Our Team

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Members of the Connectional Table talk during the April 1028 meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The 64-member leadership body that brings together laity and clergy to coordinate the denomination’s ministries, mission and resources discussed the world-wide nature of the church and the upcoming special General Conference in 2019. Photo by Heather Hahn, UMNS.

Who is at the Table?

The Connectional Table brings together a diverse group of 64 dedicated individuals, comprised of 49 voting members and 15 non-voting members. Our members are a mix of lay and clergy, elected by jurisdictional and central conferences, reflecting the wide spectrum of our church's geography and demography. Our chairperson is appointed by our Council of Bishops.

The CT is further enriched by representatives from our general boards, agencies, and commissions, alongside voices from the ethnic caucuses and a delegate from the Division on Ministries with Young People.

This diverse representation ensures that the Connectional Table is a microcosm of our wider community, dedicated to fostering unity, facilitating dialogue, and guiding the church in its mission and ministry.

Below, you will find the names and roles of all our members, each contributing their unique gifts and perspectives to our collective journey.

When We Meet

Staff

Judi Kenaston serves as Interim Chief Connectional Ministries Officer of the Connectional Table. Photo courtesy Connectional Table.

Judi Kenaston

Interim Chief Connectional Ministries Officer

Judi comes to this role with years of experience with the Connectional Table. She has been associated with the Connectional Table since 2012. She has served as a board member for the CT representing the Northeastern Jurisdiction. Prior to serving as a board member, she served as the Chairperson of the Commission on General Conference. Judi is a lifelong United Methodist and she states, “It is a privilege to help the Connectional Table discern and articulate the vision that will allow for healing and transformation in our denomination. My long and varied leadership within The United Methodist Church has allowed me to develop relationships with members of the Connectional Table, Council of Bishops, and members of Central Conferences.”
The Rev Grace Killian serves as Connectional Ministries Associate of The Connectional Table. Photo courtesy of Connectional Table.

Rev. Grace Killian

Connectional Ministries Associate

The Rev. Grace Killian is an ordained elder in the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference. She earned her Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School and a MA in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She was a Global Mission Fellow for the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, serving in Bethlehem, Palestine/Israel and has worked at Harvard-Epworth UMC and the Memorial Church at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. In her role as the Connectional Ministries Associate, she is passionate about making the United Methodist Church a more equitable and inclusive institution as it carries out God’s mission and ministries on earth.
Gisele Seixas serves as Operations Manager, Executive Assistant of the Connectional Table. Photo courtesy Connectional Table.

Gisele Seixas

Operations Manager/Executive Assistant

Gisele Seixas has a solid educational background and diverse professional experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and certifications in human resource management and translation from New York University. She is completing her master's in human resources and Organizations at Rome Business School. Gisele's experience lies in administrative work and people management, which she has gained through her previous roles, such as managing bank accounts and overseeing individuals in a multinational company.
In addition to her professional achievements, Gisele has a passion for music and community service. She has been singing at church since she was a little child, has helped at the Food Pantry at Lee Memorial United Methodist Church in Norwich, CT, and has sung at the First United Methodist Church of Pittsfield.

Connectional Table Members, 2017-Present

The Executive Committee

Bishop Mande Muyombo serves as the chairperson of the Connectional Table. Photo courtesy Connectional Table.
Bishop Mande Muyombo, Chair - Read a brief biography

Bishop Ciriaco Francisco serves as the vice chairperson of the Connectional Table. Photo courtesy Connectional Table.
Bishop Ciriaco Francisco, Vice Chair

Dave Nuckols serves as treasurer of the Connectional Table. Photo courtesy Connectional Table.
Dave Nuckols, Treasurer

Shareka Brown, Secretary

Dawn Wiggins Hare serves on the Connectional Table Executive Committee. Photo courtesy Connectional Table.
Dawn Wiggins Hare

The Rev. Beverly Jones serves as secretary of the Connectional Table. Photo courtesy Connectional Table.
The Rev. Beverly Jones

Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi serves on the Connectional Table.
Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi 

Rev. Amy Coles

Benedita Penicela Nhambiu serves as an Executive Committee member of the Connectional Table. Photo courtesy Connectional Table.
Benedita Penicela Nhambiu

Full Board

Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo, General Secretary, General Commission on Religion and Race

Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, President, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry

Rev. Sarah Belles, Division on Ministries with Young People

Rev. Greg Bergquist, General Secretary, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry

Dr. Ashley Boggan, General Secretary, General Commission on Archives and History

Shareka Brown, Southeastern Jurisdiction

Bishop Hector Burgos Núñez, President, Discipleship Ministries

Raggatha Calentine, Native American International Caucus

Rev. Jeffrey Campbell, General Secretary, Discipleship Ministries

Rev. Dr. Emanuel Cleaver III, South Central Jurisdiction

Rev. Amy Coles, Southeastern Jurisdiction

Josephine  Deere, South Central Jurisdiction

Rev. Dr. Jerome DeVine, North Central Jurisdiction

Rev. Dr. Jacob Dharmaraj, National Federation of Asian American United Methodists

Bishop Sally Dyck, President, General Board of Church and Society and Ecumenical Officer of the Council of Bishops

Cashar Evans, President, United Methodist Communications

Roland Fernandes, General Secretary, General Board of Global Ministries  

Bishop Ciriaco Francisco, Chair, Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters

Rev. Dena Gable, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Ecumenical Guest

Venus Mae Gatdula, Division on Ministries with Young People

Rev. Gary Graves, Secretary of the General Conference

Dawn Wiggins Hare, General Secretary, General Commission on the Status and Role of Women

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, President, General Commission on Archives and History

Andrew Hendren, General Secretary, Wespath

John Hill, Interim General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society

Rev. Dr. Theon Johnson III, Black Methodists for Church Renewal

Rev. Beverly Jones, South Central Jurisdiction

Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, President, General Board of Global Ministries

Rev. Markus Jung, Germany Central Conference

Judi Kenaston, Northeast Jurisdiction

Prosper Kitete ka Kemba, Congo Central Conference

Dan Krause, General Secretary, United Methodist Communications

Moses Kumar, General Secretary, General Council on Finance and Administration

Bishop Tracy Smith Malone, President, General Commission on the Status and Role of Women

Bishop Michael McKee, President, General Council on Finance and Administration

Rev. William Meekins, Northeast Jurisdiction

Brian Milford, President and Publisher, United Methodist Publishing House

Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi President, General Commission on Religion and Race

Bishop Gary Mueller, President, General Commission on United Methodist Men

Tonya Murphy, Southeastern Jurisdiction  

Rev. Ken Nelson, Southeast Jurisdiction

Regina Norwood, South Central Jurisdiction

Dave Nuckols, North Central Jurisdiction

Benedita Nhambiu Penicela, Africa Central Conference

Lyssette Perez, Methodists Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans (MARCHA)

Karen Prudente, Northeastern Jurisdiction

Rev. Jessica Rooks, Western Jurisdiction

Jovito Sermonia, Philippines Central Conference

Kim Simpson, Chair, Commission on General Conference

Rev. Mike Slaughter, North Central Jurisdiction

Doug Swanney, British Methodist Church, Ecumenical Guest

Bishop James Swanson, Interim General Secretary, General Commission on United Methodist Men

Monalisa Tuitahi, Pacific Islanders National Caucus of United Methodists

Sally Vonner, General Secretary, United Women in Faith

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