General Secretaries Table
Nashville, March, 2020
In this unexpected and menacing moment in history, nothing is more pressing in the work of the Church than care for our planet and all God’s people.
We are counseled to reduce physical proximity as we strive to flatten the COVID-19 curve to avoid overwhelming our health care systems and protect the health of our families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors near and far.
This is precisely the time when the vibrant witness of our Christ-centered and mission-focused connectional church is most urgently needed and vitally important.
The United Methodist Church is a critical connecting presence given the worldwide emphasis on intentional social distancing. The current emergency makes it even more apparent that “The local church provides the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs.” BOD ¶201. It is at “such a time as this” that we are emboldened by our historical witness and practical theology to be a connectional people:
Connecting—as a trustworthy and authentic witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Connecting—our members and communities in prayer, worship, and a spiritual awakening.
Connecting—as a non-anxious global presence offering practical leadership, conveying crucial information, and building coalitions of the willing for bold social action.
Connecting—by holding up for attention those who are most vulnerable and marginalized and in need of Christian advocates and friends.
Connecting—as we host and participate in networks for exchanging information, joint planning, and curating learnings and resources.
We are a connectional global mission from everywhere to everywhere actively addressing the urgent health and spiritual needs of all—and caring for the healing of the world as the connecting people of The United Methodist Church.
The thirteen general agencies and the Connectional Table of The United Methodist Church are eager to serve you, the people of The United Methodist Church and to make a difference for the most vulnerable in our communities around the world. Below you will find links to access online pages with resources in our areas of focus that will assist you as you continue to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
General Board of Church and Society
Susan Henry-Crowe, General Secretary
https://www.umcjustice.org/
General Board of Global Ministries
Thomas Kemper, General Secretary
https://www.umcmission.org/share-our-work/news-stories
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
Greg Bergquist, General Secretary
https://www.gbhem.org/connect/
Discipleship Ministries
Junius Dotson, General Secretary
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/resources-for-responding-to-covid-19-outbreak
Wespath Benefits and Investments
Barbara Boigegrain, General Secretary
https://www.wespath.org/about-wespath/Coronavirus
General Commission on Archives and History
Alfred T. Day, III, General Secretary
http://www.gcah.org/
General Council on Finance and Administration
Moses Kumar, General Secretary
https://www.gcfa.org/
General Commission on Religion and Race
Erin Hawkins, General Secretary
http://www.gcorr.org/codiv-19-response/
General Commission on the Status and Role of Women
Dawn Wiggins Hare, General Secretary
https://www.gcsrw.org/ and http://umsexualethics.org/
General Commission on United Methodist Men
Gil Hanke, General Secretary
gcumm@gcumm.org
United Methodist Communications
Dan Krause, General Secretary
Resources for leaders: https://www.resourceumc.org/coronavirus
Resources for members: https://www.umc.org/coronavirus
United Methodist Publishing House
Brian Milford, President & Publisher
https://www.umph.org/
https://www.abingdonpress.com/
https://www.cokesbury.com/
United Methodist Women
Harriet Olson, General Secretary
https://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/
Connectional Table
Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, Chief Connectional Ministries Officer
https://www.umc.org/en/content/connectional-table
Media contact:
Amy Campbell Smith, Communications
Email: asmith@umpublishing.org
Phone: 615-749-6151