Our Elected Leadership

Pastors, staff and church members serve together to lead our congregation. Every fall, our nominations committee presents a slate of candidates for election to our annual meeting, known as our Charge Conference. Elected leaders take office on January 1 of the following year.

Administrative Council

This body serves to connect all of our elected leadership, set the overall direction for our congregation, and make decisions in support of this direction. Most members of the Ad Council serve by virtue of the office they hold on another committee, making the Ad Council a representative body of leadership. In 2024, these are the Ad Council Members.

Brian Kretchmar

Chair & Lay Leader

Charla Gwartney

Pastor

Karen Styers

Associate Pastor

Lori Cable

Secretary

Glenda Bitner

Lay Delegate

Ellen Marquardt

CDO Rep

Garrett Stancil

Lay Delegate

Matt Marquardt

Staff Parish Relations Committee Chair

Susan Hinckley

Finance Chair

Jennifer Eckert

Trustees Chair

Jaxon Kretchmar

Youth Rep

Karen Tinsley

UWF President

Candice Parker
Kim Baker

Outreach

Ron Cable

At Large

Tori Chandler

Prayer Ministry

The following staff serve on the Ad Council with voice but no vote: Jamie Ruston, Stephen Bumgarner, Cathy Childers, Tim Bourne, Casey Hodson.

Finance Committee

This team is responsible to raise funds for ministry and determine how those funds are used. Each year, this team reviews our financial policies, updating them as needed to make sure we have appropriate checks and balances. Monthly, they review our financial position and make decisions accordingly. In the summer, the Finance Committee asks an audit team to review the previous year’s records for compliance with our policies. In the fall, this team oversees budget creation for the following year. In 2024, these are the Finance Committee Members.

Susan Hinckley

Chair

Charla Gwartney

Senior Pastor

David Morgan

Vice-Chair

Glenda Bitner

Lay Delegate

Brian Kretchmar

Lay Leader &
Ad Council Chair

Garrett Stancil

Lay Delegate

Jennifer Eckert

Trustee Chair

Matt Marquardt

SPRC Chair

Because our Financial Secretary, Misha Yancey, and our Treasurer, Casey Hodson, are employees of our church, they serve on the Finance Committee with voice but no vote.

Staff Parish Relations Committee

This team serves as the liaison between the Bishop of the Oklahoma Annual Conference and the membership of our congregation. They do not determine which clergy person will serve our congregation, but they are the group consulted in matters of appointment. They oversee all other personnel matters, including setting the salaries for our staff. They receive and vet candidates seeking ordination in the United Methodist Church. Members of SPRC are asked to serve a three-year term. With a total of nine members, each year, three members rotate off and three new members are assigned to the committee. In 2024, these are the members of the Staff Parish Relations Committee. The year their term expires is listed beside their name.

Martha Piper

2024

Jeanne Hathcock

2025

Jim Hinckley

2024

Nancy Hughes

2025

Matt Marquardt

(Chair) 2025

Geoff White

2026

Garrett Stancil

2024

Sherry Barnes

2026

Brian Kretchmar

Lay Leader &
Ad Council Chair

Trustees

This team oversees: the physical property of the congregation, reception of gifts made to the congregation, and all legal requirements (i.e., contracts, incorporation, compliance, risk management, etc.) The Trustees are amenable to the Ad Council and Charge Conference, holding responsibilities similar to a board of directors for a non-profit organization. Trustees must be 18 years of age and ⅔ must be members of the congregation. Trustees are asked to serve a three-year term. With a total of nine members, each year, three members rotate off and three new members are assigned to the committee. In 2023, these are our Trustees. The year their term expires is listed beside their name.

Jean Heasley

2024

Donna Solomon

2024

Derek Villanueva

(Vice-Chair) 2026

Jennifer Eckert

(Chair) 2024

Dan Bridgeforth

2025

Linda Bazemore

2025

Sharon Burke

2026

Ron Brown

2025

Jason Blevins

2026

Lay Leadership Development Committee

This team is also called our Nominations Committee. Their sole responsibility is to nominate the elected leadership and present this as a slate for approval at the annual meeting – the Charge Conference. This work includes defining expectations for leadership at United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd, recruitment conversations, and collaboratively creating the slate. 

The appointed senior pastor serves as chair for this committee. The lay leader serves on this committee. Other members of this committee are asked to serve a three-year term. In 2024, these are the members of the Lay Leadership (or Nominations) Committee. The year their term expires is listed beside their name.

Joan Brodmerkel

20236

Deb Brown

2026

Sarah Stancil

2024

Karin Fitzpatrick

2024

Linda Blue

2025

Debbie Ferguson

2025

Charla Gwartney

Chair (Pastor)

Brian Kretchmar

Lay Leader

CDO Advisory Board

Good Shepherd is home to a thriving Children’s Day Out ministry. Three days a week, we have around 50 children (infants thru Pre-K) in our building. This ministry belongs to our church. It does not operate as a separate organization. As such, we name a 3-person advisory board to work with the CDO Director, Lindsay Bogard. In 2024, these are the members of the CDO Advisory Board. The year their term expires is listed beside their name.

Jill Blevins

2024

Ellen Marquardt

2025

Candy Hill

2026

Outreach Team

Good Shepherd oversees many ministries that touch our community with the love of Christ. Specifically, these include: Easter Meals, Loving Our Community Schools, Mission Trips and Projects, Angel Tree, Mustang High School Food Pantry. The members of this team are named by the outreach projects they oversee. In 2024, these are the members of the Outreach Team.

Candice Parker

Co-Chair

Kim Baker

Co-Chair

Trish Cable

Linda Blue

Catrina Bourne

Glenda Bitner

Cathy Childers

Staff Liason

Contact Information

Contact information for all of our elected leadership can be found in the online church directory, accessible to our members. If you need access to this directory, contact the church office.

Meeting Schedules

Most committees and/or teams meet one Sunday evening a month – usually the third Sunday. Here is the schedule:

12:00-1:00 pm Children’s Council

5:30-6:30 pm SPRC, Trustees, Outreach

6:30-7:30 pm Finance

7:30-8:45 pm Administrative Council

The CDO Board meets quarterly on a schedule set by Lindsay Bogard, Director. 

Nominations Committee meets during the fall. Meetings are Saturday mornings, 8:00-10:00 am.

Open Meetings

In the United Methodist Church, meetings are open. Anyone can attend. Guests may not vote. Whether they have voice is up to the committee chair. One exception: the Staff Parish Relations Committee can call an executive session to discuss personnel matters.

Communication

Pastor Charla communicates decisions made by our committees through the email she sends each Friday. Financial reports and information are available any time, but are always included in this monthly update. The Ad Council agenda and reports are also included in this monthly update. If you have questions about the work of any of these committees, you are encouraged to reach out to the chairs of the committees and/or Pastor Charla.