NTC 2008 delegate elections make history

It took 24 ballots for NTC clergy to elect the full slate of delegates to the 2008 General and Jurisdictional Conferences, while the laity elected their representatives in exactly half that total.

From the beginning the elections made history. For the first time women will lead both the clergy and lay delegations. Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball, Suncreek UMC, Allen, was elected to lead the clergy, and NTC Director of Connectional Ministries Mary Brooke Casad was elected to lead the laity.

Rev. Josephine Biggerstaff, Walnut Hill UMC, Dallas, became the first Deacon in Full Connection elected to the NTC General Conference delegation when she was voted in on the sixth ballot. She was the third clergy elected.

General Conference will be held in Fort Worth April 23-May 3 and Jurisdictional Conference will be held July 15-19 in Dallas.

The delegation will include (in order of election):

General Conference
(clergy): Revs. Baskin-Ball, James Dorff, Jo Biggerstaff, Tyrone Gordon, Don Underwood and Clayton Oliphint.

General Conference
(laity): Mary Brooke Casad, Todd Bristow, Arthur Jones, Amy Forbus, Billy Ratcliff, and Richard Hearne.

Jurisdictional Conference
(clergy): Revs. Pat Beghtel-Mahle, Lisa Wolcott, Ron Henderson, John Rosenburg, Stan Copeland, and Gary Mueller, and reserves: Fred Durham, April Bristow, and Paul Escamilla.

Jurisdictional Conference
(laity): Pat Deal, Tim Crouch, Scott Smith, Tom Talbert, Alys Richards, Kay Yeager, Tricia Loe, Frank Jackson, and Ruth Robinson.