Convening Annual Conference
October 13-14
Clergy Session Oct 12
Reynoldsburg, Ohio

“Becoming One” is an important reminder of who we are and Whose we are as we cast a clear and compelling vision for our future, lift up  the values upon which we are building our movement, and celebrate the ordination of up to 150 clergy as Deacons and/or Elders. 
We look forward to this intentional gathering designed to foster healing, cast vision, offer sound instruction, and inspire us as we move forward.

Registration Closes September 25

 
Register Here
Reserve Your Hotel

Conference Overview

Clergy Session 

Thursday, October 12

Ordinands meet with Bishop Webb at 10 am. After lunch there is a clergy session, followed by a clergy & spouses dinner (buffet) and evening retreat.

 

Conference Session

(Clergy and Lay Delegates) 
Friday, October 13

An opening worship service begins at 9 am and is followed by a mid-morning roundtable discussion. Boxed lunch is at 11:30 am and is followed by a Vision-Casting session at 1pm and a business session for all delegates at 2 pm. Afternoon breakout sessions begin at 3:30 pm, then participants will have time for dinner on their own before returning for a 7 pm worship/communion service.

Saturday, October 14

A morning worship and teaching service begins at 8:30 am, followed breakout sessions. Boxed lunch is at 11:30 am. The  worship and ordination service begins at 1pm.

Conference Speakers

Bishop Emeritus Mike Lowry​

Biography

Bishop Mark Webb

Biography

Rev. Dr. Steve Cordle

Biography

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey E. Greenway

Biography

Dr. Leah Hidde-Gregory

Biography

Rev. Dr. Jessica LaGrone

Biography

David Watson

Biography

Dr. Kevin Watson

Biography

Registration, Hotel and Area Information

Registration

Clergy (and spouses) attend Oct 12-14. The Thursday evening dinner is an additional cost. Boxed lunches are provided Friday and Saturday. 

Lay delegates (one delegate per appointed clergy from each congregation/charge) attend Oct 13-14. Boxed lunches are provided in the Conference registration fee. Dinner on Friday is on your own.

Register Here before Sep 25

Hotels

The conference planning committee has arranged room block rates with five area hotels. Click below to find information on those hotels. The room blocks are held for a limited time only. Reserve soon!

There are also a few additional hotels listed in case you’d like other options. 

Find a Hotel

Local Area

Click the link below for information on nearby restaurants and attractions.

Visitor Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Clergy

Lay Delegate (One lay delegate per appointed clergy from each congregation/charge.  You must be the elected lay delegate.)

Lay Equalization Delegate (This is limited to lay members of the Conference Council, Board of Ministry, Council on Finance and Administration, Conference Sessions, and the Committee on Nominations who are NOT lay delegates from their local church/charge. Will register via a Lay Equalization Delegate registration form.)

Guest (Please know that seating in the Worship Center (the main plenary and worship space) will be limited to clergy and lay delegates with limited in-room overflow.  All sessions will be live-streamed and there is on-site overflow seating.)

Spouses (register at spouse rate)

Additional Information

Yes. A spouse can choose to attend the conference on Friday and Saturday for $75. The clergy & spouse dinner on Thursday is an additional $30.  Spouses are also welcome to come only to the clergy & spouse dinner ($30) and the ordination ceremony (no fee). On the registration form, you can choose which to purchase ( spouse conference registration, clergy & spouse dinner, or both).

Yes. As a founding organization, we're creating new processes, structures and materials for the event. There are costs for materials, space and building costs, technical and A/V support, and more. 

Early bird rate through September 1 is $125 for clergy and lay delegates to attend the conference. Spouses can register for the conference for $75.

The clergy/spouse dinner on Thursday is an additional $17 pp/$34 per couple.

After Sep 1, the conference registration rate is $175.

Boxed lunches on Friday and Saturday are included. The clergy/spouse dinner on Thursday is an additional purchase on the registration form. Dinner on Friday is on your own. See our Local Information page for restaurant ideas.

On the registration form, you'll simply check and purchase the clergy dinner. The form will also allow you to check that you'll attend the ordination (no fee). 

You'll find an area hotel on your own. Click on the hotel button above for a list of area hotels and contact information. We've negotiated discounted rates with a few hotels. Your see those listed first. Discount room rates are valid for a  limited time. Reserve your hotel soon. See area hotels here.

The Conference begins Friday Oct 13 at 9am. Clergy will attend on Thursday, Oct 12.

We encourage car pooling.

Reynoldsburg Community Church faces Graham Road (1636 Graham Road).  To reach our main parking lot/conference parking, you'll drive behind the building to the large parking area. Some additional designated spaces will be available on the church lawn.  The entrance to the conference is next to the parking lot - look for our signs and the portico covered entrance.

We'll also have some overflow parking available at Church of Christ (across the street on Graham Road). We'll have signs directing you to the best building entrance to use from there.

We have quite a few restaurants nearby including quick choices like Chipotle, McDonalds, Chik-fil-a, Culvers, and more. There are also eat-in options like Smokey Bones, Olive Garden, O'Charleys, Longhorn, Bob Evans, Panera, and more. We'll soon post information on area restaurants and their proximity on the visitor information link on this page.

 

Senior Status Clergy who are currently serving as Presiding Elders or on the Conference Senior Status Clergy who are currently serving as Presiding Elders or on the Conference Council have both voice and vote.

Paragraph 416 of the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discpline gives Senior Status Clergy who are within seven (7) years of the effective date of their alignment with the GMC to have voice and vote provided they notify the Conference Secretary 90 days prior to the annual conference session. A waiver to permit this notice to occur within 30 days (in lieu of the required 90 days) was recently obtained from the TLC of the GMC since numerous UMC clergy would not be eligible to retire until September 1st due to a variety of challenges involved in the disaffiliation process.

By September 15, 2023: Send notification that you are a senior status clergy member attending the Annual Conference to Conference Secretary Janet Lord at jflrd425@aol.com.

Additional Information

You must be the elected lay delegate from your church to register as a delegate for the conference. 

God is good. God is faithful.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 

Hebrews 10:23

Bishop Mike Lowry

Bishop Emeritus Mike Lowry

John Michael (“Mike”) Mike Lowry was raised in a nominally Methodist home in Northern Illinois.  At the beginning of his senior year in High School, the family moved to Taipei, Taiwan where Mike graduated from Taipei American School in 1968. Returning to the United States, he enrolled at Earlham College (a Quaker related school) in Richmond, Indiana.  His sojourn with a vague agnosticism was ended by a road to Damascus experience while taking a required course in Christian Beliefs.  Mike began his ministry with the Society of Friends (Quakers) sharing in pastoral leadership for Rich Square Friends Meeting in the Spring of 1972.  He graduated from Earlham in 1972 with B. A. in Political Science and Religion.  His intention to go to law school was interrupted by a reluctant enrollment in Seminary at Perkins School of Theology where in graduated with a Masters in Theology (M. Div.) in 1976.  He received his Doctor of Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1985.

Shortly after graduating from Perkins, he married Jolynn Darland.  They celebrated their 46th anniversary in 2022. They have a son Nathan & daughter-in-law Abigail and grandsons Simon and Adam; daughter Sarah & son-in-law Steven and grandchildren Grace and Sam.

Mike was elected to the episcopacy of the United Methodist Church at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in July, 2008.  He served for 13 & ½ years as the Resident Bishop of the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.  During his tenure Bishop Lowry has served the larger connection of The United Methodist Church on the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops (2012-2016), Presiding Bishop for Path One New Church Development (Discipleship Ministries 2009-2016), and President of the South-Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops (2010-2011).  He provided leadership on a variety of institutional boards including serving as a member of the United Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, the Texas Methodist Foundation Board, the Texas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees and the Texas Health Resources Board of Directors.  Past service includes the United Methodist Publishing House Board of Directors, the Perkins School of Theology, S. M. U. Executive Board, the Board of Trustees for Southwestern University, and the Methodist Children’s Home Board of Trustees among others. 

At the time of his election and consecration as bishop in July 2008, he was serving as executive director of New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to that, he was senior pastor at University United Methodist Church in San Antonio which grew from 4,800 to 5,700 members during his tenure. His previous appointments include United Methodist Churches in Austin, Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Kerrville and, while a student, serving Plymouth Park in Irving, Texas.

Prior to his election, Mike Lowry has held numerous offices including Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry, Chair of the Board of Global Ministries’ Committee on Church Extension, and Chair of the Council on Church Revitalization and Church Extension. While serving at the Executive Director for New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Conference, he led a successful conference capital campaign to fund new church starts. 

Bishop Lowry was awarded the B’nai B’rith Award in Social Ethics by Perkins School of Theology (1976) and the Harry Denman Evangelism Award from the Central Texas Conference-Foundation for Evangelism (2015).  Churches under his leadership have received numerous awards and recognitions including the Habitat for Humanity Award (2004), the President’s Award from Huston-Tillotson University (2004), the Churchmanship Award from the San Antonio Community of Churches (2003) and the Moore Award Evangelism Award three times.  He was a delegate to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1996, 2004, and 2008, as well as a delegate to the South-Central Jurisdictional Conference of United Methodist Church in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. 

Upon retirement January 1, 2022, Bishop Lowry became the Bishop in Residence at United Theological Seminary where he currently serves.  He and his wife Jolynn moved to the Eastern panhandle of West Virginia to be near family.

Mike Lowry joined the Global Methodist Church at its inception as Bishop Emeritus.  He now serves on the Transitional Leadership Council of the Global Methodist Church.  He has a passion for Christ and for the transformation of the church as mission post of the advancing Kingdom of God. He often encourages people to greater faithfulness to Jesus Christ by reminding them (and himself) in the midst of trials to “breathe deep, Jesus is still Lord!  And that is a very good thing!!

Bishop Mark Webb

Mark J. Webb currently serves as a bishop in The Global Methodist Church.

He was elected a bishop in The United Methodist Church and consecrated on July 20, 2012, at the Northeast Jurisdictional Conference. Mark served as the episcopal leader of the Upper New York Area of the United Methodist Church from September 1, 2012, until December 31, 2022. On January 2, 2023, he was received as an elder and bishop in The Global Methodist Church.

Mark holds a M. Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Shippensburg University. He also holds a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Connecticut.

He served pastorates at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Mechanicsburg, Pa. from 1994-2007, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Wormleysburg, Pa. from 1991-1994, and Linglestown United Methodist Church from 1989-1991. He served as District Superintendent of the York District of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church from 2007-2012.

Mark currently serves as a Trustee of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

He received the Harry Denman Evangelism Award in 2002 and in 2018, was named as one of the top 100 leaders by the John C. Maxwell Transformational Leadership Award.

Mark encourages clergy and laity to work together in the development of discipleship pathways that will point people to Jesus Christ and bear fruit for the kingdom of God. He has a passion for Christ-following leadership development, new faith communities and ensuring existing congregations grow in vitality and fulfill the mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly and witness boldly”.

He is a native of Williamsport, Pa., and is married to Jodi. Mark and Jodi live in Lititz, PA and have two sons, Tyler, who is married to Lyndsay and Benjamin, who is married to Mary.

Rev. Dr. Steve Cordle

Rev. Dr. Steve Cordle is the founding and lead pastor of Crossroads Church, a cell-based congregation with four locations in the Pittsburgh metro area.

He is also the Executive Director of The River Network International, a non-profit dedicated to starting and strengthening churches around the world. He also coaches pastors and church planters.

He is the author of three books: The Church in Many Houses; Hear It, See It, Risk It; and A Jesus-Shaped Life.

Steve was named Outstanding Doctoral Alumnus at United Theological Seminary and is a winner of the Denman Award for evangelism. He chaired the Church Multiplication Task Force for the Wesleyan Covenant Association.

Cordle is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended high school in Brussels, Belgium. It was there that he came to faith in Christ and sensed a call to ministry.

In his spare time, Steve likes to play softball, run, play classical piano, and cheer on any Pittsburgh sports team.

Cordle is a graduate of Wittenberg University (BME), Asbury Theological Seminary (MDiv), and United Theological Seminary (DMin).

Steve and his wife Linda have three grown sons, three daughters-in-love, and five grandchildren.

Jeff Greenway

Rev. Dr. Jeff Greenway

President Pro-Tempore

After 35 years in the United Methodist Church, Dr. Jeff Greenway became an elder in the Global Methodist Church in January of 2023.

He is currently the Lead Pastor of Reynoldsburg Community Church, a Global Methodist Congregation in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Prior to his 2006 appointment to that congregation, he served as President of Asbury Theological Seminary, Superintendent of the Pittsburgh East District of the Western Pennsylvania Conference, and as Pastor of congregations in Butler and Erie, Pennsylvania.

Jeff has a passion for seeing people come to a saving faith relationship with Jesus Christ. He believes that every member of the Body has a distinctive role and function in ministry. Through his commitment to Christ-centered, Bible-based teaching, Jeff leads the church to become all that God has intended and equipped them to be. He is a gifted leader, preacher, teacher, and servant.

Jeff is a graduate of Mount Union College, Asbury Theological Seminary and Wesley Theological Seminary. He is married to Beth and together they are parents to three adult children and their spouses: Nathan and Rachel, Joe and Suzanne, and Paige and Chris. God has blessed them with eight grandchildren.

Dr. Leah Hidde-Gregory

Dr. Leah Hidde-Gregory currently serves as the President Pro Tempore for the Global Methodist Church’s Mid Texas Annual Conference. After 30 years in the United Methodist Church, she became an Elder with the Global Methodist Church in June of 2022. During her ministry she has served as a laywoman in the Oklahoma Conference, as a pastor in the North Texas Conference and the Central Texas Conference.  Before leaving the UMC, she sat on the Central Texas Cabinet of the UMC as a District Superintendent for six years, including serving as Dean of the Cabinet for five years.

Leah has a heart and a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.  She has spent much of her ministry in church revitalization, revival and church growth.  She is excited about the Global Methodist Church and the orthodox witness which is being awakened within our congregations as they discern their next faithful step.

She holds a Doctorate in Ministry in Church Leadership Excellence from Wesley Theological in Washington, D.C.; a Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology; and a bachelor’s in psychology and sociology from Texas A&M Commerce.   She is married to partner in ministry, Stan.  They have two daughters and sons-in-law and a son Will who is still at home.

Rev. Dr. Jessica LaGrone

Rev. Dr. Jessica LaGrone is the Dean of the Chapel at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. She enjoys mentoring and multiplying as she serves as pastor to a vibrant seminary community. She is an acclaimed teacher, preacher, and author whose engaging communication style endears her to groups throughout the United States. A native of Texas, Jessica is an ordained elder in the Global Methodist Church where she also serves as a member of the denomination’s Transitional Leadership Council. She previously pastored in churches in the Houston area including eight years at The Woodlands Methodist Church where she served as Pastor of Worship.  

She holds an MDiv from Asbury Seminary and a DMin in Transformational Preaching from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University with a concentration on Creativity in Preaching.  Jessica’s latest book, Out of Chaos: How God Makes New Things Out of the Broken Pieces of Life, explores the beauty that God can bring out of the chaotic state of our lives and our world. Jessica’s books and studies have been used in personal and group studies around the world, and include Namesake, Under Wraps, Broken and Blessed, Set Apart, and The Miracles of Jesus.
 
Jessica and her husband, Jim, have two children, Drew and Kate, and a dog named Bluebell, who is the color of Homemade Vanilla ice cream.

David Watson

David F. Watson is Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He has authored or edited a number of publications, including Key United Methodist Beliefs (with William J. Abraham), Wesley, Wesleyans, and Reading Bible as Scripture (edited with Joel B. Green) and has written a variety of articles and book chapters. His most recent book is Scripture and the Life of God: Why the Bible Matters Today More than Ever (Seedbed, 2017).  At present he is working on a book on Methodism and the Bible. He serves as Lead Editor of Firebrand and is one of the hosts of the Firebrand Podcast. 

David is an elder in the Global Methodist Church and serves on its Transitional Leadership Council. He and his family attend Stillwater Church in Dayton, Ohio.

Kevin Watson

Kevin M. Watson is passionate about raising up the next generation of leaders for the Church of Jesus Christ. To this end, he is the Director of Academic Growth & Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary. Kevin is anchored at Asbury’s Tulsa Extension Site, where he is also Scholar in Residence at Asbury Church. In his academic and teaching ministry he has worked to unplug the ancient wells of the 18th and 19th century evangelical revivals so Christians today can drink from their living water. His research, writing, and teaching has particularly focused on the practice of small group formation through Wesleyan class and band meetings and the doctrine of entire sanctification. He has written or contributed to ten books, including The Class Meeting, Perfect Love, and Old or New School Methodism? Watson has fifteen years of experience in seminary education and pastoral ministry. Kevin is married to Melissa and they are the proud parents of three children. Connect with Kevin at: kevinmwatson.com.