Bishop Kristin G. Stoneking to Keynote UMARC 2026 Inclusiveness Celebration Breakfast

Bishop Kristin G. Stoneking to Keynote UMARC 2026 Inclusiveness Celebration Breakfast

Laity and clergy are invited to hear Bishop Kristin G. Stoneking, United Methodist episcopal leader of the Mountain Sky Conference, Denver, keynote the 2026 Inclusiveness Celebration Breakfast, at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Hope United Methodist Church in Greenwood Village, Colorado. 

Tickets are $30 per person.  Sponsored by the Association of United Methodist Retired Clergy (UMARC), registration is at www.umarc.org

“Bishop Stoneking’s leadership has modeled what it means to lead with courage, compassion, and hope during a time of transition,” said Rev. Dr. Donald E. Messer, UMARC Co-Chair. “Her voice brings theological depth and pastoral wisdom to our celebration of inclusiveness.”

The event will honor Rev. Dr. Joretta Marshall and Joy Allen as the 2026 recipients of the Bishop Karen Oliveto/Robin Ridenour Inclusiveness Award. Oliveto served as the denomination’s first openly lesbian bishop, and her wife, Robin Ridenour, is a United Methodist deaconess and nurse anesthetist. Marshall is a retired professor of pastoral care and counseling and former administrator at Iliff School of Theology, Eden Theological Seminary, and Brite Theological Seminary. Allen, a licensed clinical social worker, dedicated her career to counseling couples and leading marriage enrichment workshops nationwide. Together they courageously challenged discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons within the church and society.

The celebration will also include music by Daryl J. Walker of Park Hill United Methodist Church in Denver, remarks by the honorees, and video tributes from Rev. Amy Stapleton (St. Andrew UMC, Highlands Ranch, CO), Rev. John Thompson (Columbia, SC), and Rev. Dr. Donald E. Messer. Rev. Dr. Kay Palmer-Marsh of Longmont, Colorado, will preside.

UMARC friends can sponsor tables, honoring historic leaders in the movement for inclusion, including Bishop Melvin Wheatley, Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, Rev. Gilbert Caldwell, and Rev. Julian Rush. Sponsorships help underwrite the event and support UMARC’s ongoing ministry.  Event registration and sponsorship information is also available at:
https://mtnsky-reg.brtapp.com/UMARCInclusivenessBreakfast.