As of March 2024
Chair - The Rev. Dr. Rodney Franklin (Class of 2027) is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and staff chaplain at the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital.
He has served churches in ministerial positions in Savannah, Georgia; Cleveland, Ohio; and Birmingham, Alabama. Rev. Franklin organized an inter-church fellowship among congregations in Birmingham’s Smithfield neighborhood.
Rev. Franklin has served the UCC in many regional and national leadership capacities, including on the Boards of the Wider Church Ministries and Global Ministries.
Rev. Franklin is a graduate of Talladega College (BA), Candler School of Theology at Emory University (M.Div.), and United Theological Seminary (D.Min.)
Rev. Franklin is Chair of the Board of Trustees; Chair of the Executive, Personnel, and Governance Committees; and an ex officio voting member of all other Committees of Trustees of the Pension Boards. He is also a Director of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance.
Vice Chair - The Rev. Dr. Leslie Schenk (Class of 2025) is a member of the Pension Boards’ Investment Committee and Chair of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance (UCBMA). She is Pastor of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Madison, Wisconsin, where she has served since 2015. After her ordination in 2008, she served as Pastor for over seven years for the yoked UCC congregations in Ladysmith and Conrath, Wisconsin. At Ladysmith, she also served a mission congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, the Rev. Dr. Schenk relocated to Wisconsin in 1995 to join a Madison-based economic consulting firm. She worked as an economic consultant primarily doing cost and productivity analysis and statistical studies for a major U.S. company in a regulated industry.
The Rev. Dr. Schenk earned her Ph.D. in Economics from Michigan State University and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, one of the seminaries of the United Church of Christ.
Vice Chair - Mr. Lawrence Yunaska, CPA (Class of 2026) is the managing partner in the 15-person Cleveland accounting firm of Baumgarten & Company LLP, where he specializes in accounting, tax, and management advisory services for closely held businesses. Mr. Yunaska has been with the firm since 1978, and a partner since 1983. He, with his wife of 40 years, resides on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Yunaska is a 1973 graduate of Westlake High School and a 1977 graduate of Wittenberg University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, as well as of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Yunaska has served on various state committees for the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, as well as local Cleveland committees. He also serves as an advisor to various boards of directors of local Cleveland companies and nonprofit organizations. Mr. Yunaska was the President of the Lakewood/Rocky River Rotary Club and is currently treasurer of North Coast Health Ministry and Deaconess Foundation and serves on both Boards. He served as treasurer of the Dover Congregational Church in Westlake, Ohio for 17 years.
As Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Yunaska serves on the Pension Boards’ Executive, Governance, and Personnel Committees. He also chairs the Audit, Budget, and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)/Technology Steering Committees.
Ms. Marguerite Boslaugh, CFA, FSA (Class of 2026) has worked for Connecticut General Life Insurance Company/CIGNA for more than 40 years. As a member and then graduate of Cigna's Actuarial Executive Development program, she held various positions in Connecticut General/Cigna’s individual insurance, group pensions, corporate actuarial, and health and dental insurance operations between 1975 and 1994.
In 1994, she moved to Cigna Investment Management, working in the Portfolio Management area. Thereafter, she was named Investment Managing Director for $16 billion in total assets. She retired in 2012; however, she continues to work in Cigna Investment Management through their Encore program.
Ms. Boslaugh received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and a Chartered Financial Analyst of the CFA Institute.
Ms. Boslaugh is married to Dave Guadliana. The couple makes their home in Simsbury, Connecticut. She is a member of the First Church of Christ UCC in Simsbury, Connecticut, where she is a member of several boards. Marguerite is a member of the Pension Boards’ Investment Committee and is a Director of UCBMA.
Mr. Ángel E. Cepeda Velázquez (Class of 2025) is head of Accounting and Administration for Iglesia Evangélica Unida de Puerto Rico (IEUPR, United Evangelical Church of Puerto Rico), a UCC-related denomination comprising 100 clergy and lay church employees in 75 churches and ministry settings throughout the island. He also serves as Bookkeeping and Business Advisor of Escuela Evangélica Unida de Fajardo (United Evangelical School of Fajardo), where he oversees accounts receivable and cash flow, and as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Ryder Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Cepeda received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico (Humacao) in 2011. Mr. Cepeda brings strong business analytical skills, as well as proven experience in developing and implementing financial systems, strategic planning, staff supervision, and budget oversight.
He is a member of Iglesia Evangélica Unida Juan Martín in Luquillo, Puerto Rico.
Mr. Cepeda serves as a member of the Pension Boards Audit, Budget, and Enterprise Risk Management Committees; and the Benefits Committee.
Mr. William C. Huffman (Class of 2025) is an attorney with more than 40 years' experience in the areas of corporate law, probate administration and litigation, and elder law.
Mr. Huffman is a partner/member in a four-attorney firm, Huffman, Hunt & Klym, LLC (and its predecessors), where he is responsible for administration of office operations and supervision of attorneys and staff. Mr. Huffman served a 15-month term as Administrative and Presiding Judge of Rocky River Municipal Court in 1992-1993. Since 1999, he has served as a Special Counsel to the Attorney General of the State of Ohio. Mr. Huffman is a member of the Ohio State, Florida, and Metropolitan Cleveland bar Associations.
Mr. Huffman is a member of Dover Congregational United Church of Christ in Westlake, Ohio, where he has served on the Personnel and Nominating Committee, Church Council, and Endowment Committee. His community service has included Westlake City Council, Lakewood Civil Service Commission, Lakewood/Rocky River Rotary Club, and Westlake Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Huffman presently serves as a director of First Federal Savings and Loan of Lakewood and First Mutual Holding Company.
Mr. Huffman earned a B.A. degree in Economics from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, and a Doctor of Law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He is admitted to the bar in Ohio and Florida.
The Rev. Charmaine Penn Johnson (Class of 2028) serves as Associate Minister of Spiritual Formation at Kirkwood United Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia.
Rev. Johnson served as Associate Minister and subsequently Assistant Pastor of Victory for the World Church before accepting a call to Kirkwood UCC. She served in various lay leadership capacities at Victory prior to becoming an Associate Minister.
Rev. Johnson’s business background includes various positions in IT with Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York; Communications and Pursuit Strategist for Ernst & Young LLP in Atlanta; Business Analyst/Supervisor/Project Manager for the Georgia Department of Human Resources; and Quality Control Proofreader for Market Force Information.
Rev. Johnson’s community activities include the United Church of Christ African American Women in Ministry (AAWIM) National Steering Committee, where she serves as Co-Chair; Member in Discernment (MID) Advisor for the UCC Southeast Conference; and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Golden Life Member.
Rev. Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Loyola University New Orleans, an M.B.A. from William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester, and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.
Rev. Johnson serves as Vice Chair of the Pension Boards Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and a Director of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance.
Mr. John B. Kleiman, FSA, MAAA (Class of 2025) is retired and was most recently a consultant and Director of Opal Reassurance Limited in Hamilton, Bermuda. Mr. Kleiman is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and a Certified Life Underwriter (CLU). He has experience in pensions, health care, long-term care insurance, and reinsurance. Among the companies he has worked for are Aetna Life & Casualty (1970-1989), Conning & Company (1989-1998), Price Waterhouse Coopers (1998-2002), Hampton Re Bermuda (2002-2003), Northstar Reinsurance Bermuda (2004-2011), and Opal Reassurance Limited in Hamilton, Bermuda (2011-2018).
Mr. Kleiman has been a member of the First Church of Glastonbury, Connecticut, since 1972, where he has chaired the Board of Trustees, Stewardship Committee, Christian Service Committee, as well as a church building project committee. An active member of the community, Mr. Kleiman has been a Scoutmaster as well as President and Treasurer of the local chapter of American Field Service. Along with his wife, Barbara, he is also a founding Director of a charity that provided weekend food to needy elementary school children.
The Kleimans are the parents of two daughters, the Rev. Kristen J. Kleiman, Pastor of First Congregational Church (UCC) in Bristol, Connecticut, and Kimberly Lynch, a kindergarten-grade teacher in New Hampshire.
Mr. Kleiman earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Actuarial Science degrees from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Kleiman serves as a member of the Pension Boards Benefits Committee and a Director of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance.
The Rev. Dr. Carol E. Lytch (Class of 2025) is President Emerita of Lancaster Theological Seminary, one of the seminaries of the United Church of Christ.
Prior to assuming the presidency of Lancaster in 2011, Dr. Lytch served as Assistant Executive Director of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), an accrediting agency for theological schools in the United States and Canada. She has also served as Coordinator of the Lilly Endowment’s Program for Strengthening Congregational Leadership, and has been a visiting scholar and researcher-in-residence at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
A cum laude graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Dr. Lytch earned an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and studied at the University of St. Andrews and the University of Edinburgh, both in Scotland. She received a Ph.D. in Christian ethics and sociology of religion from Emory University.
Dr. Lytch is an ordained minister with dual affiliation in the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The Rev. (Kahu) Kenneth Makuakāne (Class of 2028) is Senior Pastor of Kawaiaha’o Church and Associate Conference Minister of the Hawai’i Conference of the United Church of Christ.
In 2023, Kahu Makuakāne received the ʻŌʻō Award from the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce. This award honors native Hawaiians who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the Native Hawaiian community.
Kahu Makuakāne has served the Hawai’i Conference since 2011. In 2014, he was named Acting Papa Makua (Elder, Leader) for the Association of Hawai’ian Evangelical Churches. He was called to Kawaiaha’o Church in May 2018. A historic congregation dating to the 1830s, Kawaiaha’o was the first Christian church established in Oahu and is recognized as the Mother Church of Hawai’i.
He is recognized as a prolific songwriter and successful innovator in producing and recording Hawai’ian music and has produced over 100 albums, and numerous artists have recorded his compositions. He operates a private recording studio with clients ranging from top recording artists to advertising agencies. He has served on the Board of Governors of the Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts since 2005 and was the 2015 recipient of the Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kahu Makuakāne earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo in 1979. In 2006, he was inducted into the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Gallery Hall of Fame, which recognizes outstanding graduates who have been positive role models in their professional and personal lives and contributed to the community and society.
Kahu Makuakāne serves as a member of the Pension Boards Benefits and Corporate Social Responsibility Committees and a Director of the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance.
Mr. George L. Ochs (Class of 2025) is an investment professional with more than 30 years’ experience in the area of portfolio management specializing in real assets.
After nearly two decades of service in the public sector and real estate development consulting, in 1988 Mr. Ochs joined Prudential Insurance’s Boston office, serving as an asset manager and development manager. In 1995, he joined JP Morgan serving as a portfolio manager and later on as a client services and business development executive. During his JP Morgan tenure, Mr. Ochs was based in London for three years, where he established a European and Middle East Global Real Assets advisory and business development team. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2012, Mr. Ochs moved on to support the growth of two Southern California real estate investment firms, then advised a start-up venture before concluding his career in 2024.
In 2012, Mr. Ochs partnered in the establishment of an alumni scholarship program for his high school. This program provides meaningful annual scholarship awards for graduating students of need who have provided volunteer community support work throughout their high school years.
Mr. Ochs earned an undergraduate degree in Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and an Executive MBA from the University of Colorado in Denver.
Mr. Ochs serves as a member of the Pension Boards Executive, Governance, and Personnel Committees; Audit; Budget; and Enterprise Risk Management Committees; Chair of the Investment Committee; and a Director of the Generations United Federal Credit Union, Generations Investment Services, Inc., and Generations Financial Resources, Inc.
Mr. Benjamin J. Rader (Class of 2027) is Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Goldman Sachs and co-founder and chair of Goldman Sachs’ pro bono program. He also serves as General Counsel of The Goldman Sachs Foundation and The Goldman Sachs Charitable Gift Fund, and lead legal counsel and corporate secretary of the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund.
From 1999 until 2005, Mr. Rader practiced law at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in the New York City, Frankfurt, Germany, and Washington, D.C. offices. His practice focused on corporate governance and securities law, as well as antitrust and international litigation.
Mr. Rader has deep roots in the United Church of Christ. His father, the Rev. William Rader, was a UCC pastor for 44 years in the Penn Central Conference. Mr. Rader and his family were members of St. John’s UCC in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania from 1970-1993 and the Shared Ministry UCC in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania from 1994- 2004. He met his spouse while on a UCC-sponsored youth trip to Germany. As a primary caregiver to his father, Mr. Rader worshipped with his father at the Church of the Apostles UCC in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He has served the wider UCC as a member of the Board for World Ministries (predecessor of the Wider Church Ministries) and as a Trustee of Lancaster Theological Seminary, one of the seminaries of the UCC.
Mr. Rader is a graduate of Wesleyan University (BA), the New York University School of Law (JD), and Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany (LLM in International and European Law).
Mr. Rader serves on the Pension Boards Executive, Governance and Personnel Committees; Audit, Budget and Enterprise Risk Management Committees; and the Investment Committee.
The Rev. Franz Rigert (Class of 2028) has deep roots in the United Church of Christ, where his father served in pastoral ministry for over 30 years.
Rev. Rigert served as Associate Minister at Kingwood United Methodist Church in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, before being called in 1995 to Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Grafton, Wisconsin. Over his twenty-year pastorate, the congregation grew to 700 members, and flourished in children’s ministries, youth mission trips, ecumenical and intercultural exchanges, and community service.
In January 2015, Rev. Rigert began his current role as Conference Minister in Wisconsin. From 2016-2019, he represented the wider United Church of Christ on the Pension Boards’ Faith and Finance Advisory Group. He also served for six years on the National UCC Board of Directors. Rev. Rigert currently serves as the Chair of the Cabinet in the Council of Conference Ministers.
Rev. Rigert studied pre-law and religion at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989 and receiving the Exceptional Leadership Award. He declined an invitation from the University of Wisconsin Madison Law School when called by the Holy Spirit to attend seminary. He graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, where he received the Distinguished Preaching Award. He was ordained in 1992.
His wife, Trinn, has taught Early Childhood Special Education in the Cedarburg School District for over 30 years. They have three adult children: Mitchell, Jordan, and Marianna. Rev. Rigert enjoys home projects, hiking, travel, music, and nature.
Rev. Rigert serves as a member of the Pension Boards Investments, Audit, Budget, and Enterprise Risk Committees.
Mr. H. Philip Salmon, CPA (Class of 2026) is the Chair of the Church Council of The Riverside Church, New York, New York, an interdenominational, interracial, and international church endowed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. He was previously its Audit Committee Chair and Treasurer.
Mr. Salmon is the Director of Finance for the Amani Public Charter School in Mount Vernon, New York, a Title I Middle School. He is responsible for finance, accounting, human capital, development, marketing and recruitment, the registrar office, legal and compliance, and after-school programs.
Prior to Mr. Salmon’s not-for-profit leadership positions, he was a senior financial executive with 20 years of experience leading and executing over $35 billion in innovative and groundbreaking global M&A and capital markets transactions. He was a Vice President with MetLife, Inc., New York, New York, and Banc of America Securities, New York, New York. Mr. Salmon began his career as an auditor with Ernst & Young LLP, New York, New York, and an internal auditor with Bankers Trust Corporation, New York, New York.
Mr. Salmon is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Harbor Science & Arts Charter School, New York, New York, and a member of the Board of Directors of Community Capital New York, Elmsford, New York, a Community Development Financial Institution, and a member of its Finance Committee.
Mr. Salmon has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in Finance from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business, Durham, North Carolina. Mr. Salmon lives in Westchester County, New York.
The Rev. Joel E. Strauch, CFA (Class of 2025) is retired and continues to serve on the boards of several organizations.
Rev. Strauch was ordained to the ministry in the United Church of Christ in 1973 and served as Senior Minister of Highland Avenue Congregational Church in Orange, New Jersey from 1974-1975.
From 1977-1990, Rev. Strauch held several positions at J.P. Morgan Investment Management, including Investment Research Officer, Vice President of Balanced Accounts, Senior Vice President in Futures and Options, Fixed Income, and Portfolio Manager. In 1991, he joined Munich American Reinsurance Company as Vice President and Treasurer. From 1994-1996, he was Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Munich Re Capital Management. From 1996-1999, he held several positions at Salomon Smith Barney Asset Management and as a Director of Travelers Asset Management International, in Institutional Sales and Client Service. In 2000, he joined Pacific Investment Management Company, L.L.C. (PIMCO), as Director of PIMCO Specialty Markets L.L.C. (2000-2005), and in 2006, became Senior Vice President with responsibility for developing and servicing new and existing account relationships with U.S. domestic insurance companies for the Financial Institutions Group – Account Management, Insurance Channel. Rev. Strauch retired from PIMCO in 2014.
Rev. Strauch serves on several boards, including the Boards of Managers for American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA) Wealth Management & Trust LLC, as Vice Chair, and AAFMAA Mortgage Services LLC; and Chaplain General of the National Huguenot Society.
Rev. Strauch is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (B.S.F.S.), Union Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and the Columbia University Graduate School of Business (MBA).
Rev. Strauch serves as Chair of the Pension Boards Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, a member of the Investment Committee, and a Director of Generations Investment Services, Inc., and Generations Financial Resources, Inc.
The Rev. Dr. Iese Tu’uao (Class of 2027) is Senior Pastor of the Samoan Church of Hawai’i LMS/United Church of Christ.
Rev. Tu’uao was ordained in 1992 in the Central Association of the Southern California-Nevada Conference of the UCC as the first Samoan to be ordained in the UCC. Rev. Tu’uao served as an aging specialist for the Los Angeles City Area Agency on Aging (1977- 1980) and as an eligibility social worker for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (1980-1998).
Rev. Tu’uao’s previous ministry experience includes service in parish and Conference settings: Senior Pastor of Malamalama Congregational Church UCC (1988-2006); Associate Conference Minister of the Hawai’i Conference (2006-2011). He also served as Acting Conference Minister of the Hawai’i Conference from July 2017-January 2018.
Rev Tu’uao has served as President of the UCC’s Pacific Islander and Asian American Ministries and has been a member of the UCC Executive Council and UCC/Disciples of Christ Common Global Ministries Board. He served as Chair/President of the Hawai’i Conference from 2014-2018; was a member of the Hawai’i Conference Foundation (2014-2018); was on the Church and Ministry Committee of the Oahu Association (2014-2016); and served as Moderator of the National Council of Samoan Churches, UCC (2006-2018).
Rev. Tu’uao is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, CA (BA in Social Ecology) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div. and D.Min.).
He serves as a member of the Pension Boards Benefits and Corporate Social Responsibility Committees.
Mr. Frank Van Gansbeke, CFA (Class of 2026) is a Professor of Practice at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, where he teaches finance-related courses focused on societal and market sustainability. Mr. Van Gansbeke also is the founder and managing partner of Goose Creek Ventures, LLC, advising and angel investing in early-stage companies in FinTech, Medtech and sustainable development of innovative financial practices and emerging Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks.
Mr. Van Gansbeke has more than 30 years of global investment banking senior executive experience in corporate finance and capital markets with Banque Nationale de Paris Paribas in Paris, France and New York, New York and BNP Fortis Bank and its affiliates in Brussels, Belgium and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He mentors with Techstars NY Blockchain Accelerator and is a board member of several for profit and non-profit companies with a global footprint.
Mr. Van Gansbeke co-launched the Sustainable Finance Unconference series for prominent sustainable finance professionals. At COP26 in Glasgow, he also co-launched the Beyond Bretton Woods initiative, focusing on the practice and principles of the global financial architecture. He is a regular contributor to Forbes online commenting on the nexus of digital finance, sustainability, and global markets.
Mr. Van Gansbeke has a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantitative Economics from Vlaamse Ekonomische Hogeschool in Brussels, Belgium, an M.B.A. in Corporate Finance and Quantitative Economics from Catholic University of Leuven in Leuven, Belgium. He is a CFA charter holder and has certifications from MIT Sloan School of Management in FinTech, Oxford Said Business School in Private Equity & Impact Investing, and Strategic Leadership, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Competitive Strategy.
Mr. Van Gansbeke lives in Middlebury, Vermont with his wife Annie and is a member of the Congregational Church of Middlebury, where he just completed a 3-year term as Board Trustee.
Mr. Scott G. Young, FSA, MAAA, EA (Class of 2028) is an experienced actuary and leader with more than 30 years of experience in financial and actuarial services. He serves as Chief Valuation Actuary and Director of the Actuarial Services and Technology Department for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a U.S. Government Agency.
His previous professional experience includes various positions with Markley Actuarial Services, Inc., in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (1993-2010). In 2010, he left as Vice President of Professional Services at Markley to join the PBGC as an actuary in the Actuarial Services Division. He became the Chief Valuation Actuary in 2013, and the Director of the Actuarial Services and Technology Department in 2016.
Mr. Young holds the professional designations of Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA, and membership in the American Academy of Actuaries. He serves as PBGC’s representative to the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries.
Mr. Young and his spouse, Jacquie, an ordained UCC minister who previously taught at Lancaster Theological Seminary, live in Derwood, Maryland. He is a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Stoverstown, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Young earned a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in Actuarial Science from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Young serves as Vice Chair of the Pension Boards Benefits Committee and a member of the Investments, Audit, Budget, and Enterprise Risk Committees.
Trustee Ex Officio
United Church of Christ General Minister and President
The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson serves as the tenth General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. She is both the first woman and the first Black woman to lead the denomination.
Prior to this call, Rev. Thompson served in the national setting of the United Church of Christ for 14 years – two years as Minister for Racial Justice, eight years as Minister for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations and four years as the Associate General Minister for Wider Church Ministries and Co-Executive for Global Ministries. She was elected as AGM in 2019.
Before joining the national staff, Rev. Thompson served in the Florida Conference United Church of Christ as a Pastor and on the Conference staff as the Minister for Disaster Response and Recovery. She also worked in the nonprofit arena for over 10 years in senior leaderships positions.
Rev. Thompson has also served in many ecumenical leadership positions including the joint United Church of Canada and United Church of Christ committee working on the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), the World Council of Churches (WCC) on the Central Committee, the Joint Working Group with the Roman Catholic Church (JWG), and the Commission for Education and Ecumenical Formation as the Rapporteur for the work of the commission.
Rev. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College in New York, a Master’s in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, and a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York. She also studied Public Policy at Duke University and earned her Doctorate in Ministry at Seattle University. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Heidelberg University.