Welcome to Season Two of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today's episode is with Rev. Dr. Jean Hauxhurst. Jean is an ordained elder in the Kentucky Annual Conference and currently serves as an ecumenical staff officer for the United Methodist Council of Bishops. Jean is passionate about Christian unity and believes that ecumenical relationships are core to what it means to be a follower of Jesus and a United Methodist. In thi...
Feb 09, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Welcome to Season Two of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today's episode is with Rev. Jeff Campbell. Jeff is the General Secretary and CEO of Discipleship Ministries, an agency of the UMC. He is an ordained elder from the NJ Annual Conference. Jeff has seen and heard a lot, and yet he remains steady, focused and open to what might be next for his work and our worldwide connection. In this interview, we talk about his journey ...
Jan 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Welcome to Season Two of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today's episode is with Filipe Maia. Filipe is the Assistant Professor of Theology at Boston University School of Theology. Raised in the Methodist Church in Brazil, Filipe’s theological education brought him to the US. He has authored several publications including Trading Futures: A Theological Critique of Financialized Capitalism and the forthcoming book Methodism an...
Dec 16, 2023•59 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Welcome to Season Two of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today's episode comes to us from the UMCNEXT podcast which launched in November 2023. Co-hosted and curated by Katie Dawson and Derrick Scott III, this podcast is series of inspiring messages that point to the future of the UMC. We’re sharing the first episode which features a message from Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth. He gave this message we’ve called “143” at a Sunday m...
Dec 01, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Welcome to Season Two of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today's episode is with Christine Flick. Christine is the conference lay leader in the Germany South Annual Conference. She lives near Stuttgart, Germany and has served on various committees and boards at multiple levels of the denomination. Christine helps is understand the perspectives of United Methodists in Germany. She speaks with clarity about her desire for us to...
Nov 24, 2023•54 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Welcome to Season Two of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today's episode is with Rev. Caleb S. G. Dormah. Caleb is an ordained elder in the Liberia Annual Conference, where he serves as the conference director of ministry to at-risk youth. He also serves as the West Central Conference Regional Coordinator for the United Methodist Africa Forum. In this interview, Caleb shares about the ways his unique family structure has shap...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today’s episode is with Molly Vetter. Molly is an elder in the California-Pacific Annual Conference and serves as senior pastor of the Westwood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. In our conversation, we talk about her upbringing as the daughter of a UM pastor, her journey in exploring her call to ministry and her thoughts on how our denomination has been held captive...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today’s episode is with Mark Holland. Mark is a third generation United Methodist pastor and General Conference Clergy Delegate from the Great Plains Annual Conference. He is Executive Director of Mainstream UMC, a United Methodist advocacy group working for unity in the Body of Christ. Mark has a public voice within the UMC, but this interview reveals more of his persona...
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. This special LIVE episode is with Sarah Wilke. Sarah is a leader, mentor, missional strategist and champion of discipleship in The United Methodist Church. After years of serving in multiple roles across the UMC connection, she currently serves as Director of Global Relations for the Richard and Julia Wilke Institute of Discipleship. This interview occurred as a workshop ...
Oct 27, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Hi friends, Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference- a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today’s episode is with Rev. Dr. Aleze Fulbright. Dr. Fulbright is an ordained elder and currently serves as a Conference Superintendent in the Indiana Annual Conference. Aleze and I discuss her life as a single mother and accounting professional as well as how she found her place and calling under female leadership at a United Methodist congregation in Texas. ...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Hi friends, Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today’s episode is with Neal Christie. Neal is a United Methodist Elder, currently serving in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference. After many years at the General Board of Church and Society, Neal continues to work in many areas throughout the UMC connection including participating on the Christmas Covenant Team. He currently works with congregations on...
Oct 06, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. This episode is with Chris Wilterdink. Chris serves at Discipleship Ministries, a general agency of the UMC, as the Executive Director of Congregational Vitality and Intentional Discipleship, and Director of Young People Ministries. In this episode, Chris and I talk about his journey of growing up as a clergy kid, his experience as a youth minister in a local church, and ...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today’s episode is with Rev. Jasmine Smothers. Jasmine is an elder in the North Georgia Conference and lead pastor of Atlanta First UMC. In this interview, we talked about her story of growing as the daughter of clergy parents, the road to embracing her call to ministry, and her experience as a young female clergy of color. We also talked about her participation in the Co...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today’s episode is with Kelly Carpenter, who has served on staff with the North Texas Conference for 12 years and currently serves as Associate Director of the Center for Leadership Development. Kelly's work includes supporting campus ministries, mentoring laity and clergy, and serving on several conference boards. She is also a General Conference delegate. In this episod...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. Today’s episode is with Kah-Jin Jeffrey Khan. Jeffrey is an elder in the California-Nevada Annual Conference. He’s a first generation Chinese-Malaysian American who has served at multiple levels of the UMC. He’s currently the President-Emeritus and Professor of Hebrew Bible at Claremont School of Theology. In this episode, Jeffrey shares his story of coming to faith, call...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome to Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church. We’re beginning Season 2 with an extended interview. Dionne Hammond is an elder in the Florida Conference and currently serves as the District Superintendent of the Atlantic Central District. She and her husband Craig, who is also an elder, live in Melbourne, FL. In this episode, Dionne shares her journey of faith and calling into ministry as well as her experience leading as a Gener...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Welcome to Season 2 of Bar of the Conference - a podcast about the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church.
Sep 01, 2023•3 min
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. After 30 incredible episodes, BOTC team has taken a couple of weeks off. In this Season 1 Closer, Derrick shares how the podcast has shaped his thinking on the stories that are shaping the future of the UMC. Stay tuned as Season 2 will begin soon.
Aug 25, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Lisa Greenwood is an ordained elder in the North Texas Conference and currently serves as the President and CEO of Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners. Lisa is a visionary leader who is laser-focused on the mission of the Church. In this episode, we talk about her upbringing in Texas Methodism, her call to ministry and the road that has led her to serving in the foundation sector of the Church. We talk about her commitment to the UMC as well ...
Aug 06, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Today’s episode is with Rev. Dr. Cynthia Weems. After serving as a missionary to Bolivia, pastoring congregations across the US and as a district superintendent in the Florida Conference, she is now the Assistant to Bishop Tom Berlin for Congregational Mission. This role includes working with congregations that are disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church. In this conversation, Cynthia shares her journey of growing up in a family with deep Methodist ties ...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Today’s episode is with Rev. Dr. Candace Lewis. Dr. Lewis is the President-Dean of Gammon Theological Seminary. She’s an elder in the Florida Conference as well as a church planter, strategist, author, and leader in the UMC. In this episode, we talk about Dr. Lewis’s story of becoming a United Methodist Christian and her journey in ministry and leadership. This was an honest and truly hopeful conversation as Dr. Lewis articulates a vision for the future of the U...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Jason Micheli is an ordained elder in the Virginia Annual Conference, an author and one of the hosts of the podcast, Crackers and Grape Juice . In this episode, Jason shares his journey as a follower of Jesus, pastor and theologian. His love for the local church and transparency about the big conversations in the UMC are a gift to us. I am grateful for pastors like Jason. Take good notes and enjoy!...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. This is Part 2 of the conversation with Rev. Lloyd Nyarota, an ordained elder from Zimbabwe serving an ecumenical appointment in Western Canada. In this part of the conversation, we talk about how the institution of the UMC is experienced in Zimbabwe. We also discuss the conversations taking place among African United Methodists regarding the future of the denomination. Like in Part 1, Lloyd’s stories offer so much insight and wisdom, and we have much to learn f...
Jul 10, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. This episode is with Rev. Lloyd Nyarota, an ordained elder from Zimbabwe, who currently serves an ecumenical appointment just north of Alberta in Western Canada. Lloyd has so much to share: insights, wisdom, experience and stories. This interview contained so many important and interesting points that editing them down would not do them justice. So we are releasing it in two parts. In Part 1, Lloyd shares about his journey of faith and entrance into United Metho...
Jul 07, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Rev. Ande Emmanuel is an Ordained Elder in the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference where he serves as a local church pastor and Conference Secretary. He’s also engaged in work to unify the African voice for the sake of the UMC’s continued witness. Ande loves the UMC and believes that the African portion of our denomination will play a critical role as we look towards the future. This episode is a little shorter as we had issues with the connection and sound quali...
Jun 30, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Lonnie is a lay person in the Alaska Missionary Conference in the Western Jurisdiction. Has been involved in The United Methodist Church (and the Methodist Church prior to 1968) all of his life, and he brings a wealth of experience and perspective to the conversation we’re cultivating. He has served at every level of the church and has been deeply engaged over the years in efforts to reform our structure. It’s clear that Lonnie cares for the UMC, and he has a wa...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Effie McAvoy is an elder in the New England Annual Conference. She and her wife Tara have one son and two cats. As a black queer woman in ministry with a family, Effie’s story needs to be told. It is clear that God’s hands are on Effie’s life, even as she has persevered through struggles related to family and church life. Her soulful leadership and perspective are gifts to the UMC. You will be encouraged by this episode. CONTENT WARNING: This interview includes ...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Ben Gosden is an elder in the South Georgia Conference. In this episode, we talk about Ben’s journey of growing up in the UMC, being an affirming pastor in a mostly traditionalists context and the ways that living in the tension has shaped his ministry. Ben’s theology, journey of recovery and gracious posture are instructive for many who intend to remain in the UMC. We cover a lot of practical and theological ground in this interview. Enjoy!
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Today’s episode is with Dr. Michael Bowie, an elder in North Texas Annual Conference and the National Director of Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century. In this episode we talk about the gifts of the Black Church to the UMC as well as the historical challenges that have prevented its celebration and inclusion. Through telling his story and engaging in conversation, Dr. Mike offers us a critical perspective of the shifts we all need to make as we th...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Welcome to Bar of the Conference. Rev. Betty Kazadi Musau is an elder and Director of Communications for the North Katanga Annual Conference in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this episode, Betty helps us understand life and ministry in the DRC by sharing personal reflections from her childhood and giving us a window into the history, structure, and strategy of the UMC movement on the African continent. Speaking candidly about social issues, she reminds us why context cannot be ignored as w...
May 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 19
