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Rev. Enger Muteteke, Senior Director, Programs and Education, General Commission on Religion and Race
Workshop description
"Amplifying Voices" workshop aims to guide participants into discussion and learning on intersectionality and collaboration in the Church - especially in this time of cultural divisions. We will explore: Intersectionality and how it operates, collaboration and how it operates in systemic work, how systemic racism operates to undermine intersectional and collaborative work and examine case studies together to learn how to engage intersectional and collaborative work in the Church in practical, sustainable ways.
Rev. Enger Muteteke is a Full Elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference having served in various capacities – in both the local church and nonprofit organizations. Rev. Muteteke has served on loan to the Greater New Jersey Conference for the last 4 years in pastoral ministry. Currently, she serves as Senior Director of Programs and Education at the General Commission on Religion and Race. Over the years, two things have provided a clear picture of God’s justice in the world: 1) hearing a retired seminary professor say, “Always love the people God sends you,” and 2) the Great Commandment (“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.”).
Rev. Katrena Porter King, Esq., Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategist, Louisiana Conference
Workshop description
Conflict Resolution
This session will equip you with tools to prepare for managing your next encounter with conflict. Come away having reflected on your own lived experience, shared with others, and feeling more confident in understanding the root of conflict and how to manage it.
Rev. Katrena Porter King is the Executive Director of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana and DEI Strategist for the Louisiana Conference. Her expertise lies in gently guiding conversations through challenging topics, while creating trusted spaces for others to share safely and openly. With a background in the legal field, community planning, and leadership development, Katrena carries a unique set of skills that contribute to her ability to connect people of dramatically different backgrounds. Katrena is also a caster of vision, encourager of strategic thinking, and presenter of new ideas.
Deaconess Celeste Eubanks, Director, Center for Christian Leadership, Emory Candler School of Theology
Workshop description
Strategic Planning for Your Future as a Woman Leader
Being a woman in a leadership position is no easy task. You will face opposition, and some may feel threatened by your role and influence. This workshop is designed to help you develop a strategic plan utilizing the tools you have acquired as a part of this training event. This strategic plan will help you stay grounded, build resilience, and thrive in your leadership role, all while prioritizing your health and self-care.
Deaconess Celeste Eubanks is the Director of the Candler Center for Christian Leadership at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Prior to this, she served as the Director of Connectional Ministries for the Alabama-West Florida Conference and has held various leadership positions in both corporate and ministry settings.
Rev. Dorlimar Lebron Malave, Wespath Benefits and Investments
Embodied Flourishing: Collective Paths to Well-Being and Gender Equity
Rev. Dorlimar Lebron Malave is a servant leader and a connector, committed to creating spaces where Wesleyan discipleship aligns with practical tools for flourishing. A dynamic facilitator and advocate for transformation, she champions the flourishing of women and girls in all areas of life. Dorlimar is a provisional member in the New York Conference and serves in extension ministry with Wespath Benefits and Investments.
Rev. April Casperson, Director of Enrollment Managment, Methodist Theological School
Speaker
Rev. April Casperson is the Director of Enrollment Management at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant, and a deacon in the West Ohio Conference. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion, vocational discernment, and the organizations and systems that recruit, educate and equip leaders for thoughtful, intentional ministry.
Bishop Delores J. Williamston, resident bishop of The Louisiana Conference
Keynote address speaker
Bishop Delores J. Williamston serves as bishop of The Louisiana Annual Conference. She was assigned to the Louisiana Conference at the South Central Jurisdictional meeting in Houston on November 3, 2022, and subsequently re-assigned to The Louisiana Conference in 2024.
Bishop Williamston was ordained an elder in full connection in 2010, in the former Kansas East Conference, now the Great Plains Conference.
Bishop Williamston serves on various boards and agencies across the denomination.
She serves as President of the SEJ College of Bishops, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, and the Disabilities Ministries Committee of The United Methodist Church and with Strengthen the Black Church.
Rev. Stephanie York Arnold, incoming general secretary, General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW)
Plenary speaker
Rev. Stephanie York Arnold is a dynamic and prophetic leader, who has over 25 years of experience guiding congregations through significant change and fostering diverse relationships within the church. She previously served as Senior Pastor at Birmingham First UMC, where she advocated for social justice, full inclusion, and expansive language for God.
Rev. York Arnold will begin her tenure as general secretary of GCSRW, March 1, 2025.
Ordained as an Elder in Full Connection in the North Alabama Conference in 2006, Rev. Arnold holds a Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication from The University of Alabama.
She has served on various boards and agencies, including the Intra-Agency Sexual Ethics Task Force for the UMC, the North Alabama Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, the Bishop’s Large Church Pastors Team, and the North Alabama Advocacy for Social Justice Team. She is also an active member of the Reconciling Ministries Network.