Tom was born in Michigan and is the oldest of seven children. He served churches in the Detroit Conference, Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada and served as Council Director, Director of Congregational Development and District Superintendent in the Desert Southwest Conference. In 1994, Tom developed a passion for starting new churches when he was asked to become the Council Director. During Tom’s tenure, the Desert Southwest launched an ambitious and ultimately successful campaign to start 24 churches in six years. 92% of these congregations are self-reliant and viable today. Since 2001, Tom has been involved in developing and supporting a National Strategy Plan for Starting New Churches and is looking forward to continuing that work into the future. When asked what excites Tom most, he simply and emphatically replies, “Starting new churches!”
 

Bener is originally from Manila, Philippines. Prior to his coming to the United States, he served the United Methodist Church in the Philippines as a local pastor, new church developer, and district superintendent for over 20 years. Previously, he was a delegate to the 1996 and 2000 Philippines Central Conference and the 2000 General Conference, representing the Philippines Annual Conference.

In 2002, Bener transferred his membership to Wisconsin Annual Conference, where he served as local pastor for Cicero and Seymour congregations as chair of the Asian Caucus and the Conference Board of Congregational, Parish, and Circuit Ministry Development. Bener joined the General Board of Discipleship staff in January 2007, serving as director of Conference and Ethnic Church Stewardship.

Debra was born in Ajo, Arizona and grew up in Flagstaff.  She married a military man (US Air Force) and lived in Texas, Arkansas, Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma and Belgium.  Debra has worked as a civilian for the Department of Defense as an Executive Assistant for many years.  After her husband retired from the USAF in 1997, the family moved to the Nashville area.  Debra is new to the GBOD but not new to the Administrative career field.  She enjoys spending time with family especially her grandson.  Debra is very enthusiastic about her role with Path 1.

Becky is originally from Ypsilanti, MI.  She moved to Nashville with her family when she was in junior high.  Becky graduated with a degree in ChristianMinistries with an emphasis in Missions from the Free Will Baptist Bible College in May, 2006.  Becky has been at GBOD since January, 2006.  She begin in the Discipleship Ministries Division has recently moved to the New Church Starts Team as of April, 2009.  Becky enjoys spending time with her family; especially her niece.

Candace is an Ordained Elder from the Florida Annual Conference. Upon graduation from Gammon Theological Seminary, she was appointed to plant a new church.  Candace and a team of committed laity have spent the last 12 years successfully planting the New Life Community UMC, a new African American congregation in Jacksonville, Florida. Their book, A New Day: A New Way - Planting, Starting & Revitalizing Ministries (2009), will be available through Discipleship Resources soon. Candace is a sought after preacher, leader, coach, consultant and passionate servant of the church.

Paul Nixon is author of four books on church leadership, the latest of which is titled: Finding Jesus on the Metro: And Other Surprises Doing Church in a New Day.  Paul serves part time on the Path 1 team and part time as a mission developer working with young urban adults in the Washington DC area. Previously he served as Director of Congregational Development for Alabama-West Florida Conference and as the founding pastor of the Soundside Campus of Gulf Breeze UMC in northwest Florida.

Emily Reece joins the staff of Path 1 from United Methodist Communications, where she served as Director of Program and Training for Igniting Ministry, the denomination’s “Open hearts” advertising and welcoming ministry. A veteran  of two new church launch teams, Reece brings the perspective of a lay staff person to her new role. Prior to her seven years of ministry at the denominational level, Reece served congregations in Illinois and Indiana.

Gary has been serving as a pastor in the United Methodist Church since the age of 18. His passion for fruitful ministry over the years as pastor, fund-raising consultant and leadership coach has resulted in revitalizing existing congregations and planting two new communities of faith. Gary believes the best days of our church are yet ahead of us and is excited to be part of a team that will re-imagine what it means to be the church as we seek to re-evangelize our new United States. Gary is the author of two books focused on spiritual leadership and congregational development: The Meandering Way-Leading by Following the Spirit (2007) and Imagining Church: Seeing Hope In a World of Change (2009) which he co-wrote with his wife Kim, both published by Alban Institute. Gary and Kim have two sons, Aaron and Jake.

Samuel Rodriguez was a commissioned missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church from October 2000 to May 2009. In the last seven years, he was assigned to the Central Texas Conference as Conference Coordinator for Hispanic/ Latino Ministries. While serving there, Sam facilitated training opportunities for the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry. As a staff member of the Office of Church Growth and Development, Sam helped create opportunities for several Hispanic /Latino New Church Starts. He holds BA in English and American Literature from the University of Texas in El Paso and an MA in Christian Service from Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University. Sam is married to Demetria J. Rodriguez, and they have two children, Samuel Joseph, 19, and Vanessa Rae, 15.

Blanca was born in Chicago, Illinois, but has lived in Nashville, Tennessee for most of her adult life. She is of Mexican heritage and fluent both in the English and Spanish languages. She has been with the GBOD since 1988 and represents the Office of Hispanic/Latino Ministries as Assistant Director for Hispanic/Latino Ministries for New Church Starts. Blanca’s role is to support the implementation of a comprehensive plan for promoting and marketing resources and training that will help meet the goal of 75 chartered Hispanic churches and 500 new Hispanic faith communities, also to form and coordinate the network of persons who lead new faith communities and/or who start new churches that serve the Hispanic/Latino community.

Alma joined the General Board of Discipleship in June 2000, as the Acquisitions Editor for Spanish Language Resources. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she obtained a master’s degree in public administration, with concentration in training and a bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies/foreign languages (Portuguese, Italian and French), from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. In addition, she has taken studies leading to a master’s degree in Instructional Systems and Educational Technology at the University of Sacred Heart in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Alma is married to Migdiel E. Pérez. They have the blessing of having a wonderful five-year-old boy named Dale Esteban. They worship and serve God at Hamilton United Methodist Church, Antioch, Tennessee.