- The Oklahoma Conference
- Ministry and Service
- Connectional Ministries
- Office of Transitional Ministry
- Denominational Transition Team
Denominational Transitions Team
The Denominational Transitions Team (DTT) is co-chaired by Rev. Chuck Horton and Rev. Wendi Neal and is made up of 25 participants and convened by Rev. Tish Malloy, Director of Transitional Ministries for the Oklahoma Annual Conference. The team reports to Bishop Nunn and the Full Cabinet, as well as the Oklahoma Annual Conference Trustees when addressing property issues, and the Board of Ordained Ministry Executive Committee when addressing issues specifically impacting clergy.
The DTT is working with the 2016 Book of Discipline, the Addendums to it from the 2019 Special Called General Conference, and the Disaffiliation Agreement developed by the OK Annual Conference Trustees as directed in Par. 2553. While other proposals are being discussed, the DTT is working with the language that is currently in place and is not guessing at which legislation will be passed. If the General Conference changes the Discipline or if the Council of Bishops offers additional guidance, the team will adapt. The initial DTT retreat was held in September 2021. They prayed and worshipped and worked together to establish a collective understanding of the work. The participants then self-selected into one of three teams: Discernment Processes for Congregations and Clergy, Step-By-Step Disaffiliation and Withdrawal Processes for Congregations and Clergy, or the Communications Task Group. The DTT meets quarterly. The three tasks groups meet as needed to prepare work to be presented to the Full Cabinet and other entities as necessary. The groups then report back to the full DTT.
The work of each team is described below:
Discernment Processes for Congregations and Clergy This group will develop discernment processes for those congregations and clergy who desire support in finding clarity and direction from God as to whether to remain United Methodist. Through a process of prayer and holy conversations, the DTT will provide a process for spiritual guidance to all OKUMC congregations and clergy making these important decisions.
Step-By-Step Disaffiliation Processes for Congregations or Clergy This task group created and presented a draft of a disaffiliation process for congregations that has been reviewed by the Full Cabinet. The draft has also been presented to the Oklahoma Annual Conference Trustees. The next task for this team will be to begin working on a withdrawal process for clergy.
Communications Task Group The Communications team is designed to keep you and others in our annual conference aware of what is happening in the General Conference, South Central Jurisdiction, and the OK Annual Conference regarding Denominational Transitions. This team will partner with the Communications staff of the Annual Conference to ensure that information is easily accessible on the okumc.org website. The goal of this team is to provide information on the work of the DTT, make the documents developed by the Denominational Transitions Team available and accessible through the Contact and this website.
Respectfully, The Oklahoma United Methodist Denominational Transitions Team Co-Chairs: Chuck Horton & Wendi Neal
Staff: Tish Malloy
Members: Chris Buskirk, Darrell Cates, Lee Denny, Chantelle Foster, Mark Foster, Rudy Freese, Glenda Gilpin, Robert Gorrell, Charla Gwartney, Elvyn Hamilton, James Hunt, Jen Logsdon-Kellogg, Wendi Neal, Shyloe O'Neal, Roger Parker, Adam Shanan, David Shahan, Bob Spinks, Aaron Tiger, Sonja Tobey, Susan Whitley, Harri Williams