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gbhem.org > News

News

NewsPlan Left2025-03-21T14:45:06-05:00
  • ACPE Educator Rev. Dr. Christinah Kwaramba Inspires Transformative Leadership Through CPE Spiritual Training

    ACPE Educator Rev. Dr. Christinah Kwaramba Inspires Transformative Leadership Through CPE Spiritual Training

    Published On: April 24, 2023

    Rev. Dr. Christinah Kwaramba is dedicated to the success of her students in the Center for Integrative Pastoral Practice (CIPP) Program.

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  • Philander Smith College Student, DeCarlos Nora Wins $500 Scholarship From GBHEM

    Philander Smith College Student, DeCarlos Nora Wins $500 Scholarship From GBHEM

    Published On: April 4, 2023

    DeCarlos Nora, a student at Philander Smith College who is scheduled to graduate in 2026, received a $500 scholarship at GBHEM's first HBCU Scholarship Night for United Methodist students attending a HBCU.

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  • Making Good News Travel

    Making Good News Travel

    Published On: March 8, 2023

    In the Philippines, leaders find theological grounding and leadership skills to navigate uncharted waters through the Central Conference Theological Education Fund (CCTEF). 

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  • GBHEM Honors the Life and Legacy of Rev. Roger A. Hopson, Devoted Husband, Minister, and Teacher

    GBHEM Honors the Life and Legacy of Rev. Roger A. Hopson, Devoted Husband, Minister, and Teacher

    Published On: February 23, 2023

    The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry created the Rev. Roger A. Hopson Seminary Scholarship, in memoriam of the Rev. Roger A. Hopson, devoted husband, father and minister.

    Read More
  • GBHEM Receives 2022 Friend of Children Award from the Boys and Girls Country of Houston

    GBHEM Receives 2022 Friend of Children Award from the Boys and Girls Country of Houston

    Published On: February 14, 2023

    In late January, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) was presented with the 2022 Friend of Children Education Partner Award for its work and collaboration on the J.A. Knowles Memorial Scholarship.  

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  • GBHEM Announces Decision to Sunset EM360

    GBHEM Announces Decision to Sunset EM360

    Published On: February 9, 2023

    The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) will sunset EM360 from its offered services in the coming months.

    Read More
  • University Senate Approves Policy Change to Offer Fully Online Master of Divinity Degree

    University Senate Approves Policy Change to Offer Fully Online Master of Divinity Degree

    Published On: February 9, 2023

    On Jan. 26, 2023, the University Senate met virtually and approved a policy change that allows United Methodist students the opportunity to engage in a fully online Master of Divinity degree program.

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  • The Black College Fund Celebrates the Investiture of Dillard University’s Eighth President

    The Black College Fund Celebrates the Investiture of Dillard University’s Eighth President

    Published On: January 31, 2023

    On Jan. 27, 2023, Dr. Rochelle L. Ford was officially installed as the eighth president of Dillard University.

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  • United Methodist Endorsing Agency Celebrates 50 Years of Women Being Admitted to Military Chaplaincy

    United Methodist Endorsing Agency Celebrates 50 Years of Women Being Admitted to Military Chaplaincy

    Published On: January 21, 2023

    This year marked the 50th anniversary of women being admitted to the military chaplaincy. A formal celebration was held in Arlington, Virgina, Jan. 12. 

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  • Overcoming Obstacles to a Theological Education

    Overcoming Obstacles to a Theological Education

    Published On: November 21, 2022

    Thanks to the Central Conference Theological Education Fund (CCTEF) grants, both Mária and Ferenc have now graduated with Spiritual Development and Christian Ministry diplomas from Wesley Bible School – the first students to graduate in seven years.

    Read More
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Karen Ward

Chief Administrative Officer

Karen Ward became the chief administrative officer of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministries on May 1, 2020. She began her career with the agency in 2008 as the controller. Karen has served various finance and management roles with GBHEM. Previous experience includes more than 20 years serving in finance and leadership roles in one of the United Methodist-related higher education institutions, small business ownership and banking. Karen serves as the United Methodist liasion on the board of EIIA, a nonprofit, member-driven insurance consortium, committed to serving private, faith-inspired institutions of higher education. She is deeply committed to the church and higher education connection.

Karen received an accounting degree from Martin Methodist College/UT Southern and a master of business administration degree from the University of Noth Alabama. She resides in middle Tennessee and serves on the finance committee and as a lay leader in her local Methodist church. She likes to remind us that administration is also a calling and a gift from God.

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Amos Nascimento

Special Assistant to the General Secretary

The Rev. Dr. Tamara K. Gieselman is the GBHEM director for education and executive secretary for the University Senate. She joined GBHEM in 2018 and has directed GBHEM’s work in Study Abroad initiatives in partnership with the British Council, recognizing exemplary teaching amongst faculty, and developed several successfully funded grants through named endowments and fellowships such as the Forum for Theological Exploration, the Council of Bishops’ Grant for Ecumenical and Interreligious Concerns and Interfaith Youth Core Inc.

Prior to GBHEM, Gieselman spent 10 years in higher education as a university chaplain, associate clinical professor, and director of religious life at the University of Evansville. Gieselman’s teaching experience includes both domestic and study abroad curriculum. She has led continuing education study tours in Israel, England and Spain, and collaborated with religious partners across the globe. She also served as the director for a Lilly Endowment funded summer youth theology institute, Open Table, at the University of Evansville, after successfully writing a $545,107 grant proposal.

Gieselman served in the local church for 17 years before moving into church-related higher education. She is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church in the Indiana Conference and earned her Doctor of Ministry in preaching from Chicago Theological Seminary. She earned a Master of Divinity with honors from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from the University of Evansville. Her interests focus on higher education, interfaith leadership, preaching, worship and practical theology.

She has served as preaching coach and mentor for the Academy of Preachers and in 2015 co-edited, with her husband, Rev. Mitchell Gieselman, Pentecost on Mockingbird Lane, Volume 6 in the Academy of Preachers’ series published by Chalice Press. In addition to providing leadership for technical and curricular aspects of GBHEM’s work, the Rev. Gieselman has demonstrated an innovative approach to identifying and addressing the needs of United Methodist-related institutions and the students and communities they serve.

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Rev. Dr. Trip Lowery

Director of Ministry

The Rev. Dr. Trip Lowery is the director of ministry for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM). Part of the Ministry team, his work includes contextual theological education, developing and promoting credentialing resources, supporting vocational discernment and candidate development and interpreting polity. His programs include Licensing School, Course of Study, Advanced Course of Study, Exploration, the Young Clergy Initiative, Journey Toward Ordained Ministry, the Ministerial Education Fund and the Study of Ministry Commission. Trip has served GBHEM since 2013, supporting the agency’s ministry work in various roles and collaborating with a variety of constituent groups across the global connection.

Ordained as an elder in the North Carolina Annual Conference in 2002, Trip has served local churches as a youth pastor, associate pastor, church planter and senior pastor. He has served the annual conference through the District Committee on Ordained Ministry, the conference’s Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry, and the conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry.

Trip is a native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and graduated from Winthrop University, with a B.S. in natural sciences and education. He earned a master of divinity from the Divinity School at Duke University and a doctor of ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary where his concentration was in Christian leadership and his dissertation focused on inclusion and accommodations for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Trip enjoys surfing and is deeply involved in the work of Surfing For Autism, a non-profit providing autism-related services and experiences on the Outer Banks. Before vocational ministry, Trip played professional soccer and taught high school physics, chemistry and biology. He lives on the Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk, N.C., with his wife, Eileen Lowery and two daughters.

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Dr. Ginger Cross Hooge

Director, Research and Analytics

Dr. Ginger C. Hooge is the director of research and analytics for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. She collects, analyzes, and visualizes data to monitor and evaluate progress toward strategic goals, identify improvement opportunities, and inform strategic planning. She has almost 25 years of experience conducting research and evaluation and providing data and insights to stakeholders in both higher education and nonprofit settings.

Prior to joining HEM in 2017, she was an assistant research professor at Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center (SSRC). During her time there, she worked on numerous health, education, safety and economic well-being projects. She was the project director for the Mississippi electronic citation project, which improved traffic records for the state of Mississippi and provided data to key stakeholders. She also conducted a statewide survey on distracted driving and an analysis of relevant state laws and created a report that was shared with Mississippi legislators. She also worked with the Mississippi KIDS COUNT team to produce an annual data book about Mississippi’s children that was shared with policymakers, educators and other key stakeholders. She was also the principal investigator on a five-year project funded by the National Institutes of Health that created a health education curriculum and field trip experience for preschool and kindergarten children.

Ginger has co-written numerous reports and publications and served as the PI or Co-PI on projects totaling $3.6 million. In her last two years at MSU, she was the back-to-back recipient of the Mississippi Agriculture Forestry Experiment Station’s (MAFES) Grantsmanship Award, which recognizes the scientist with the greatest total extramural awards during the calendar year. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University where she received a B.S. in psychology, a M.S. in experimental psychology, and a Ph.D. in cognitive science.

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Rev. Dr. Tammy Gieselman

Director, Education and Executive Secretary, University Senate

The Rev. Dr. Tamara K. Gieselman is the GBHEM director for education and executive secretary for the University Senate. She joined GBHEM in 2018 and has directed GBHEM’s work in Study Abroad initiatives in partnership with the British Council, recognizing exemplary teaching amongst faculty, and developed several successfully funded grants through named endowments and fellowships such as the Forum for Theological Exploration, the Council of Bishops’ Grant for Ecumenical and Interreligious Concerns and Interfaith Youth Core Inc.

Prior to GBHEM, Gieselman spent 10 years in higher education as a university chaplain, associate clinical professor, and director of religious life at the University of Evansville. Gieselman’s teaching experience includes both domestic and study abroad curriculum. She has led continuing education study tours in Israel, England and Spain, and collaborated with religious partners across the globe. She also served as the director for a Lilly Endowment funded summer youth theology institute, Open Table, at the University of Evansville, after successfully writing a $545,107 grant proposal.

Gieselman served in the local church for 17 years before moving into church-related higher education. She is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church in the Indiana Conference and earned her Doctor of Ministry in preaching from Chicago Theological Seminary. She earned a Master of Divinity with honors from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from the University of Evansville. Her interests focus on higher education, interfaith leadership, preaching, worship and practical theology.

She has served as preaching coach and mentor for the Academy of Preachers and in 2015 co-edited, with her husband, Rev. Mitchell Gieselman, Pentecost on Mockingbird Lane, Volume 6 in the Academy of Preachers’ series published by Chalice Press. In addition to providing leadership for technical and curricular aspects of GBHEM’s work, the Rev. Gieselman has demonstrated an innovative approach to identifying and addressing the needs of United Methodist-related institutions and the students and communities they serve.

Contact

C. Todd Willis

General Counsel

Todd Willis is COO/General Counsel of Global Ministries, overseeing the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the agency. This includes leading property, risk management, insurance and information technology programs, among other duties. He also provides leadership and counsel on governance and compliance issues, legal strategy and assessment.

A lifelong United Methodist, Todd grew up the son of a United Methodist minister in Florida. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida Southern College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. Prior to joining Global Ministries in August 2019, Todd practiced law in Washington, D.C. and Orlando, FL, as a partner at Carlton Fields, a national law firm. During part of that time, he served as the chair of the Immigration Law and Justice Network Board, a United Methodist ministry supporting sites across the country that provide free or low-cost immigration legal services to vulnerable immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Todd and his wife, Kristin Willis, have three children, Carter, Cooper, and Campbell.

For her last eight years at the conference, she served as director of Connectional Ministries, overseeing missional relationships, camping ministries, lay leadership, and ministries related to diversity and inclusion of all people in church life. Prior to joining the West Ohio Conference staff, Dee served seven years as the assistant dean of Student Life and director of the Course of Study School at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.

Ordained as a deacon in the UMC in 1999, Dee says her deacon identity has always been characterized by direct involvement in ministries that serve the needs of others. Two of the direct projects of which she is most proud demonstrate her commitment to mission at both the local and global levels. Locally, she has served as a charter board member of the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio, a nonprofit health care agency that provides free medications, health screenings, and wellness checks to low- and moderate-income families in Franklin County. Globally, she has been instrumental in building relationships to support and endow Wings of the Morning, an emergency medical aviation ministry in the North Katanga Conference in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dee was born and raised in Englewood, Ohio. She graduated from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Art in Psychology and Religion. She earned a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been married for 30 years to her husband, Ed Miner, and is the proud parent of three adult children, Special Olympics USA Games medalist Sarah Kate, religion scholar Allison, and jazz trumpeter Lucas. Her deacon secondary appointment is at McKinley United Methodist Church in Dayton, Ohio, and she maintains strong involvement in the United Methodist Church for All People in Columbus, Ohio.

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Rev. Dee Stickley-Minter

Executive Director, Mission Engagement

The Rev. Deanna (Dee) Stickley-Miner serves as executive director for Mission Engagement. In this new role, she works with the general secretary to develop a strategy to broaden Global Ministries’ missional engagement within the UMC and with Pan Methodist, ecumenical and other global partners. Dee comes to Global Ministries with a wide range of experience across the United Methodist connection. She served 20 years on the staff of the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church in Columbus, Ohio. As director of Mission and Justice, a role she held for 12 years, she created mission partnerships between West Ohio and United Methodist entities in Mexico, Southeast Asia, Russia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Locally, she built mission collaborations around health equity, justice for women, racial justice, and inclusion of youth in ministry.

For her last eight years at the conference, she served as director of Connectional Ministries, overseeing missional relationships, camping ministries, lay leadership, and ministries related to diversity and inclusion of all people in church life. Prior to joining the West Ohio Conference staff, Dee served seven years as the assistant dean of Student Life and director of the Course of Study School at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio.

Ordained as a deacon in the UMC in 1999, Dee says her deacon identity has always been characterized by direct involvement in ministries that serve the needs of others. Two of the direct projects of which she is most proud demonstrate her commitment to mission at both the local and global levels. Locally, she has served as a charter board member of the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio, a nonprofit health care agency that provides free medications, health screenings, and wellness checks to low- and moderate-income families in Franklin County. Globally, she has been instrumental in building relationships to support and endow Wings of the Morning, an emergency medical aviation ministry in the North Katanga Conference in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dee was born and raised in Englewood, Ohio. She graduated from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Art in Psychology and Religion. She earned a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been married for 30 years to her husband, Ed Miner, and is the proud parent of three adult children, Special Olympics USA Games medalist Sarah Kate, religion scholar Allison, and jazz trumpeter Lucas. Her deacon secondary appointment is at McKinley United Methodist Church in Dayton, Ohio, and she maintains strong involvement in the United Methodist Church for All People in Columbus, Ohio.

Contact

Haley M. Reardon

Chief Development Officer

Haley M. Reardon is the chief development officer for Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry. She leads both agencies in advancing their global work through strategic fundraising and donor engagement. Haley oversees the planning, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive fundraising initiatives supporting education, ministry, mission, and humanitarian programs. Her responsibilities include cultivating major gifts, planned giving, direct response and digital fundraising, and disaster response fundraising. She also works closely with board and agency leadership to strengthen relationships with key donors and stakeholders.

A bilingual fundraising professional, Haley has over a decade of experience in nonprofit development, donor relations, and major gift fundraising. Since 2020, she served on the development team at Emory University’s School of Medicine, most recently as director of development. At Emory, she successfully led philanthropic initiatives resulting in endowed professorships and programs, while consistently exceeding fundraising goals. Prior to Emory, Haley held fundraising roles at Wesley Theological Seminary, where she expanded giving programs and strengthened donor engagement.

Haley holds a Bachelor of Arts from Birmingham-Southern College and a Master of Divinity from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Following her graduation from Candler, she served for several years as a licensed local pastor at Pleasant View Charge of The United Methodist Church in Winchester, Virginia.

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Susan Clark

Chief Communications Officer

Susan Clark serves as chief communications officer for Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry. She leads the communications function in articulating the messaging of the work and ministry of both agencies to key stakeholders and the public. Susan is a mission-driven marketing and communications executive with experience in nonprofit, higher education, cultural and corporate settings. After graduating from Duke University, she began her professional career running the Harvest of Hope program at the Society of St. Andrew (SOSA), a church-supported hunger education and relief organization that is one of Global Ministries’ Advance partner projects.

She opened SOSA’s first regional office in North Carolina. After earning her Master of Business Administration degree at Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, she worked at S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Eastman Kodak Company and the High Museum of Art. Prior to accepting her position with Global Ministries, she served for almost ten years as associate dean for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer at Emory University School of Law, overseeing the school’s internal and external digital and print communications efforts, recruitment marketing strategies, event management and journals publication program. Susan has lived in Atlanta for many years, but she still calls the Eastern Shore of Maryland home.

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Kerri Broussard

Director, Human Resources

Kerri Broussard is the director of Human Resources at Global Ministries. The HR department is responsible for providing support to Global Ministries employees during their employment lifecycle, which commences with recruitment and onboarding, continues through talent management and ends with offboarding or retirement. Kerri’s knowledge of Global Ministries spans her 18 years of service with the organization.

She is a member of both local and national chapters of the Society of Human Resource Management. She holds a bachelor’s degree and is a Senior Certified Professional through the SHRM. Kerri was born on the island of Jamaica, migrated to the U.S. with her family at age 3 and grew up in New York City. She and her husband Chris have three children: Adam, Adalyn and Addison.

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Roland Fernandes

General Secretary

Roland Fernandes became the general secretary (chief executive) of Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) on Sept. 1, 2020, having filled key leadership roles in the organizations since 1995. He added to his responsibilities when he became general secretary of Higher Education and Ministry on July 1, 2024. With more than 30 years of experience at Global Ministries, Roland was both chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Global Ministries/UMCOR from 2003 and several times served as interim general secretary. He oversees programs, projects and partners in 115 countries, including 250 missionaries in 70 countries. UMCOR is the church’s relief and development organization.

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Meg Lassiat

Executive Director of Ministry

The Rev. Meg Lassiat serves as the executive director of ministry for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. She leads the ministry team in areas related to licensed and ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church – including enlistment, candidacy and credentialing of clergy; theological education; conference relations for deacons, elders and local pastors; and continuing formation for clergy. Previously, Meg served in the Division of Ordained Ministry from 2005–2020. She has also served at the United Methodist General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and in many local churches.

Meg has spent her career investing in churches, communities and providing opportunities for others to pursue their call. She is an ordained deacon in the Indiana Conference and a graduate of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. At the conference level, she has served on district and conference Boards of Ordained Ministry and as a jurisdictional delegate. She finds great fulfillment in working with teams to imagine, dream, build and grow in ways that make a difference in the lives of others. She enjoys hiking, vacationing at the beach, and traveling to new places.

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Philip Wingeier-Rayo

Executive Director of Education, GBHEM

Philip Wingeier-Rayo serves as the executive director of education for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Previously, Phil has taught in theological education for 25 years at the Seminario Baez Camargo in Mexico City, Pfeiffer University, Perkins School of Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and Wesley Theological Seminary, where he served as dean for four years. He was deployed as a General Board of Global Ministries missionary for 15 years, primarily in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Phil is the author of five books: “John Wesley and the Origins of Methodist Mission” (Abingdon 2025), “La Evangelización y la Misión de Dios: Una Teología Bíblica” (Foundery Books 2020), “Where are the Poor? A Comparison of the Ecclesial Base Communities and Pentecostalism — A Case Study in Cuernavaca” (Pickwick 2011), “Cuban Methodism: The Untold Story of Survival and Revival” (Dolphins & Orchids 2006), and “La Biblia atraves de los ojos de Juan Wesley” (Discipleship Resources 2019), which will come out in English later this year. He and his wife, Diana, live outside of Washington, D.C., and have three adult children.

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Dr. David W. Scott

Senior Director, Theology and Strategic Planning

Dr. David W. Scott is senior director of Mission Theology and Strategic Planning at Global Ministries and Higher Education & Ministry, where his work helps United Methodists around the world reflect on how best to join in God’s mission in the present day. He coedited the book “Methodism and American Empire: Reflections on Decolonizing the Church” and has also edited or written “Unlikely Friends,” “The Practice of Mission in Global Methodism,” “Methodist Mission at 200,” “Crossing Boundaries,” and “Mission as Globalization” as well as numerous articles and book chapters. He previously taught religion and leadership at Ripon College.