Conference announces staff changes, reorganization

The Oklahoma Conference has announced several staff changes as the result of staff retirements, realignment and consolidation.

Rev. Jeremy Basset, who previously served as the director of the Office of Mission, has retired from the Oklahoma Conference. Basset will serve as the Director of Long-Term Recovery for to help complete disaster response work in the eastern part of the state. He will also continue to work with both the Mission and Service Ministry Team and the Woodworth Trust. 

To ensure the conference continues its missional work in a strategic way, three staff members are taking on new work and new titles. Lori Foster will be the associate director of connectional ministry for Mission, Rebekah Hasty will be the associate director of connectional ministry for Programs and Development, and Rev. Nancy Johnson will be the associate director of connectional ministry for Leadership & executive secretary for the Board of Ordained Ministry. Additionally, Rev. Bessie Hamilton, the coordinator for Multi-Ethnic Initiatives, will move from quarter to half-time at the conference office. 

Finally, Rev. Bryan Tener, the director of contextual evangelism and church planting at Discipleship Ministries, will occupy an office in the conference building beginning this month. Though Discipleship Ministries is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, the global office is allowing employees to work remotely, allowing Tener – a member of the Oklahoma Conference – to work near home while serving ministries around the globe. 

A full list of conference staff is available on the website at okumc.org/about.