UMC LEAD

01/23/2023

Kicking off the 2023 LEAD Conference in Asheville at beautiful Central UMC with some bluegrass worship with Darren Nicholson!

01/21/2023

Prayers for our speakers as they travel to Asheville for a run-through of their talks. We look forward to seeing the rest of you tomorrow!

11/17/2022

Stay tuned to hear about our workshops and panel at LEAD 2023 but for now our last speaker will be....
Corey is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. She planted Church in the Wild, an alternative spiritual community for those who, like her, feel closest to the Divine in nature. Corey lives with her spouse their 2 kids and 2 dogs in Windsor, NY.

Corey is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. She received her call to ministry at age 11 and foolishly thought sensing a call would never happen again. After graduating from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School with her MDiv and serving a small rural church for six years, Corey onc...

11/15/2022

Our next speaker is a returning LEAD speaker from LEAD 2018 in Denver!

Rev. Mandy McDow is the senior minister of Los Angeles First United Methodist Church, the church that worships in a parking lot. In solidarity with their houseless neighbors, LA First UMC has pledged to remain unhoused until they can create housing for those who need it most.

Rev. Mandy Sloan McDow is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. After hearing her call to ministry while working on staff at Camp Wesley Woods, Mandy attended Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA, which, ironically, had no religion department. Regardless, Mandy was admitted to Princeton Theological Semi...

11/10/2022

We are excited to welcome our next speaker for LEAD 2023!

"Mortician." That's what the tests said John should be when he grew up. But as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, the call to ordained ministry was even more unsettling.

John Girard said yes to that call. And had no idea how to get where it would take him. We can't wait to hear about it!

  “Mortician.” That’s what the 9th grade career assessment revealed I should be when I grew up – even though I wanted to be a chef and own a restaurant. A native of Granville, Ohio, I graduated Granville High School, earned a B.A. in Business from Hanover College in southern Indiana, moved ...

11/08/2022

Get ready because our next speaker for LEAD 2023 is....

Welcome Rev. Jeff Campbell, General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries. An elder of the Greater NJ Conf. Jeff is passionate about helping church leaders be more intentional about discipleship as they see and love all the people in their communities.

Rev. Jeff Campbell is the General Secretary/CEO of Discipleship Ministries. Campbell comes to this role having led Discipleship Ministries as the Associate General Secretary for Strategic Programming, where he coordinated the work of the agency around three strategic priorities: an Intentional Disci...

11/03/2022

Another speaker for LEAD coming right up!

Rev. Dr. Jae Lee is a native South Korean and lived in North Carolina over 20 years. As District Superintendent of the Smoky Mountain District, Jae hopes to bring diverse perspectives to see things from different angles and promote to embrace others with Christ's love.

  Jae Lee is the Smoky Mountain District Superintendent of the Western North Carolina Conference. He has forced on “marginal leadership” throughout his ministry from his unique cross-racial and cross-cultural experiences. He lives in the beautiful western North Carolina’s mountain community a...

11/01/2022

On this All Saints Day we are gearing up for more speakers at LEAD 2023!

Dale is passionate about the work of healing. Life on planet Earth is not easy and each one of us is faced with the challenges of defining (and redefining) who we are, where we belong, and what we are doing here.

  Dale was 15 years old when his dad died from cancer — a tragedy that set his life on a trajectory he says he “never could have imagined.” Through the church, he found a living relationship with God that continues to surprise him with hope and healing. He found his calling to teach the […]

10/25/2022

Coming up for LEAD 2023 in Asheville!

Over a 20 year career in ministry Christopher has served rural and downtown churches, using his training in conflict resolution and work in justice ministry to serve every community.

Rev Christopher Tweel has spent over 20 years serving the church in ministry in the southeast, as well as contributing his time to mentoring and leadership programs, he has been on the guiding board for our region’s Dismantling Racism group for the last 8 years. Currently living and serving his co...

10/20/2022

LEAD Speaker 2023!
Dr. Ferguson has served in several roles in ministry. He is the current Senior Pastor of Clair United Methodist Church in Columbus, OH.
an introduction bio as well! Charles will be bringing us a word about what it means to choosing who God is creating us to be. Should be fantastic!

Dr. Charles W. Ferguson was born August 26, 1981 in Columbus, Ohio. He gave his life to Christ at the age of 10 on May 31, 1992. He is a graduate of Columbus East High School (2000). He is also a 2005 graduate of Kentucky State University, with a B.A in Business Administration with a […]

10/18/2022

LEAD Speaker 2023 alert! Rev. Brad Davis is a UMC clergyperson serving a six-point charge in the southern West Virginia Coalfields of Central Appalachia. A Coalfield Liberationist, he believes the key to a hope-filled future for rural Appalachia is a theology of Jesus that seeks to rehumanize the region.

Rev. Brad Davis is a proud native of Central Appalachia’s southern West Virginia Coalfields, one of the nation’s most economically and socially exploited regions. He has a passion for connecting the people of his home area to a holistic, liberating message of salvation he calls the Holler Gospel...