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 2023, these are the Ad Council Members.
John Hathcock
Chair & Lay Leader
Charla Gwartney
Pastor
Karen Styers
Associate Pastor
Lori Cable
Secretary
Linda Bazemore
Lay Delegate
Linda Blue
Lay Delegate
Garrett Stancil
Lay Delegate
Dean Keiffer
Staff Parish Relations Committee Chair
Susan Hinckley
Finance Chair
Linda Bazemore
Trustees Chair
TBD
UMM President
Karen Tinsley
UWF President
TBD
Youth Rep
TBD
Children's Council
Tori Chandler
Prayer Ministry
Caleb Hinckley
At Large
Ron Cable
At Large
The following staff serve on the Ad Council with voice but no vote: Jamie Ruston, Stephen Bumgarner, Cathy Childers, Tim Bourne, Misha Yancey, Casey Hodson, Lindsay Bogard, Curt Timmons.
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 2023, these are the Finance Committee Members.
Susan Hinckley
Chair
Charla Gwartney
Senior Pastor
John Hathcock
Lay Leader & Ad Council Chair
Linda Bazemore
Lay Delegate
Linda Blue
Lay Delegate
Garrett Stancil
Lay Delegate
Jennifer Eckert
Trustees
Dean Keiffer
SPRC
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 2023, these are the members of the Staff Parish Relations Committee. The year their term expires is listed beside their name.
Linda Blue
2023
Jeanne Hathcock
2025
Jim Hinckley
2024
Nancy Hughes
2025
Dean Keiffer
Chair 2023
Matt Marquardt
2025
Garrett Stancil
2024
Mike Starega
2023
K.B. Yeboah
2023
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.
Steve Bitner
2023
Brian Kretchmar
2023
Don Trotter
2023
Jennifer Eckert
2024
Dan Bridgeforth
2025
Linda Bazemore
Chair 2025
Ron Brown
2025
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 2023, these are the members of the Lay Leadership (or Nominations) Committee. The year their term expires is listed beside their name.
Joyce Martin
2023
Alan Childers
2023
Sarah Stancil
2024
Karin Fitzpatrick
2024
Linda Blue
2025
Debbie Ferguson
2025
Charla Gwartney
Chair (Pastor)
John Hathcock
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 2023, these are the members of the CDO Advisory Board. The year their term expires is listed beside their name.
Jennifer Reed
2023
Jill Blevins
2024
Ellen Marquardt
2025
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 2023, these are the members of the Outreach Team.
Candice Parker
Co-Chair
Kim Baker
Co-Chair
Trish Cable
Linda Blue
Catrina Bourne
Elizabeth Gee
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:
5:30-6:30 pm SPRC, Trustees, Children’s Council, 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.
