umcreationjustice@gmail.com

Movement Leaders

The Creation Justice Movement of the United Methodist church is led by many people who are acting in their local churches, in their conferences and through the work of United Methodist boards and agencies. This page includes those who are taking leadership through the work teams of the Movement. If you would like to get involved, please contact the convenors of any of the work teams. This work is open to all and you are warmly invited to join us!

Movement Coordinating Team

    • Rev. Jonathan Brake, Western North Carolina
    • Dr. Michael Paul Black, North Georgia
    • Rev. Mel Caraway, Horizon Texas
    • Rev. Dr. Mark Davies, Oklahoma
    • Rev. Sharon Delgado, California-Nevada
    • Robert Downs, West Ohio
    • Rev. Richenda Fairhurst, Pacific Northwest 
    • Jaydee Hanson, Virginia
    • Grace Pugh Hubbard, New England
    • Lynn Jobe, Tennessee Western Kentucky
    • Daniel Joranko, Tennessee Western Kentucky
    • Dawn Lewis, Western North Carolina 
    • Dr. Karen McElfish, Virginia 
    • Rev. John Pitney Oregon-Idaho
    • Rev. Paul Slentz, Tennessee-Western Kentucky
    • Lou Stagnitto, Oregon-Idaho
    • Rev. Mark Terwilliger, Susquehanna
    • Cathy Velasquez Eberhart, Minnesota 
    • Rev. Pat Watkins, North Carolina 
    • Crys Zinkiewicz, Tennessee Western Kentucky

UMC Board and Agency Advisors

    • Ilka Vega, United Women in Faith 
    • Rev. Jenny Phillips, Global Ministries 
    • Rev. Dr. Mark Davies, Higher Education

Communication Team

    • KG Brake, Communications Associate
    • Cathy Velasquez Eberhart, convener
    • Crys Zinkiewicz, editor and writer 
    • Rev. Richenda Fairhurst, writer, Cafe host 
    • Dawn Lewis, Cafe Host 
    • Rev. Jonathan Brake 
    • Robert Downs

Federal and State Policy Advocacy Team

    • Rev. Paul Slentz, convener
    • Rev. Mel Caraway
    • and many others

Worship Team

    • Rev. Laura Baumgartner 
    • Rev. Kristina Sinks
    • and many others

Green Team Promotion and Local Church Engagement

    • Grace Pugh Hubbard convener
    • and many others

Congregational Solar

    • Lou Stagnitto, Interfaith Solar Campaign
    • Rev. John Pitney, Interfaith Solar Campaign
    • and many others

Wild Churches Network

    • Rev. Corey Turnpenny, convener

Higher Education Network

    • Rev. Dr. Mark Davies, convener

Fossil Free UMC

Annual Conference Organizing Team

See also Annual Conference Teams, there are many people not listed below who are active in their annual conferences. 

North Central Jurisdiction

  • Rev. Marty Toepke-Floyd, Dakotas
  • Cathy Velasquez Eberhart, Minnesota
  • Susan Mullin, Minnesota
  • Rev. Nancy Blade, Northern Illinois
  • Robert Downs West Ohio

Northeastern Jurisdiction

  • Mike Koob, Baltimore-Washington
  • Grace Pugh Hubbard, New England
  • Rev. Mark Terwilliger, Susquehanna

South Central Jurisdiction

  • Brenda Kostner Johnson, Great Plains
  • Rev. Jeff Potter, Great Plains
  • Rev. Mel Caraway, Horizon Texas
  • Rev. Mark Brechin, Rio Texas
  • Dr. Elizabeth McCormick, South Central Jurisdiction

    Southeastern Jurisdiction

    • Cara Fleischer, Florida
    • Rev Pat Watkins, North Carolina
    • Michael Black, North Georgia
    • Daniel Joranko, Tennessee Western Kentucky
    • Rev. Paul Slentz, Tennessee Western Kentucky
    • Crys Zinkiewicz, Tennessee Western Kentucky
    • Jaydee Hanson, Virginia
    • Dr. Karen McElfish, Virginia
    • Rev. Jonathan Brake, Western North Carolina
    • Kim Richmond, Western North Carolina

    Western Jurisdiction

    • Rev. Sharon Delgado, California-Nevada
    • Mary Beth Downing, Mountain Sky
    • Dawn Givens, Mountain Sky
    • Debbie Peterson, Mountain Sky
    • Ross Janovec, Mountain Sky
    • Bob Wilson, Oregon-Idaho
    • Laura Baumgartner, Pacific Northwest
    • Rev. Richenda Fairhurst, Pacific Northwest

    Conference Coordinators

    Each Conference is required to appoint a Caretaker of God’s Creation Coordinator. This is a partial list of those that have been confirmed thus far.

    North Central Jurisdiction

      • Dakotas – Rev. Marty Toepke-Floyd
      • Indiana – Rev. Rob Barton
      • West Ohio – Mariellyn and Rev. Ryan Grace

    Northeastern Jurisdiction

      • Baltimore-Washington – Rev. Sharee Wharton
      • New England – Grace Pugh Hubbard
      • New York – Rev. Crystal Paul
      • Peninsula-Delaware – Janet Taylor-Smith
      • Susquehanna – Rev. Mark Terwilliger
      • Upper New York – Andrew Hartley

    South Central Jurisdiction

      • Arkansas – Kelly Geise
      • Great Plains – Dan Norwood
      • Horizon Texas – Rev. Mel Caraway
      • Louisiana – Rev. Emily Carroll
      • Rio Texas – Rev. Mark Brechin

    Southeastern Jurisdiction

      • Kentucky – Kevin Brown
      • North Carolina – Rev. Jane Almon
      • Tennessee-Western Kentucky – Dan Joranko
      • Virginia – Brian Christoffersen
      • Western North Carolina – Rev. Jonathan Brake

    Western Jurisdiction

      • Alaska – Rev. Dan Wilcox
      • California-Nevada – Rev. Joan Pell
      • Oregon-Idaho – Pattie Sloan
      • Pacific Northwest – Rev. Laura Baumgartner and Rev. Jackie Celin
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