The Rev. Dr. Ralph S. Datema has been an ordained UCC Clergy since 1970 and has had his Standing in the RMC since 1982. He is a Diplomat in the AAPC (American Association of Pastoral Counselors – now a part of ACPE – Association for Pastoral Clinical Education – ACPE), is a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist in Colorado (LMFT) and is a member of AAMFT (American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists). He has served numerous churches in the Conference as an interim pastor, served one UCC Church as solo pastor, and one Disciples of Christ Church as a solo pastor. He also completed a two-year contract with the local Disciples region as their Interim Regional Minister. Dr. Datema is available for pulpit supply as well as teaching/facilitating courses and workshops in addressing congregational health and social challenges. ralphdatema@comcast.net 303-974-0947

gleslinger@hotmail.com 303-980-8251

Karen earned her M. Div. from the Iliff School of Theology in 2013, having received a Master’s Degree in Christian Education from there some years earlier. She has worked as Christian Education Director at Community UCC in Boulder, interim minister in Hayden (northwestern Colorado), and after ordination in 2016, pastor at First Congregational UCC in Pueblo, where she was involved in community social justice issues, summer sabbatical interim at First United Church of Arvada, and, most recently, as chaplain at Frasier Retirement Community in Boulder. Karen’s focus in preaching is on bringing the Biblical stories to life and present day relevance with historical context, a sharing of God’s deep and unconditional love for all people and all Creation, with the understanding that God holds a preferential option for the poor and otherwise marginalized, and with humor. She believes God wants us to find joy. Karen is available for preaching, teaching adult book and Bible studies, and interim or bridge positions within a ninety mile radius from her Louisville home. karenehowe3@gmail.com 720-556-2004

Whitney (she/her/hers) is a seminary student, working toward her Masters in Divinity with a concentration in Social Transformation with United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She is currently a Member in Discernment for ordination. Whitney has a passion for Social Justice, and an undergraduate degree in Social Work with a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Kansas. Prior to seminary Whitney worked with Older Adults for over a decade, first as a Social Worker in Long Term Care, and then as a Wellness Coordinator for the Weld County Area Agency on Aging. Whitney finds inspiration in the way transformational love moves in community, and is passionate about grounding ways we live in our faith. In her free time she enjoys hiking and camping with her partner Nick and sons Theo and Zack. Please feel free to contact her at whitney.janzenpankratz@gmail.com or call/text 620-217-5114.

Cal loves to preach, teach, and pastor in most any setting. He is also a professional pastoral counselor and has an energetic, entertaining, and personal style in serving our churches. Cal is ordained and has been a pastor in several different RMC churches. He currently lives in Thornton, Colorado. His background and talents include being an elementary and middle school teacher, a professional musician (saxophone, drums), a public school administrator, psychologist for public schools and mental health centers, a family counselor in private practice, a college psychological researcher, a daily radio talk-show host, contemporary worship leader, and new church start pastor. He is available for individual Sundays (or other worship days), Sunday series (more than one worship in a row), and will travel to RMC churches to lead worship, communion, and/or do pastoral care Cal@SongOfJoy.org 303-522-0100

Rev. Russ Kirby has been in ministry for over 30 years, serving churches of all sizes in Oklahoma, Texas, New York City, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Denver, serving children, youth, college students and adults. Energetic and charismatic, Pastor Russ is passionate about where the church is now and where it can go from here. He received his Master of Divinity from Drew Theological School in 2009 and was ordained a UCC minister in March of 2018. Pastor Russ shares life with his amazing husband, Ean, and their two dogs. Email him at rev.russ.kirby@gmail.com or call (860) 501-8880

Mark is the Director of Christian Formation for Adults at Plymouth UCC in Fort Collins. During the school year, his availability is sketchy; he is more available during the summer when there are not regular Formation events in his home congregation. He serves as the ONA Coordinator for the RMC, so has particular expertise speaking to ONA issues. The rest of the time, he is a dedicated lectionary preacher, who likes that the lectionary makes him grapple with texts he otherwise might avoid. His D.Min from Iliff focused on homiletics, and so he employs a variety of preaching styles. He also raises goats, stories of which often creep into his sermons! How come goats get such a bad rap in the Bible? RevMarkBLee@aol.com 970-495-0792

Rev. Steve Sherman is seasoned ordained minister, recently relocated to Colorado Springs, seeking to partner with others in providing care and hope; whether that is within the church or in a secular environment, lifting up all who are struggling, while giving priority to those most in need. Willing to travel 2 hours from Colorado Springs. lead2light@gmail.com

Before relocating from the Southwest Conference UCC in 2016, I served as a UCC Commissioned Minister in a multi-denominational church in northern New Mexico, then served seven years as a hospice chaplain and five years as a hospital chaplain. I work also as a certified Spiritual Director/Companion and a Veriditas trained Labyrinth Facilitator and former church organist. I enjoyed doing frequent pulpit supply for PC(USA) and UU churches in northern NM and have enjoyed serving as pulpit supply in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming UCC churches. I am available for pulpit supply within 90 minutes of Fort Collins. My passions include relating Biblical stories to unconditional love of creation, self, and others and to social justice issues of our time. patslentz@gmail.com

Nicole Vickey serves on staff at Cairn Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Lafayette, Colorado. Nicole is in her second year of her Master of Divinity at Duke University, via a hybrid program that allows her to stay living in Lafayette. Prior to beginning the process of discerning ordination within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) she served as a pastor for three years at Envision Community Church, a progressive and non-denominational church in Longmont. She hopes to seek dual standing within the UCC following her Disciples ordination and would welcome ongoing opportunities to serve as pulpit supply in UCC congregations. She also has a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment and spent her first career working for The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. tel: 251-476-7087

I am an ordained Minister and I have an PhD. I recently retired as Professor (Emeritus) in Homiletics and Worship from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa Oklahoma. I teach as an adjunct at Iliff School of Theology and do interim and supply preaching in the Denver area. I am a member at Sixth Avenue UCC in Denver. I am married to Amy Smith Ward and enjoy storytelling and playing guitar. richardfward51@gmail.com

Available for pulpit supply in Southeastern Association. After 40+ years of educational ministry in a wide variety of settings (I am a Commissioned Minister), I “retired” in 2011. Since then I have enjoyed doing worship leadership, especially providing meaningful and accessible worship for people of all ages. I have always loved exploring the Scriptures; putting my reflections and ponderings into a sermon is my new learning edge. I have also served as an interim in 5 smaller congregations. sweatherman93@gmail.com

My story, in brief, begins with having served 45 years as a pastor, mostly in Massachusetts and Connecticut: three years as a Lutheran Youth Minister beginning my Junior year at Clark University in Worcester, MA; ordained in 1972, served 7 years as a Youth Pastor with nearly 200 youth and 23 youth advisors at First Church, Glastonbury CT; as lead pastor for five churches 1979-2013, one for a brief 3 years was at First Congregational, UCC, Greeley, CO. Over those pastorates I led a dozen work camps for Habitat for Humanity in the US; Latin America; Haiti; Zambia, Africa; and Hungary in Europe; took studies in Cuba and Oxford University, England; a ten year stint as a Reserve Army Chaplain with Summer training overseas in Kenya; 6 years as Fire Chaplain in Connecticut and one very brief year as a Police Chaplain in Denver (not a role for a progressive). The high point of my ministry was 17 years as Lead Pastor of the 600 member Congregational Church of Topsfield, MA, UCC, where Jenny grew up. I am a progressive, liberation Theologian. However, my general theology has been in liberating church members from worship attendees to seeing themselves as disciples of Christ, and as spiritually gifted ministers with and thru the church for their everyday life and work. We all have an evangelical Calling. Jenny has shown me that there needs to be an evangelical re-imagining of the church as a whole. Juniper Formation Church of the UCC is focused on a virtual church with those who minister at the margins both here and away. Her influence has lifted me beyond my traditional, stained glass, walled conception of a pew-ed people of God. craigwhitcher@gmail.com tel: 860-383-5107

Rev. Dr. Jenny Whitcher (she/her) is the Minister of Prophetic Formation and co-founder of Juniper Formation, an ecumenical faith community of the UCC. Juniper Formation’s mission is to prophetically reimagine the Church from the margins. As part of her ministry, Jenny works with local congregations and denominations in relational discernment and co-creation of new and transforming ministries. Jenny is an entrepreneurial minister, community organizer, and theologian committed to social justice. She has over 15 years of experience coaching and mentoring leaders, teaching, and developing community partnerships. Her work spans nonprofit, congregations, and higher education. Her areas of expertise include: change management; entrepreneurial and prophetic ministry formation; democratic culture, leadership, and pedagogy; and social change theory and practice. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC) and was the recipient of the Peacemaker Award from the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ in 2006. She has a B.A. from New York University, an M.A. in International Human Rights from the University of Denver, and a Ph.D. in Religion and Theological Studies from Iliff School of Theology & University of Denver. (full bio) Jenny is able to travel and available for single or series preaching, worship leadership, education/training, and consulting. She is most interested in working with congregations around the prophetic, justice-centered, and hope-filled future of the Church. jenny@juniperformation.org http://www.jennywhitcher.com/

Rev. Candace Woods (she/her) is a Colorado Springs based pastor, open to traveling to provide pulpit supply or preaching via Zoom. She graduated with a Master’s in Divinity from Iliff School of Theology in 2019, with a certificate in Social Justice and Ethics. Candace serves as the Minister of Gender + Sexuality Liberation at Juniper Formation UCC and owns and operates an entrepreneurial ministry called Woods + the Wild (www.woodsandthewild.com) which focuses on the wild intersections of gender and sexuality, faith and spirituality, and bodies and nature. As an experienced sexuality educator, Candace loves to preach on topics related to LGBTQ+ inclusion, building cultures of consent, and the belovedness of all types of bodies. She is an herbalist and lover of the Earth, so themes of forests and mountains and oceans are often used in her sermons. Candace is a skilled worship leader and liturgy writer as well, bringing in song and poetry into church services. Additionally, her history in evangelicalism and as a pastor’s kid allow her to connect with many types of UCCers and preach to contextual needs in congregations. Personally, Candace lives with her partner, 2 dogs, 5 chickens, and a beehive on a little urban farmstead. She loves to be outside, whether hiking, camping, or in the garden, and she also loves connecting in community over coffee or a beer, dreaming up how to co-create the future with God and her neighbors. candace@woodsandthewild.com