Workshop leaders include Dr. Sherry Daniels and Dr. Joe Connelly

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Wade Paschal

Dr. R. Wade Paschal, Jr. (Ph.D. in New Testament Studies, Cambridge University) is presentlythe Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Tulsa. He has written two books: Vital Adult Learning (Abingdon), Serving with Christ (Discipleship Resources) and contributed articles to a number of books. He was the founding Director the Beeson Center for Biblical Preaching at Asbury Seminary, and helped to develop the original course for the Beeson PastorProgram. Dr. Paschal is on the editorial advisory board of The Journal for Ministry and Management.

Debi Nixon

Debi Nixon serves as one of the Managing Executive Directors at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, with direct oversight of the Regional Campuses and Catalyst Ministry. She has served on the church staff in several key roles moving from volunteer to staff member in 1994 as the founding Director of Children’s Ministries. She is passionate about the renewal of the church and helps lead Church of the Resurrections initiatives for leadership training and resource sharing for churches across the country. Debi has a BS in Marketing and spent ten years in corporate sales, training, special event planning, and retail management.  She and her husband live in Olathe, KS.

Rev. Vance Ross

Vance Ross currently serves as the pastor of Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. He previously served as Associate General Secretary of the Discipleship Ministries Division of the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville As the AGS, he provided leadership to the DMD Administrative Team, Family Lifespan/Hispanic Latino Ministries Team, the Congregational leaders Team and the Conference Leaders Team. He also supervised the Office of Operations and Fund Development. From July, 1998 to January, 2004, Rev. Ross served as the Senior Pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Hyattsville, Maryland. This multicultural congregation experienced 43% growth in worship attendance, 1000% growth in adult Bible study and growth in new ministries. The Lay Pastor ministry that was begun under his leadership reached more than 50 families. The Shalom School After School for the Arts ministry, grew to serve more than 300 youth and children. The newly created Family to Family ministry assisted families with housing, parenting and household skills as well as coordinating needs with government agencies.

Stephen Gunter

Dr. Stephen Gunter is Associate Dean for Methodist Studies and Research Professor of Evangelism and Wesleyan Studies at Duke Divinity School. He also oversees the E. Stanley Jones Professors of Evangelism program for The Foundation for Evangelism. Professor Gunter teaches courses and oversees program emphases that relate specifically to the Methodist and Wesleyan traditions, with special emphasis on evangelism and discipleship formation.

His publications include: The Limits of Love Divine (1989), Wesley and The Quadrilateral (Co-author, 1997), Resurrection Knowledge (1999), The Quotable Mr. Wesley (1999 & 2002), John Wesley and The Netherlands (Co-author, 2002)and Considering the Great Commission (Co-editor and contributor, 2004).

Printed copies of The Recovery of a Contagious Methodist Movement, the 2011 Denman Lectures by Dr. George Hunter III will be available from Abingdon Press in Feb. 2012.