

3. If the concern includes a conference committee, talk with the appropriate committee chair.

4. When emailing the bishop with concerns, always copy the CS so the Bishop is aware that they have already been consulted.

5. Any continuing discussion between a layperson or pastor and the bishop should always include the Conference Superintendent (and PE if applicable).

As bishops, we should not overstep someone else’s authority, nor should we spend our time on issues that can be resolved locally where conference leaders are equipped to lead.

 

25. Laity Leadership: How do you envision incorporating laity into the leadership of the church and into your leadership team?

I work weekly with a team of lay and clergy persons to develop prayer requests used by the Assembly of Bishops to pray through all our annual conferences. I also work with laypersons who have a gift for writing to develop companion curricular material for the teaching videos produced by the Assembly. We should make it a priority to develop a team of lay persons who can support the work of the Assembly in this way so we can place more teaching materials in the hands of conference leaders. Our laity are a “priesthood of believers.” Many are serving in missional settings around the world and could be tapped for their expertise and experience. There are also lay persons with significant means and willingness to support global mission efforts, and the Assembly should explore how we might participate in vision casting and fund development among these persons in our conferences.

 

26. GMC Challenges: What do you see as the top three challenges facing the GMC today? How would you address them?

As the old saying goes, culture eats strategy for lunch. Our biggest challenge in these early years is to develop a culture that is focused more on sanctification than legislation, maintains the vigor of a movement, seeks the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and equally emphasizes grace and truth. For a group emerging from a highly politicized system, making this shift at the heart level should be our priority. We would also be well served by going at the pace of the Holy Spirit and refusing the sin of pride by growing only for the sake of growth. We have the difficult task of raising up a global team of leaders who can work together productively and carry a unified vision and ethos, without developing any stain of corruption. To remain global, we also cannot allow any one nation’s politics to lead the global church.

 

27. Devotional Life: How would you characterize your devotional life?

It has been a challenge to move from a life largely rooted at home and in one congregation to a life mostly on the road with an arrhythmic schedule. To ground myself, I have developed some prayer practices that help trigger daily depth and focus (for instance, praying on my knees, using prayer beads for intercession, using specific prayers as guides, like the Wesley covenant prayer and Lord’s prayer). I read several chapters from the Bible daily and journal anything I’m hearing. My goal is to read through the Bible annually (though it usually takes about thirteen months). I meet weekly with an accountability partner (travel prevents me from meeting with a larger group, other than the Assembly), pray daily with my husband, and am as active in my home church as travel allows. I hunger to be filled more and more with the Spirit of God.

 

28. Theological Resources: What are the top five authors or theological resources to which you turn for research and learning and why?

I am going to cheat and give you five areas of focus and who within those areas I usually turn to:

For biblical interpretation and history, I often look to N.T. Wright, Ben Witherington, Craig Keener and Sandy Richter. When exploring the intersection of textual criticism, Kingdom and culture, I look to Scot McKnight and Carmen Imes. For Methodist-Wesleyan history and theology, I read David Watson, Kenneth Collins and Kevin Watson. For all things supernatural (Spirit-filled ministry, deliverance, healing, and prayer), I read Pete Bellini, David Chotka, Maxie Dunnam, and Steve Seamands. For denominational distinctives, I read John Wesley to stay close to my roots and John Piper to see what Calvinists think.

All of these (even Piper) are men and women of deep faith, whose scholarship I respect. All of them (except Piper) have positively influenced my own faith and made me a better preacher, pastor and Christian.

 

29. Failures: Describe one time you failed; what did you learn from that failure?

Last year, one of the conferences I served began to walk through a complicated issue. By the “book,” it was not something I should have been involved with as their bishop. It was clearly an internal issue. However, having been invited into conversations around this issue, I found myself overstepping my boundaries, and in the process offered a perspective not widely supported by other leaders. I would say even today it was a valid perspective, but the group was not ready for it given the emotionally charged atmosphere. Having realized my mistake in misreading the room, I stepped back and allowed conference leaders to pursue other solutions. I learned from that situation that asking better questions and listening more than opinionating would have produced a better result and increased trust rather than damaging it. Processing the situation later, we all agree we learned a lot and are at peace.

 

30. Leadership Style: How would you describe your leadership style?

My preferred style is more collaborative. I most enjoy being in a room of strong, creative minds eager to collectively discuss and develop ideas into actionable plans. I love to see a vision emerge through prayer and conversation. In that setting, there is an active interplay between people and production, with room for the Holy Spirit to lead. That kind of team depends on a high level of trust and accountability with an assumption of shared responsibility (in other words, adults acting like adults). I note that in my current role as a bishop, this is among the greater challenges — helping annual conference teams move beyond the “bishop as king” mentality to one where we are working together as servant leaders creating a vision under the power of the Holy Spirit that keeps our movement heading in the direction of the Kingdom of God.

 

31. Decision Making: Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision as a leader and how you made that decision.

The most difficult decision of my ministry was the decision to participate with others in our annual conference in the creation of a lawsuit against the UMC. I was among four or five key leaders who would lead hundreds of churches into a legal battle. To get there, I made literally dozens of calls to UMC leaders hoping to find another solution. When those efforts were frustrated, I spearheaded a conference-wide prayer effort where more than 1000 people gathered to pray and seek God’s will. Once we made the decision to file, we did so with the wisdom of many advisors behind us and many prayers going before us. Communication was the key to keeping more than 200 churches informed and moving in the same direction and I took responsibility for organizing our communication efforts. Our leaders remained unified and watched God do what only God could do.

 

32. Confrontation: Give an example of a time when you had to confront an employee or colleague over behavior or beliefs contrary to those agreed upon and how you handled it.

Recently, I have been communicating with someone new to the Global Methodist Church who is used to operating more institutionally and politically rather than organically and relationally. There are significant cultural differences and the level of trust seems low. Engaging in these conversations, I recognize my need to acknowledge my own insecurities and lack of experience in cross-cultural dialogue. For guidance, I am leaning into prayer, listening for the voice of the Spirit, journaling options, and keeping the dialogue going with all involved. I prepare for conversations with two goals in mind — listening to learn, and developing options for moving forward. Through this experience, I am learning patience; trust-building; listening as a means of grace; the importance of clear communication; the value of affirmation, humility and boundary-setting; and taking a solutions-based approach to disagreement. By taking the approach of a learner, the situation is being disarmed and solutions found.

 

33. Teaching: What experience do you have in a teaching role? How has your teaching style evolved during your ministry?

I spent two decades teaching the principles of the twelve steps to small groups and have published four Bible studies for small group use. Since joining the Assembly, I have spearheaded several video teaching projects (coordinating the writing of manuscripts). For the conferences I serve, I created a School of Global Methodism — a five day experience for one hundred lay and clergy persons, designed to inspire those entering the Global Methodist Church to fully embrace the unique beliefs, systems, history and culture of the GMC (conducted once in Uganda, with a second session scheduled for the Philippines). I have also created “pop-up” zoom classes for clergy and laity, teaching preaching, supernatural ministry, evangelism, and discipleship. Through all of these projects, I have evolved from being a reluctant teacher to an enthusiastic one, valuing the role of conversation and learning to ask better questions in the spirit of Wesleyan discipleship.