Our Staff & Board - Reconciling Ministries

Our Staff

Rev. Dr. Israel (Izzy) Alvaran

Organizer

Rev. Dr. Israel (Izzy) Alvaran

Pronouns: he/him

Izzy is a self-avowed gay United Methodist elder from the Philippines appointed as RMN’s Organizer in the Western and North Central jurisdictions.

He has also served as pastor, conference youth director, faculty in United Methodist educational institutions, labor union organizer, and economic justice organizer with the General Board of Church and Society. He earned his Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees in the Philippines and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. A former political refugee, he is passionate about human rights and believes that queer justice is inherently intersectional.

Resources Manager

Rev. Emily Bagwell

Pronouns: she/her

A native Georgian, Emily attended Berry College in Rome, GA, and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., for her Masters of Divinity. Ordained as an elder in The UMC in 2017, she previously served two churches in the Atlanta area.

Emily is passionate about community engagement and inclusion. You can find her wandering in the woods, training for the next half marathon, and cooking with her family.

Emily deeply desires to see the Church she loves make room for all of God’s people. She thinks expanding one’s heart can be a freeing way to live and an embodiment of God’s kingdom.

Accountant & Bookkeeper

Patricia Charles

Pronouns: she/her

Patricia has over 30 years of executive administrative and finance experience. She has worked with Merrill Lynch, GMAC, and First American. She is the mother of two children, Donald and Evelyn, and she has six grandchildren. She was born an only child, but her parents bought their home on a block with fourteen boys and six girls, so she has fourteen brothers and six sisters. In addition to her two kids and six grandchildren, she has eight step-daughters and five godsons, giving her an additional 18 grandchildren.

For an only child, she considers herself truly blessed and highly favored.

Director of Fund Development

Kathy Cheney-Egan

Pronouns: she/her

Kathy Cheney-Egan has served as Director of Fund Development since 2015. Kathy is a Diaconal Minister in The UMC with master’s degrees in social work and divinity. Feeling called to social justice ministry, Kathy has spent her professional life working with nonprofits. Developing relationships with donors is deeply rewarding work to her.

Kathy lives in Evanston, IL, with her husband John, child Rachel, cat Mochi, and dog Oliver. She is a member of First United Methodist Church in Evanston, where she serves on the Reconciling Task Force.

Director of Communications

Ophelia Hu Kinney

Pronouns:she/her

Ophelia is the child of immigrants. She lives in Maine with her wife, and she serves as the Worship Coordinator at HopeGateWay in Portland.

Although she grew up in an agnostic household, Ophelia became a Christian as a young adult. Now, she is constantly reimagining and recommitting to the way of Jesus.

Executive Director

Jan Lawrence

Pronouns: she/her

Jan, her wife Lindi, and their Welsh Terrier Higgins split their time between Rome, GA and Washington, D.C. Jan and Lindi met at Wesleyan College in Macon, GA, where Jan is the President-elect of the Alumnae Association.

Jan is motivated for justice, equity, and inclusion in the Church and world. She is a part time student at Wesley Theological Seminary. Before RMN, Jan spent 35 years working for Harris Corporation in Engineering and Program Management.

Her experiences of harm in the Church drive her passion for a Church that models Jesus’ example of love and focus on marginalized peoples.

Organizer

Helen Ryde

Pronouns: they/them

Helen was born and brought up in the UK and moved to the United States in 1998. Helen has been on the Organizing Team at RMN since 2012. Prior to RMN they worked as a VP in a financial services company and a special needs teacher. They have a post-graduate degree in secondary education from Canterbury Christ Church University. Helen was consecrated as a Home Missioner in the Order of Deaconess & Home Missioner in 2016.

Helen lives at Lake Junaluska in North Carolina with their spouse Kate and dog Bella. They love swimming in the lake and walking around it, and they aspire to stand-up paddle-board on it. They also love live music, playing pickleball, and meeting people for coffee or tea (let them know if you’re passing through Lake J!)

Fund Development Specialist

Jennifer Vonessen

Pronouns: she/her

Jennifer is a wife and mother, dog mom, and fierce advocate for change. Her background is a wild mix of experience and study. Her education focused on English writing and communication and her experience concentrated on digital outreach, content, and fundraising. She is a proud mom of a trans son and hopes to create a safe space in The Fountain church, where they are members, for anyone seeking a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Organizer

Laura Young

Pronouns: she/her

A member of the Texas Conference, Laura is a Deaconess appointed to RMN as an organizer. She’s an advocate for biblical scholarship and theological education for laity and is deeply committed to LGBTQ affirmation in The UMC. When asked why she’s called to Reconciling work Laura shares, “Because the Church I love is hurting people I love.”

Laura values the rich relationships within the Reconciling family, loves connecting RUMs, and believes that personal stories can change the Church. She’s been a delegate to Jurisdictional Conference and has helped connect and resource General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates since 2008.

Our Board

Mychal Boyd

Board Member

Janet Duke

Board Member

Mary Gladstone-Highland

Board Member

Rev. Joey Heath-Mason

Board Member

Rev. Dr. Ron Hoellein

Board Member

Jay Horton

Board Member

Rev. Dan Levine

Board Member

Rev. Kennedy Mwita Thomas

Board Member

Karen G. Prudente

Board Member

Rev. Kimberly Scott

Board Member

Sutton Smith

Board Member

Rev. Scott Spencer

Board Member

Rev. Deborah Stevens

Board Member

Jacob Vaughn

Board Member

Ben Weger

Board Member

Derrick Scott III

Board Member

Pamela Curry

Board Member

Rev. Mina Nau

Board Member

Rev. Valerie L. Jackson, D.Min.

Board Member

Mychal Boyd

Pronouns: he/him

Mychal is 34 years old and a native of the “Magic City,” Birmingham, AL. He works as a Clinical Informaticist at a large metropolitan hospital. He is engaged to Jake Haynes. They’ve been together for 6 years, share a home together, and they have a fur baby named Freya.

He is currently a member of First United Methodist Church, where he had the privilege of serving on several committees, including the Executive Council, which he chaired. He has marched in a few PRIDE parades with his church and formed some lifelong friendships.

Whenever he has a moment to himself, you can find him catching a horror flick, dancing to his favorite Taylor Swift song, or belting a note or two.

Board Member

Janet Duke

Pronouns: she/her

Janet serves on the Parents Reconciling Network board.

Retired from IBM, Janet worked for 10 years with Service Dogs, Inc., a non-profit that trains Service Dogs. After the 2016 election, she was moved to do something more social justice-focused and founded Strong Family Alliance (SFA).

Encouraged by her love for her lesbian daughter, Janet and her team built an evidence-based, informational website to help struggling or rejecting parents become allies and LGBTQ+ youth come out safely. Today www.strongfamilyalliance.org reaches over 100,000 new site visitors annually, in dozens of countries.

Currently living in Austin, TX, Janet also serves on the Parents Reconciling Network board.

Board Member

Mary Gladstone-Highland

Pronouns: she/her

Mary is the founder and CEO of Spark Group LLC, a nonprofit consulting firm. She is a Certified Nonprofit Professional with fourteen years of experience leading organizations. Mary is a graduate of the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She holds a Master of Public Administration and a Certificate in Advanced Study in Conflict and Collaboration. She is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive and has raised over $3.4 million for numerous organizations over the past five years.

Mary is skilled at analyzing large amounts of information to find creative solutions to complex problems. She strives to use an asset-based approach in every situation.

She has served as a commissioned missionary from the Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church for 12 years, first as a US-2 and then as a Church and Community Worker. She passionately believes that all persons are loved by God and that everyone deserves a church that honors their dignity and personhood.

Mary is a mom of two, a rescue pit-bull owner, and an avid Harry Potter fan. She lives in Michigan.

Board Member

Rev. Joey Heath-Mason

Pronouns: he/him

Rev. Joey Heath-Mason grew up in southern Georgia. Pastor Joey has over a decade of pastoral ministry experience. He has served in three local church settings as well as 6 years in campus ministry. What excites Pastor Joey about ministry is the opportunity to share love, grace, and dignity with all while working to make the world around us better. He is also passionate about justice and inclusion of the excluded and forgotten. Pastor Joey lives in the DC area with his husband Matthew, daughter Amaya, son Andre, and their dog Abbi.

Board Member

Rev. Dr. Ron Hoellein

Pronouns: he/him

Ron is a retired UM clergy-person. He is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College, Garrett Evangelical Seminary (M.Div) and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (D. Min Pastoral Care). In his years under appointment, Ron served eight years in a two point Appalachian rural charge, eleven years in a small college community in northwestern PA. and 22 years as lead pastor in a large multiple staff, suburban congregation. In each of these settings he came to know LGBTQIA+ persons. These individuals inspired him to work for inclusion for all of God’s people.

Ron has served in the Western PA Annual Conference as Registrar and Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry. He has been incorporator in several non-profit corporations seeking to serve senior citizens, health care, and youth. For the last 20+ years, Ron has taught and consulted with nearly 50 congregations on developing what it means to be a Purpose, Mission, and Vision driven community of faith. He also currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of United Methodist Church Union, an urban, inner city nexus of meal, education, housing, transient, and children at risk programs. He is active in the WPA Reconciling Ministry Task Force.

Ron and Joyce met on their first day of classes at Wesleyan. Their four grown children and their spouses are scattered in four different states with their eleven grandchildren.

Ron believes and preaches a gospel of full inclusion and desires to be part of a church that welcomes, affirms, and celebrates the gifts, graces, and call of every individual to grow the church and bring forth the realm, reign, and kingdom of God in our midst.

Board Member

Jay Horton

Pronouns: he/him

Jay is a Colorado-born, Virginia-raised, and Georgia-grown public relations professional and nonprofit leader. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a Master of Divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

Currently, Jay leads communication strategy for Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, a nonprofit working to mobilize people of faith toward climate action. Prior to that, he served in various leadership roles in United Methodist churches across North Georgia including Roswell UMC, East Cobb UMC, and Atlanta First UMC. Jay is a certified candidate for ordained ministry in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church pursuing deacon’s orders. He is a member of Glenn Memorial UMC in Atlanta and serves on their Reconciling Ministries leadership team.

Jay is happily married to Robert Jeremy Burns, a Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Wellstar Health System. They are dads to a two-year-old pup, Magnolia June. When not working, Jay enjoys reading, running, traveling, and hanging out with his nieces.

Board Member

Rev. Dan Levine

Pronouns: he/him

Dan is a transgender Licensed Local Pastor and seminarian at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, GA. He is a member of the New York Annual Conference and is the convener of RMN’s extension ministry, the United Methodist Alliance for Transgender Inclusion. He is passionate about intersectional justice and creating space for Public Theological education and conversations.

Board Member

Rev. Kennedy Mwita Thomas

Pronouns: he/him

Rev. Kennedy Mwita Marwa lives in Kenya. He is married to Francisca Elnora Mwandau and is the Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church Moheto (FUMC).

Rev. Kennedy has served as District Superintendent of South Nyanza District in Kenya. He also served in the Ethiopia Annual Conference for six years until 2019. Currently, he is the conference chair of the Board of Church & Society as well as the conference statistician.

Board Member

Karen G. Prudente

Pronouns: she/her

Karen G. Prudente is an activist queer laity with a passion for inclusion, equity, and justice and concerns for women, children, and youth. She’s currently the RMN Board Treasurer and has had many roles in finance, HR, and operations in real estate, conservation, education, microfinance and ecumenical/United Methodist sectors.

She has served with the Women’s Division/GBGM. She is currently a NEJ rep on The Connectional Table and a GC2021 reserve delegate for NY Annual Conference and a jurisdictional delegate to the NE Jurisdiction.

Board Member

Rev. Kimberly Scott

Pronouns: she/her

Rev. Kimberly Scott is a cradle United Methodist. Kimberly was nicknamed “Revival Baby” after her mother gave birth to her two months early after leaving a Fall Revival. Her seeds for ministry were planted at an early age by a father who served as the Lay Leader and a mother who was the Children’s Choir Director during her childhood.

Kimberly is a second career pastor who left her high school counseling career to answer her call to ministry in 2012 after a series of signs from God and traumatic church experiences. While she loved working with students, God was calling her to help the young persons who were being harmed by the Church. You see, her time working as a school counselor allowed her to come in contact with many students who were wrestling with their sexuality, depression, and suicidal ideation due to their religious upbringing. It was also an experience with which she was familiar.

Kimberly has lived most of her adult life as an out queer (same gender-loving) woman and has both witnessed and experienced the challenges of straddling the trifecta of intersections of sexuality, race, and gender in The United Methodist Church. Pastor Kimberly has a passion for doing liberating work of Jesus Christ. Most importantly, she wants to see ALL of GOD’s children experience the radical hospitality and inclusion in the Church that we see exhibited by Jesus throughout the Gospel.

Pastor Kimberly holds a Masters of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology and Masters of Theology from Columbia Theological Seminary, as well as a Masters of Educational Leadership and a Masters of Science in Educational Psychology. Kimberly was ordained the first openly queer and African American female Elder in the Desert Southwest Conference and 2020. She is currently working on a PhD in Practical Theology at the Claremont School of Theology.

She has helped in the grassroots work of Reconciling Ministries Network in the Desert Southwest and Mountain Sky Conferences since 2012 and currently serves as the Board Chair of RMN.

Board Member

Sutton Smith

Pronouns: she/her

Sutton Smith is a student at Yale Divinity School, where she is earning a Master of Divinity degree. Sutton was born and raised in Alabama, and she is a candidate for ordination in the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the UMC. She completed her undergraduate degree in 2021 at Birmingham-Southern College, a Methodist liberal arts school in Birmingham, AL.

Board Member

Rev. Scott Spencer

Pronouns: he/him

Scott Spencer been the Lead Pastor of Mosaic UMC OKC, a Reconciling Congregation in Oklahoma, since 2015. He serves on the RMN board in order to do his part in moving The UMC to being a fully inclusive denomination for not only all queer people but all groups that have experienced marginalization in the church. He has served in a variety of settings in Oklahoma including associate pastor, campus minister, and senior pastor as well as working with children and youth.

Scott’s first experience with RMN was in 1992 when he was an observer at General Conference in Louisville. He and a couple of other Asbury Seminary students attended an event to learn more about RMN.

He has two cats and enjoys buying books and traveling.

Board Member

Rev. Deborah Stevens

Pronouns: she/her

Deb Stevens is a retired Elder in the West Ohio Conference, and has been an activist, advocate, and organizer for a fully inclusive and just Church for more than 20 years. Deb is a long-time supporter of RMN and a bit of a UM polity nerd and has volunteered at several General Conferences.

Deb is currently enrolled in the Upper Room Two Year Academy for Spiritual Formation, which she hopes will help equip her to deepen her own and the Church’s embrace of the Beloved Community — a place of joy, welcome, and generosity.

Deb lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her spouse, Gary. They share their time with their two grown sons’ families, including four amazing granddaughters.

Board Member

Jacob Vaughn

Pronouns: he/him

Having grown up a PK in a conservative denomination, Jacob joined The UMC in 2009 and has served in a variety of roles from music to social justice – from the local church to the annual conference.

Jacob left his corporate life in 2013 to pursue passions and causes that better matched his gifts and graces, ultimately landing him in leadership in the United Methodist Church. Known for his skills in bridge building and conflict resolution, Jacob served as the Registrar for the former Nashville Episcopal Area’s (now the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference) Board of Ordained Ministry, and currently serving in an administrative role with Nashville CARES (Community AIDS Resource & Education Services).

From rural Colorado by way of central Kentucky, Jacob makes his home in Nashville with his husband, Michael and two adult children, daughter-in-law, and twin granddaughters. Jacob is a member of Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, and serves as a Jurisdictional Conference delegate for the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference.

Board Member

Ben Weger

Pronouns: he/him

Ben Weger serves as the Worship Director at Trinity United Methodist Church in Madison, WI. Graduating with his Masters of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Ben studied theology with a focus on social justice and leadership and organizational development.

In 2014, Ben was the worship leader for the Florida Annual Conference gathering of the United Methodist Church and has served various churches in the Florida Conference since 2008.

Ben transitioned from female to male in 2015 and is passionate about building a more inclusive Church for the next generation. Ben lives in Madison, WI with his wife Leigh and their three children.

Board Member

Derrick Scott III

Pronouns: he/him

Derrick Scott III is the Executive Director and United Methodist Campus Minister for the Campus to City Wesley Foundation in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Fl. He has been leading ministry to college students and young adults for more than 18 years. He is passionate about raising up a new generation of leaders and laborers who will live as disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.

He has an undergraduate degree in history, is a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and a textbook introvert. He loves eating sushi, flying on Delta, pouring craft beer, talking church history, nerding out over accounting, and taking care of his Chihuahua-mix dog Winston and Bengal cat Julian. Most importantly, he hates mayonnaise.

Board Member

Pamela Curry

Pronouns: she/her

Pamela is currently retired and has worked in the past as a programmer, network, database, and IT manager. She has also done contract work in insurance and aerospace. She has served as the Communications Director of ACT Now! (AIDS COALITION TEXAS NOW!), was the Founding Executive Director of TAAC (Texas Aids Advocacy Coalition), and co-chaired WHAC (Western states HIV Advocacy Coalitions).

She currently lives in Dallas, TX, where she attends Northaven UMC. There, she was called to teach older elementary Sunday School. While serving with the Children’s Ministry she began a summer program “Summer Excursions with Northaven.”

As a transgender woman, Pamela is motivated to eradicate oppression and hate-motivated violence against her siblings too often excused by religious beliefs. She wants to contribute to the education of the religious community about the belovedness of the intersex, transgender, and non-binary community.

Pamela is the eldest of eight. In 2004, she was the first openly transgender Election Day Presiding Judge in Dallas County. She has served as the Election Day Presiding Judge at the Dallas County Courthouse since 2012.

Board Member

Rev. Mina Nau

Pronouns: she/her

Mina is the pastor at Good Shepherd UMC in Colorado Springs, CO. She lives in Fountain. She believes that all people should be loved no matter their background, sexual orientation, identity, race, gender, history, age, etc.She stands with those who are oppressed, walks with those whose voices need to be heard, and fights for the love of God.

She has served in ministry with the National Alliance of Pan African Seminarians (NAPAS), Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Washington, D.C., Colorado Religious Coalition of Reproductive Justice, Student Council at Iliff School of Theology, and Ethnic Youth Summit.

Mina has a Bachelor of Science in Apparel and Textiles with a minor in Design from Utah State University as well as a Masters of Arts in Fashion Design at the Academy of Art University. When she was called by God into ministry, she attended and received her Masters of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology. Mina has a Mastiff/Bulldog mix dog named Bubba – her constant sidekick and her evangelist.

Board Member

Rev. Valerie L. Jackson, D.Min.

Pronouns: she/her

Dr. Jackson is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church (UMC). With a legacy of firsts in various positions, she is now the first African American and Queer (LGBTQ) lead pastor of Cameron UMC in Denver and Congregational Resource Minister for the Mile High Metro District of the Mountain Sky Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Having a deep commitment to disrupting oppressive systems and structures, liberating and empowering persons who live under the burden of oppression, educating involuntary perpetrators of supremacy, Dr. Jackson chooses to partner and collaborate with organizations with compatible missions and values such as: the Iliff School of Theology, the Center for Health and Hope, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado and Reconciling Ministries Network.

To prepare for a life of service as a faith leader, Dr. Jackson has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Tufts University, Master of Divinity and Master of Christian Education from the Interdenominational Theological Center, and Doctor of Ministry from the Iliff School of Theology.