In the lead up to the gathering, the Council of Bishops is working with United Methodist Communications to host a series of three webinars open to all United Methodists. These webinars will focus on how the vision statement’s call to “love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously” connects back to the denomination’s mission and Wesleyan theology. The webinars are free and recordings will be made available publicly. Each will be roughly an hour and half in length.
The second webinar is themed "Serve Joyfully" and examines Wesleyan approaches to mission, with attention to mutuality, formation, and decolonial perspectives. Participants will engage how mission is practiced in relationship, shaped by context, and grounded in a call to serve with humility and joy.
The webinar is scheduled for February 21, 2026 9:00am Central Time. A recording of the webinar will be available to the public.
Hosts & Speakers
Rev. Dr. April Casperson (moderator)
Rev. Dr. April Casperson is Director of Enrollment Management at Methodist Theological School in Ohio and an ordained deacon in The United Methodist Church. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion, vocational discernment, and the systems that recruit, educate, and equip leaders for thoughtful, intentional ministry. Rev. Dr. Casperson previously served as Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the West Ohio Conference and as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. She completed a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership in November 2025. She holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theological Studies from Methodist Theological School in Ohio and a Bachelor of Arts in history and philosophy from Otterbein University.
Rev. Mark W. Lewis
Rev. Mark W. Lewis serves in Denmark as a pastor and missiologist, including congregational leadership in Copenhagen and service connected to the Danish Methodist missions board. He holds degrees from Guilford College, Duke University, and Asbury Theological Seminary and teaches as an adjunct with the European Methodist e-Academy. His intercultural ministry integrates pastoral leadership, theological education, mission strategy, and music.
Rev. Shandon Klein
Rev. Shandon Klein is a provisional elder serving in the Minnesota Annual Conference and a Ph.D. candidate in Religious Ethics at Southern Methodist University. As a womanist theological ethicist, her research examines resistance and control in political activism, the role of religion and spirituality in shaping these dynamics, and the ethical frameworks that sustain activist engagement. She is passionate about cultivating multiethnic churches within the United Methodist Church and promoting discipleship within faith communities that embody the Wesleyan principles of social holiness and justice.
Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana Deaconess Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana serves with Global Ministries as Area Liaison for Asia and the Pacific, strengthening mission partnerships, supporting regional collaboration, and equipping churches for faithful, community-centered engagement across diverse cultural contexts.