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SEJ elects slate for jurisdictional committees and general agencies

Pictured, South Carolina's the Rev. Kathy James (right) was elected SEJ conference secretary during this year's gathering. Photo by Derek Leek.

By Jessica Brodie

LAKE JUNALUSKA, North Carolina—The Southeastern Jurisdiction now has a new slate of people serving on jurisdictional committees and general agencies this quadrennium—including two Hispanic/Latinx persons and one Native American added Thursday to address an oversight. 

Bishop Tom Berlin presented the College of Bishops nominees before the body July 11, first offering a heartfelt apology and a correction as he presented a revised slate.

“There is no one on the list who is Hispanic/Latinx,” Berlin said, noting this was the College of Bishops’ fault and mistake in that body’s haste to work quickly. 

He said a delegate offered this observation, and the College of Bishops took immediate action Thursday to correct the oversight. 

“We confess this to you, we apologize, we say we are wrong and we will correct that right now,” Berlin said. 

He presented two people to the body for consideration: Nora Colmenares, Latina clergy from North Georgia, as an addition to the Committee on Investigation; and Ismael Ruiz-Millan, Latino clergy from North Carolina, who is replacing Liz Roberts on the Committee on Program and Arrangements. Berlin noted Roberts agreed to step off that committee and serve the SEJ in another way.

However, Kathy FitzJefferies, a lay delegate from the Western North Carolina Conference, stood to offer an observation of another oversight—no indigenous Native American nominees.

As additional people can be added to the Committee on Investigation, Berlin invited nominations to be brought directly to him that afternoon for anyone who is an indigenous Native American willing to serve. 

Before the vote, Ruiz-Millan stood to thank the College of Bishops for its immediate work in addressing the oversight.  

Today with this election, he said, “We lay the foundation for a church truly reflective of a diverse world.”

Those elected included Conference Secretary Kathy James (South Carolina); Secretary-Designate Yvette Massey (North Georgia); and members of the Committee on Investigation, Committee on Appeals, Committee on Plan of Organization and Rules of Order, and Committee on Program and Arrangements.

Later that afternoon, Berlin returned to the podium to announce he had received an additional nominee to the Committee on Investigation: the Rev. Monica Mowdy, a Native American female from the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference. 

Mowdy was elected.

Berlin thanked delegates for their willingness to accommodate the change in nominations for the good of racial and ethnic inclusion.

“This is important work at the jurisdictional level, and I really hope you are also doing this at the conference level,” he said.

Second set of elections

The body also elected a slate of people brought forth from the 30-member Nominations Committee, comprising two clergy and two laity from every annual conference in the jurisdiction. 

Those elected will serve on the SEJ Committee on Coordination and Accountability as well as General Church commission and boards, including the Connectional Table, General Board of Church and Society, General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, General Commission on Religion and Race, General Commission on Status and Role of Women, General Board of Global Ministries, General Commission on Communications, General Board of Discipleship, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Annual Conference Ecumenical and Interreligious Relationships and United Methodist Publishing House. 

The full list of those elected is as follows: 

SEJ College of Bishops Nominees

Conference Secretary

Kathy L. James, (SC; clergy; white; female)

Secretary Designate

Yvette Massey, (NGA; clergy; African American; female)

Committee on Investigation

7 Clergy in Full Connection:

  • Beth Hood (NC; elder; white; female)

  • Sherill Clontz (NAL; elder; white; female)

  • Joe May (MS; elder; African American; male)

  • Beth Sanders (NGA; elder; white; female)

  • Robert Gardner (TWK; elder; African American; male)

  • Latricia Scriven (FL; elder; African American; female)

  • Meredith Martin (WNC; deacon; white; female)

2 Professing Members:

  • Lyn Taylor (TWK; white; female)

  • Christy Crow (AWF; white; female)

6 Alternate Members—5 Clergy in Full Connection and 1 Professing Member:

  • Raigan Miskelly (MS; elder; white; female)

  • Michelle Kim (VA; elder; African American; female)

  • Susan Groseclose (HOL; deacon; white; female)

  • Jae Lee (WNC; elder; Asian; male)

  • Jeremy Pridgeon (AWF; elder; white; male)

  • Tom Jordan (WNC; white; male)

2 additional members:

  • Nora Colmenares (NGA, Hispanic/Latinx, female)

  • Monica Mowdy (TWK, Native American, female)

Committee on Appeals

Primary Members

4 Clergy in Full Connection:

  • Emily Kincaid (AWF; deacon; white; female)

  • Joy Melton (NGA; deacon; white; female)

  • Magrey deVega (FL; elder;

  • Morris Waymer (SC; elder; African America; male)

1 Diaconal Minister:

  • To be named

1 Full-Time Local Pastor:

  • Emma Ward (MS; African American; female)

3 Laity—at least 6 years successively members of UMC:

  • Malcolm White (VA; African American; male)

  • Celeste Eubanks (AWF; African American; male)

  • David Salter (SC; white; male)

Alternate Members

4 Clergy in Full Connection:

  • Kevin Burney (KY; elder; white; male)

  • Ron Schultz (NAL; elder; white; male)

  • Kary Sue McCaleb (MS; deacon; white; female)

  • Angela Hardy Cross (HOL; elder; African American; female)

  • Robert King (NGA; elder; African American; male)

1 Diaconal Minister:

  • Joy Carr (MS; diaconal; white; female)

1 Full-Time Local Pastor:

  • Jimmy Carter (TWK; African American; male)

3 Laity:

  • Alice Williams (FL; white; female)

  • Cathy Thompson (NC; white; female)

  • Nate Abrams (NGA; African American; male)

Committee on Plan of Organization and Rules of Order

  • Jasmine Smothers (NGA; clergy; African American; female)

  • Chris Brown (HOL; clergy; white; male)

  • Trey Harper (MS; clergy; white; male)

  • Jonathan LeMaster Smith (WNC; lay; African American; male)

  • Candace Lewis (FL; clergy; African American; female)

Ex Officio

  • David Dommisse Conference Treasurer (VA)

  • Julie Hager Love 2024 Conference Secretary (KY)/Kathy James (SC) 2028

Committee on Program and Arrangements

  • Senior Effective Bishop: Bishop L. Jonathan Holston

  • Conference Secretary: Kathy James (SC)

  • Conference Treasurer: David Dommisse (V

  • District Superintendent: To Be Named by College of Bishops

  • Chair, Committee on Coordination and Accountability: Bishop William McAlilly

  • President, SEJ United Methodist Men: Andrew Kissell (VA)

  • President, SEJ United Women in Faith: Sue Owens (SC)

  • Chair, SEJ Association of Conference Lay Leaders

  • Chair, SEJ Committee on Episcopacy (or designee)

At-Large Members (five):

  • Judith Pierre-Okerson (FL; deaconess; Haitian American; female)

  • Solomon Christian (TWK; lay; Asian; male)

  • Sherry Reynolds (NAL; clergy; white; female)

  • Ismael Ruiz-Millan (NC; clergy; Hispanic/Latinx; male)

  • Haywood Hammer (MS; clergy; African American

SEJ Nominations Committee nominees

Connectional Table

Byron Thomas – NGA; Clergy; African American; Male

General Board of Church and Society

Sharon Austin – FL; Clergy; African American; Female*

Helen Ryde – WNC; Laity; White; Nonbinary

Sam England – HOL; Laity; White; Male; Young Adult*

General Board of Pension and Health Benefits

David Stotts – MS; Laity; White; Male*

Grace Han – VA; Clergy; Asian American; Female

Mathew Pinson – NGA; Laity; White; Male*

General Commission on Religion and Race

Clara Ester – AWF; Laity; African American; Female

Marcus Singleton – WNC; Clergy; African American; Male

General Commission on Status and Role of Women

Samantha McGlothlin – TWK; Clergy; White; Female

General Board of Global Ministries

Caleb Parker – NC; Laity; White; Male

Elizabeth Corrie – NGA; Laity; White; Female*

Molly McIntyre – FL; Laity; White; Female*

Marian Royston – NAL; Clergy; African American; Female

General Commission on Communications

Ashlee Hand – WNC; Laity; African American; Female; Young Adult

Kelly Roberson – SGA; Laity; White; Female*

General Board of Discipleship

Esther Jadhav – KY; Clergy; Asian American; Female

General Board of Higher Education and Ministry

Lindsey Baynham Freeman – VA; Clergy; Multiracial; Female

AC Ecumenical and Interreligious Relationships

Constance Barnes – SC; Clergy; African American; Female

Whitley Henson – CAMC; Laity; White; Female

United Methodist Publishing House

Anne Travis – HOL; Laity; White; Female*

Laura Wittman – NC; Clergy; White; Female

Erin Beasley – TWK; Clergy; African American; Female

Neil Wise – VA; Laity; White; Male

James Salley – SC; Laity; African American; Male

Michael Watts – KY; Clergy; White; Adult*

Committee on Coordination and Accountability – Southeast Jurisdiction

Bishops:

  • Bishop Sharma Lewis – MS; Clergy; African American; Female

  • Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson – VA; Clergy; White; Female

Lay Leaders:

  • Lisa Keys-Mathews – NAL; Laity; White; Female

  • Derrick Scott, III – FL; Laity; African American; Male

Directors of Connectional Ministries:

  • Mike Sluder – HOL; Clergy; White; Male

  • Lory Beth Huffman – WNC; Clergy; White; Female

Treasurers:

  • David Garvin – KY; Clergy; White; Male

  • Allison Berg – NGA; Lay; White; Female

At-large Members:

  • Richard Williams – AWF; Clergy; African American; Male

  • Charlie Hatch – NC; Laity; Hispanic/Latino/Native American; Female; Young Adult

  • Tom Lee – TWK; Laity; White; Male

  • Whitley Henson – CAMC; Laity; White; Female; Young Adult

  • Michael Culbreth – SGA; Clergy; African American; Male

  • Emily Sutton – SC; Clergy; White; Female

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