2012 Study Leader Bios
for School of Christian Mission

Rev. Christian Kakez- A- Kapend presently serves as an Associate Pastor and Pastor of Heart of Africa at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas. Rev. Christian is Congolese National and hails from the Aruund Kingdom. Rev. Christian is an ordained elder in the South Congo- Zambia Episcopal Area of the UMC. Rev. Christian received his Diplôme de Graduat (Hons) in Political Sciences and International Relations from the University of Lubumbashi (Lubumbashi, Dem. Rep. of Congo), his Bachelor of Divinity (Hons) from Africa University (Mutare, Zimbabwe), and his M.T.S. (Magna Cum Laude) from SMU’s Perkins School of Theology (Dallas, TX).

His special interests include God and Migration, Singing in different languages, and preaching from public and glo-cal issues. Rev. Christian is graced to have served God and God’s children in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the United States.

Ron Brown, a native of Richmond, Virginia, is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a MS degree in Manufacturing Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Mission experience: Habitat for Humanity Home builds in Virginia, Texas, and California; International: HFH GV India (Asst. Team Leader), El Salvador; UMVIM Haiti (Team Leader) GE Representative to Kintampo Health Institution Hospital Support & Training in Kintampo, Accra & Kumasi, Ghana (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Hamilton Park UMC: E-Church Director; Global Missions Leader; Adult Education Facilitator

Most recently, Ron was with GE Money – RCF for ten years, and is a certified Master Black Belt in six sigma statistical approaches. Ron was the LEAN champion for RCF and expanded the LEAN action workout approach to include 390 RCF, client, & supplier associates bringing the total to 600+ associates across 5 countries and 15 business processes. In 2007, 55 teams identified 900+ key opportunities to improve productivity, reduce cost, & reduce customer lead-time. In 2003, Ron led Risk-Based Pricing projects for several retail clients after which he and his team completed patent filings for the technical solution & apparatus for Evaluating & Using the Profitability of Credit Card Accounts. Prior to GE Money, Ron has held positions in quality, engineering management, and manufacturing, and has over 10 years of statistics and project management experience in the defense industry (pre-GE) & financial services within GE Capital.

Ron has been active in DFW Metroplex leadership and community service over the past 20 years and has provided the following direction:

• E-Church Director at local Dallas area church responsible for Web, Computer Networking, Computer Education Services, and Audio/Visual support services.
• Junior Achievement & CHOICES program support for over 20 Dallas area schools.
• Youth Director for local Fraternity serving disadvantaged youth.
• Computer Education support for the local Sudanese Refugee center (Catholic Charities- United Way Agency) that provided placement services for the “Lost Boys of Sudan” (made famous from their appearances on 60 minutes & other news programs).
• Volunteer Basketball & Football coach for local youth.
• Served as Board Chairman for Communication Math & Science, a DFW Area educational foundation serving underprivileged youth.

Lastly, Ron was a GE Phillip’s Award Nominee for his work with the “Lost Boys of Sudan”.

Rev. Marji Bishir (b-EYE-shur) is an ordained deacon in the North Texas Conference, appointed to the North Texas Conference Ministry Center. She is the Associate Director for the Center for Missional Outreach. The Center has responsibility for two of four of the focus areas of the United Methodist Church, which are Ministry With The Poor and Global Health.

Bishir is an expert on local and international mission and speaks to many groups about a variety of missional topics. Several times a year she teaches a class on how to lead a mission trip. She also taught at the 2010 and 2011 North Texas Conference School of Christian Mission. She has traveled to visit United Methodist mission sites and missionaries in Kenya, Liberia, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Costa Rica, and Honduras.

Bishir has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Masters of Christian Ministry degree in Urban Ministry from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.

Widowed in 2009, Bishir has two adult children and one child in junior high school. The family worships at Christ UMC in Plano.

Pastor Tino is a native of Mexico. After attending Oklahoma City University and graduating from Perkins School of Theology at SMU in Dallas, TX. Pastor Tino, his wife and two sons reside in Oklahoma. He is a United Methodist ordained elder for the Woodward District. Both Pastor Tino and his family, became United States Citizens on April 27, 2007. He has a strong sense of calling into the ordained ministry. His past experiences have given him a passion for ministries with the marginalized people.

Having served as the senior pastor and planter or Fuente de Vida UMC in Oklahoma City, since June 2012 pastor Tino is serving as Associate Pastor of Victory Memorial UMC in Guymon, OK. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Revitalizing Congregations at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. In the Oklahoma Conference, Pastor Espinoza is very active on the conference level. He is a past Chair of the Hispanic Ministries Committee and past Vice Chair of the Racial Ethnic Coordinating Committee. Until June 2012, he was a member of the South Oklahoma City District Committee on Ministry and the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. Pastor Espinoza was a delegate to the 2008 Jurisdictional Conference and an alternate to the 2008 General Conference. Before establishing Fuente de Vida, he successfully planted two churches.

DENISE JOHNSON STOVALL has travelled to Brazil, Mexico, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, eight African countries, and throughout the United States writing stories on the poor.

A native of Chicago, Ill., Ms. Stovall is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a degree with honors in journalism. She also minored in English and speech communications.

Ms. Stovall has worked in all types of print and electronic media. While in Atlanta she was:

• A church bulletin/newsletter writer for First Presbyterian Church.
• A reporter for “The Atlanta Daily World Newspaper”.
• A commercial operations writer for WAGA-TV 5 and WXIA TV 11 ALIVE.
• A morning “drive time” news writer for WSB Radio.
• A sports assistant at WTBS TV (Turner Broadcasting System).
• A public information specialist for Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University).

She became well known for her writing in the North Georgia Annual Conference and was recommended to receive the prestigious Stoody-West Fellowship from United Methodist Communications (UMCOM). She also was awarded a national fellowship in communications from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.—a Public Service Sorority. Ms. Stovall attended the University of Georgia to study religious journalism. Soon an UMCOM board member asked if she was interested in writing full-time for The United Methodist Church. She accepted the offer and was hired by “The United Methodist Reported Newspaper” in Dallas in 1987.

She moved to Dallas to join the staff of “The United Methodist Reporter Newspaper,” serving as a reporter. Soon she was promoted and became the Reporter’s first African American Associate Editor, and was the initial Director of Corporate Communications. Ms. Stovall received several awards for her stories about the people of faith, especially those of the African Diaspora.

Ms. Stovall is currently a free lance writer for United Methodist News Service based in Nashville and “Response Magazine,” the national publication for United Methodist Women, in New York City. She was co-author of Faithfully Yours published by the United Methodist Reporter; Send Me? The Itinerancy in Crisis, published by the United Methodist Publishing House; and is now co-author of Poverty, edited by Jack A. Keller, Jr. The book is a 2012 mission study book published by the Women’s Division of The United Methodist Church.

Ms. Stovall has served as president for seven local units of United Methodist Women in Atlanta and Dallas where her husband, the Rev. L. Charles Stovall, has served as a pastor. They have two adult children, Leonard II and Deanna.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Pastor Preston (as he is fondly called) was raised by his maternal grandparents in Mineola, Texas and later (with his two brothers) by his mother in the State-Thomas Community, now Uptown. An Ordained Elder in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, Pastor Preston is appointed to and is currently serving as full time Senior Pastor of Kirkwood United Methodist Church, Irving, Texas.

A servant leader in the United Methodist Church for over 50 years, Pastor Preston recently served as Pastoral Counselor and Clinical Therapist at CitySquare’s Community Health Services, Pastor of Central Dallas Church and Pastor of Southwood United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas. He also serves on boards at Visiting Clergy Fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center-Dallas, Cancer Disparities Board of Dallas, Justice for Our Neighbors and Family Promise of Irving.

Pastor Preston has held numerous leadership positions at St. Paul United Methodist Church and All Nations United Methodist Church. An accomplished vocalist, Pastor Preston has performed sacred music, dramatizations and lead worship at church meetings, conferences, retreats and concerts in the United States, Europe and South America. Pastor Preston is author of two plays that have been performed but not published.

Professional, personal and spiritual development helped mold Pastor Preston into the leader he is today. He received the Church Ministries Master Degree-Urban Ministry and a Master of Divinity Equivalent from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Health and Physical Education from Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, and studied Educational Psychology at the University of Southern California and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

Pastor Preston and his wife, Barbara, have three children (two sons, one daughter) and six grandchildren.

Thalia is a Dallas native and is a product of the Dallas Independent School District. Her earned degrees are: Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) in English from Huston-Tillotson University; Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Southern Methodist University; Doctor of Education in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University (formerly East Texas State University.

Thalia is a retired educator from the Dallas ISD where she was an exemplary teacher, assistant principal, principal and Executive Director of Principal Leadership and Development. She devised, developed and implemented the “Fast-Track” program in cooperation with the University of Texas at Austin. The program provided for the selection of promising candidates to form a cadre of potential principals for experiential and innovative development. She also served as President of the Dallas School Administrators Association and served as a member of the Superintendent’s Council.

After early retirement from DallasISD, Thalia was employed as Executive Director (CEO) for 6 ½ years for the South Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church.

Thalia serves and has served on many Boards of Directors as a Trustee and officer including Southern Methodist University, Huston-Tillotson University, Dallas Women’s Foundation, Dallas Historical Society, Texas Methodist Foundation; she is a member of Warren United Methodist Church where she serves and has historically served in leadership; The Links, Incorporated, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and Big Brothers Big Sisters (mentor) are organizations where she volunteers and serves her community.

Among Honors received are: The Maura Award, Who’s Who Among American Women, Dream Makers Award –Education, Business and Professional Women’s Award-Trailblazer.

Published writings: “The Wonder of Love”, A Descriptive Study of In-School Suspension Programs in the State of Texas, “Mission Here? How?”, and “Hope and Wholeness for Children and Youth”.

Thalia is the widow of Arthur Matherson, Jr. and the parent of an adult son, Aaron Keith and grandparent to granddaughter, Arianna. Her travels include Singapore, China, Jamaica, Bahamas, England, Israel, Kosovo, Brazil, South Korea, South Africa, Zambia Africa and most of the United States. Her hobby is reading.

Ruth is a life-long Methodist who was born in a parsonage in the Hill County of Texas to a family of a Methodist preachers including father, grandfather and great uncle. Her spiritual heritage also includes women in her family who worked faithfully in the predecessor organizations of the United Methodist Women. She remembers attending Schools of Christian Mission as far back as 1955.

A passionate lay member of the United Methodist Church, Ruth is an active member of the Hamilton Park United Methodist Church (Dallas, Tx.) where she has served in many various capacities/ministries. She has served as lay leader; chair, Council of Ministries; facilitator for Disciple I,II & III; VBS volunteer; Music Ministry and chair of the Lay Speaking Ministries. Her service through the work of the United Methodist Women include serving as president of the local unit at Hamilton Park; President of the Dallas Northeast District UMW, Mission Coordinator for Spiritual Growth and Communications (Dallas Northeast District). At the conference level, she has served as Coordinator for Spiritual Growth, Dean and Assistant Dean for the School of Christian Mission, vice president and president. In 2010-11, she was elected to serve as Dean of the South Central Jurisdiction West Gulf Regional School of Mission. Ruth serves further at the North Texas Conference level on the bishop’s Core Leadership Team; chaired the Accountablilty Group; chaired the Memoirs Committee and was elected to serve on the Jurisdictional Delegations for 2008 & 2012.

An advocate for children & youth of all ages, Ruth serves as the board of directors for Dallas Bethlehem Center, one of Women’s Division’s national missions; member, Huston-Tillotson University Board of Trustees; member, board of directors Wesley-Rankin Center and former board member for Promise House, an organization that provides services to marginalized, at-risk populations of children and youth.

A product of Texas Public School systems, Ruth graduated from high school in Waco, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas and completed a Masters program from Our Lady of the Lake, San Antonio, Texas in Communication Disorders.

She is a retired Director of Special Education and Central Office Administrator for the Dallas Independent School District. She is the mother of three adult children, two grandsons and one great-granddaughter.

A woman of God, Ruth believes that she is called to be in service to women and children who are in need be they in our immediate community, in our nation or in our world.

Rev. Jo Biggerstaff, a retired Deacon in Full Connection in The United Methodist Church, served 32 years in the North Texas Conference. Jo holds a BA from Southern Methodist University, and the Masters of Religious Education from Perkins School of Theology, SMU. She is a certified Director of Christian Education in The UMC.

Jo served as Minister of Education at Christ UMC, Farmers Branch; First UMC, Dallas; and Director of Christian Education Ministries for Small Churches in the Dallas Denton District, NTC, while a Diaconal Minister (1979-1997). She was ordained a Deacon in Full Connection in 1997 while serving at FUMC, Coppell, TX. She served Walnut Hill UMC, Dallas, as a Retired Deacon from 2005-2011.

Elected as a clergy delegate to General Conference, 2008, Jo served on the South Central Jurisdiction Episcopacy Committee and the NTC Episcopacy Committee. She is a member of the NTC Board of Ordained Ministry, Division of Preparations and Qualifications.

Rev. Biggerstaff served for three years as the worship leader for the Weekend Cooperative Mission Event. In 2007 she was also the Assistant Dean of that event. In 2009 she taught Food and Faith, For The Love Of God in 2010, and The Journey in 2011 for both the SOCM and WCME. She has taught 2 of these courses in mission events throughout the North Texas Conference and looks forward to leading many women on The Journey during the coming year! She also serves as a Retreat Leader for UMW and local church groups. Since retirement she has begun leading a new UMW Book Study group at Walnut Hill UMC.

Jo and her husband, Jim, have two grown sons, one daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. She enjoys reading, playing piano, and leading Retreats for UMW groups and local churches. She is passionate about UMW and the mission work of the United Methodist Church.