Raised outside of Lawrence, KS I felt a call to ministry, and specifically chaplaincy, after serving in disaster ministries after Hurricane Katrina. After moving to Lancaster, PA I joined a UCC church, and later served on various committees as well as council president. I received my MDiv at Lancaster Theological Seminary, and completed a clinical pastoral education residency at Saint Luke’s Hospital in KCMO. I was ordained in 2020, and have been a hospice chaplain since 2022. I’m a member at Plymouth Church in Lawrence.

Laura is a retired Board Certified Chaplain and did not ever think she would be able to retire, let alone, before her dad. It is retired because Laura became tired of serving as hospital chaplain after covid and needed a break. To be Board Certified, one must have 50 hours of annual education. While Laura likes learning, not that much when she isn’t serving in a role recognized by the credentialing organization. Laura currently answers calls for Oklahoma’s Abuse and Neglect Hotline. Laura earned a BS in General Studies with a minor in Substance Abuse Studies from University of Central Oklahoma in 2002. She went straight to seminary at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (where Mr Roger’s went) and earned a MDiv in 2005. From there, Laura did a Clinical Pastoral Education residency in San Antonio, Texas. Laura and spouse Diana, have been illegally married for 19 years and legally married for 9. They have one child whom they adopted on his 16th birthday. He and wonderful spouse, Ana are the proud parents of Laura and Diana’s only grandchild. His name is Andrew, Laura calls him New or GrandRew. He will tell you he is Andrew though. He’s almost 3 and is a beautiful, perfect, ball of rapidly moving, contagious joy. This is the point like in an obituary when the writer gets tired of being specific and lists the other relatives without fanfare. Laura and Diana also have 2 cats, Beatrice and Pru, and 2 dogs, Bailey and Luna.

Dewan began his spiritual journey as a Missionary Baptist. As his values changed, he and his family looked for a home that more closely reflected their values. After several false starts, they started attending Fellowship Congregational UCC in Tulsa, Oklahoma in August of 2016. The Keesee family consisting of Dewan, Marcia and Jayden joined the church in 2017. Dewan is a member of the facilities and HR committee and will become chair of facilities in 2025. Dewan became active in the KO conference as a member of the conference minister search committee in 2021. He joined the Com-A committee to fill-in for an expiring term in 2023. Dewan sees his work on Com-A as a way to give back to the people who are giving or have given so much to the conference. Dewan is looking forward to continuing working with COM-A to help support the ministers to continue in their respective calls.

Tim Bodenstein is a Native Oklahoman living in Weatherford, OK with his wife, Sara Marie and son Johnathan.

A lifelong Tulsan who hails from two families that migrated to northeastern Oklahoma over 100 years ago, Bobbie retired in 2015 after 18 years as Executive Director of Camp Fire Green Country, then worked another six years as a Project Development Consultant with Camp Fire’s national office. Previous employment included eight years as Associate Director of Tulsa’s Domestic Violence Intervention Services, and a year as Campus Director of the Frances Willard Home for Girls. She attended the University of Oklahoma, earning a Master’s in Human Relations/Organization Development. Today, Bobbie remains actively involved in her church, Fellowship Congregational UCC and the K-O Conference UCC, currently serving as Interim Treasurer. She is a Trustee of The Stephens Foundation, a Tulsa-area family foundation, and serves on the Board of Directors of ACTION Tulsa, and HOPE Testing. She and her husband Don are blessed by having their daughter, Carrie, and Maddie and Mollie, fifteen and twelve-year-old granddaughters, living nearby in Tulsa.

Rev. Jacob Poindexter is the pastor of Wichita United Church of Christ, an Open & Affirming congregation in Wichita, KS. Jacob spent the first 30 years of his life in Kansas, growing up in Medicine Lodge and living in Wichita and McPherson during and following college. Much of his work as a pastor and leader of nonprofit organizations has been in revitalizing organizational structures and decision making to be more responsive and accountable to the resources and needs present in their communities.

Rev. Dr. Lori Walke is an unbridled enthusiast about the high calling of parish ministry and what the beloved community can do to make life on earth as it is in heaven for all our neighbors. She is a public theologian, experienced in community organizing, interfaith dialogue, and developing strategic partnerships, and a sought-after public speaker for high impact moments of justice, resolve, and hope. Lori currently serves alongside the people of Mayflower Congregational UCC Church in Oklahoma City as their senior minister. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University (B.S. in Political Science & M.S. in Healthcare Administration),  Oklahoma City University School of Law (J.D.), Phillips Theological Seminary (M.Div), and Emory University (D.Min).