AC23 Clergy Self-Nominees

All North Alabama ordained elders (FE) and deacons (FD) in full connection are eligible to be elected as delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference.

According to the 2016 Book of Discipline, ¶35: “The clergy delegates to the General Conference and to the jurisdictional or central conference shall be elected from the clergy members in full connection and shall be elected by the clergy members of the annual conference or provisional annual conference who are deacons and elders in full connection, associate members, and those provisional members who have completed all of their educational requirements and local pastors who have completed course of study or an M. Div. degree and have served a minimum of two consecutive years under appointment immediately preceding the election.”

The following clergy have expressed a calling and desire to serve as a clergy delegate and are willing to make the commitment to serve on the North Alabama Conference delegation. They have all submitted a self-nomination form to help other clergy learn more about them.


Matthew Andrews (FE)
Pleasant Grove UMC

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
My calling to delegation is grounded in the blessings received through the UMC. At a time when I felt lost and fearful in my pastoral ministry, the UMC adopted me into their fold with open arms and renewed my vocational spirit. I now feel called to use my fourteen years of pastoral experience and training to bless the denomination that has blessed me. Specifically, I am excited to carry on the UMC's rich history of seeking God's mission through integrity, intentionality, creativity, openness, and above all else, love.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less. 
I envision the UMC as a pioneer for what Paul calls, "a more excellent way." Our Wesleyan theology affords the UMC a unique opportunity to show the world the expansive love of Jesus Christ. When other denominations debate between evangelism and social justice, we say Jesus preached the gospel and fed the poor. When denominations argue over who should sit at the communion table, we say Jesus served the Last Supper to Peter and Judas both. When other denominations identify as either "conservative" and "liberal", we say Jesus' heaven includes conservatives, liberals, and everyone in between so we should too.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.


Kyle Bryan (FD)
United Way of East Central Alabama

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
In 2024, I believe the Church can become an inclusive church for LGBTQ+ persons if restrictive language against LGBTQ+ persons is removed. As a bisexual clergy person, I believe it's essential that LGBTQ+ voices be represented on our General Conference delegation. We are in between the Church we have been and the affirming Church God is calling us to be. LGBTQ+ voices must be included in shaping the UMC of tomorrow, and I feel God's call to be one of those formative voices.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less.
I envision a UMC where everyone experiences the freedom to wholly discover the image of God they bear. While much indicates God's divine imprint upon our lives, sexuality is an indisputable part of the person God created us to be. For me, it took years to embrace my full sexuality—a journey of self-awareness that could have been easier with the guidance and nurture of the Church. If elected to represent us, I pledge to vote to remove restrictive language against LGBTQ+ persons in the BOD so that embracing oneself fully is acceptable.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.


Emily Nelms Chastain (FD)
Appointed to School
(Boston University School of Theology PhD Program)

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
As someone pursuing a PhD in Methodist Studies, I believe the process of the General and Jurisdictional Conferences is absolutely important and necessary to the livelihood of the denomination. I love polity and have been engaged in legislative work for the UMC since 2016 as a board member of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women. I want to see the UMC collectively become a better worldwide institution, and intentional relationships across the connection are the best way to do it. I have loved doing that relational work since 2016 and want to continue doing it.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less.
I hope to see a UMC that seeks diligently to maximize its mission with all people and to find creative ways to love its neighbors near and far. I want to see the UMC be more inclusive and expansive, to live into its callings to social justice and social holiness. It is my desire to see the UMC continue to pursue God's kingdom on earth and serve people across the world without expectation and solely out of love for God and love for neighbors.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.


H.N. Gibson (FE)
East Lake UMC

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
I have been, continue to be, and will be United Methodist. God called me to serve the UMC in anyway I am able. During this difficult season and as an LGBTQ+ clergy person, I feel it is important to have LGBTQ+ representation in our delegation. For too long, we have been silenced. Now is the time for our voices to be heard. I am called to serve alongside others in our delegation and those of other conferences to carefully consider the matters at hand and find a way forward together.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less.
I see the United Methodist Church being just what it has always been and so much more, a beacon for those who yearn to know and feel the love of God. I envision a future for our denomination in which ALL may know they are welcome in our churches. I also see a denomination in need of healing and reestablished trust. Grace is a focus of the Methodist way. I seek above all else to reclaim that focus. We are called by grace to share grace that the world might be transformed by the love and grace of Christ.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.


Tammy Jackson (FE)
Anniston First

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
I am proud to remain a United Methodist and excited about our future! Schism has dominated thought and action in recent years. Released from that injurious struggle, we may move into our future more focused and united in purpose and effort. A bold, courageous path forward is needed, and the upcoming General and Jurisdictional Conferences will be historic. They will set both the tone and direction of our future. What an honor it would be to represent our Annual Conference as we begin moving toward a more united, grace-filled, and hopeful future.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less.
In Luke 9:51, Jesus "set his face" (resolutely determined) to go to Jerusalem, marking a new segment of Jesus' ministry. We stand at a similar point in our ministry as a denomination, and we must set our faces and resolutely determine to do the work God calls us to do. United Methodists must rediscover being both innovative and missional. We must be more movement than institution. Lean, agile administrative structures that empower, assist, and encourage will facilitate ministry as we extend God's grace and love to all the world.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.


Wade Langer (FE)
Executive Director of Campus Ministry

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
As an ordained elder in the UMC with a higher education and campus ministry background, I am committed to addressing our church's challenges today. I believe that the key to our future lies in a renewed focus on evangelism, a recommitment to our gracious Methodist theology, and a spirit of unity. I pray for a vibrant and inclusive church that reflects the dynamic, life-giving nature of the gospel that changed my life. From my own experiences, both personally and in ministry, I am convinced that this involves reaching younger generations in meaningful ways by providing opportunities for all individuals to experience the transformative power of Christ while discovering their purpose. As a delegate, I would be eager to contribute to shaping the future of our denomination in a way that would realize this goal.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less.
In 1864, when the Methodist movement was at its zenith in America, President Abraham Lincoln (a non-Methodist) praised the Methodists by saying, "The Methodist Church sends… more nurses to the hospital and more prayers to Heaven than any." While the times and needs change, the calling to impact the world remains the same. My hopeful vision for the United Methodist Church is that the world would be blessed by our very existence. I believe this is best done when the UMC is a place for all people to discover their God-given identity in Christ as they fulfill a God-ordained purpose. For years, I have done this with college students, systematically helping them deeply consider their faith, discern callings, and direct their lives toward a meaningful contribution to their future communities. As a delegate, I would work toward efforts that extend this vision across the denomination to see the entire world blessed.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.


Rick Owen (FE)
District Superintendent Central and South Central Districts

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
This has been a difficult and often painful season for our Annual Conference and our Denomination. One of the strengths of our church for generations has been our unity in diversity. I believe God is calling all of us as United Methodists, both clergy and laity, to focus on the purpose for which we were established, to make and grow disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. If considered as a delegate I will fulfill that call.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less.
I believe God has great things in store for the United Methodist Church in the future. Our role is to strengthen the richness of our connection as we focus beyond our differences and commit ourselves to making and growing disciples, developing those disciples as leaders, and reaching out to those in our world who are hungry for the saving grace that has transformed us.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.


Reid Turner (FE)
FUMC of Alabaster

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
This season of the church has caused hurt, harm, and distrust among many across our connection. In my heart, I want nothing more than the UMC to move forward, even as I acknowledge there is much work to be done. My hope is to use this time as an opportunity to grow in the midst of this difficult season. My desire to self-nominate for this role comes from a deep desire to help us move forward to become the church our world needs—a church that meets everyone where they are while offering the love, grace, and hope of Christ Jesus.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less.
The UMC has a great opportunity to re-vision ourselves and find ways that connect to the world in a deeper way. My vision for the UMC is to be a place that guarantees a seat at the table for every individual, regardless of our differences that each make us unique. As a body of believers, when we work towards the common goal of sharing the presence of God, we maintain a reach that is like no other. May we be the welcoming church that our communities so desperately need, reflecting the fullness of God's kingdom for the world.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.


Steve West (FE)
Jacksonville First UMC

Please state in 100 words or less why you feel called to be a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences.
I have a passion for the UMC, and during this difficult season offer a hopeful voice as we discern our way forward as one church, united in Christ. I felt compelled during recent years to stand for unity as diverse people who are "better together," and I am one of the creators, leaders, and writers for the Stay UMC movement in North Alabama. It organically emerged as we listened to the Spirit and gathered people in conversation. Ultimately, it was fundamental to preserving our conference's integrity. The work of Stay UMC represents the gifts I offer as a delegate.

Please state your vision for the United Methodist Church in 100 words or less.
The UMC exists to make disciples of Christ for world transformation. We have done best when we were creative people of grace, committed to spiritual formation, holding one another accountable to the radical love of God and neighbor. I do not believe we have lost this DNA, but we have been distracted by culture wars. I believe this next season in North Alabama gives us a fresh start to focus on our true purpose, bringing people into a vibrant relationship with Christ that leads us to love as God loves, rather than letting religion be about power and control.

If Elected I will...

  • Give 10-14 days for General Conference (April 23 to May 3, 2024 – Charlotte, North Carolina) and 5 days for Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (July 10-13, 2024 – Lake Junaluska, North Carolina).
  • Attend meetings of the North Alabama Delegation.
  • Commit the time needed to read and study the issues.
  • Pray for God's guidance in decision-making.
Discover, Develop and Deploy Spiritual Leaders to Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.