Discipleship, Doctrine and Just Ministry Commission

Our PURPOSE & VISION

The Discipleship, Doctrine, and Just Ministry Commission exists to help the Global Methodist Church faithfully form disciples of Jesus Christ whose lives reflect spiritual maturity, theological clarity, and Gospel-shaped justice. Grounded in Scripture and the Wesleyan tradition, the Commission guides the Church in cultivating practices that shape both personal holiness and communal faithfulness across every level of the connection.


Through discipleship and spiritual formation, we support the Church’s work of nurturing believers in Christlikeness through classes, bands, small groups, and other formative practices. Through doctrine, we steward the Church’s theological foundations, helping the Church teach, preach, worship, and live its faith with clarity and conviction. Through just ministry, we equip the Church to embody its scriptural social witness, pursuing justice rooted in the Gospel and expressed through faithful action in the world.


Our vision is a Church where discipleship, doctrine, and justice are not separate pursuits, but a unified way of life, forming believers who love God deeply, think theologically, and live their faith with integrity and compassion.

Who We Are

The Discipleship, Doctrine and Just Ministry Commission is made up of clergy and lay leaders who bring expertise in theology, pastoral leadership, discipleship, and justice ministries from across the global connection. The next commission will be elected during the 2026 General Conference.

Clergy

Gabriella Kopas - Slovakia

Jason Vickers - Trinity

David Watson - Chair - Allegheny West

Luther Oconer - Mega Manila Philippines

Suzanne Nicholason - MidSouth

Tesia Mallory - Allegheny West

Kenneth Collins - MidSouth

BISHOP

Bishop Scott Jones

Laity

Audu Daniel Bulus - Southern Nigeria

Kathy Rohrs - Sec - Allegheny West

Lou Ann Staggs - MS West TN

Evelyn Ann Akumu - Kenya

Walter Warriner - Northeast

Angel Santiago Vendrell - Mid Texas

Anna Vargas - Trinity

STAFF

Teresa Marcus - Connectional Relations Manager

Discipleship

Encouraging spiritual growth and formation at every level of the Church.


We resource and encourage the ongoing spiritual growth of individuals and communities through:

  • Classes, bands, and other small groups that nurture spiritual friendship and accountability
  • Leadership development for pastors and lay discipleship leaders
  • Liturgies and worship resources for local congregations and the general Church
  • Equitable and inclusive representation in worship and discipleship settings across race, tribe, gender, and language

“A disciple is not just a learner, but a lifelong follower shaped in the image of Christ.”

Doctrine

Grounding faith in historic, Wesleyan theology.


We help increase understanding and appreciation for our doctrinal foundations by:


  • Teaching and preaching the faith once delivered through the lens of the Wesleyan tradition
  • Developing liturgical and theological materials consistent with our doctrinal standards
  • Studying and proposing revisions to doctrinal statements where necessary

Guiding ecumenical engagement with other Christian denominations

“Doctrine is not preserved for its own sake, but to form faithful disciples who live the Gospel in the world.”

Just Ministry

Equipping the Church to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” (Micah 6:8)


We help individuals and congregations live out the Church’s Social Witness through:


  • Developing policies and training for addressing sexual harassment and misconduct
  • Advocating for the full inclusion and equal participation of women, persons of color, tribal communities, and persons with disabilities in all levels of Church leadership
  • Supporting cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments
  • Equipping local churches to engage Scripture and historic Christian ethics in public life

“Doctrine is not preserved for its own sake, but to form faithful disciples who live the Gospel in the world.”

If you have topics or ministry areas you would like this commission to develop resources for, please reach out to the Chair at  DiscipleshipComm@globalmethodist.org.

How We Work

The DDJ Commission meets throughout the year via Zoom, organizing into smaller workgroups focused to develop new teaching resources, training materials, and study guides for churches and conferences.


We are committed to developing content that is biblically grounded, theologically sound, and practically useful for ministry in every context.


Commission Members are available to:

  • Share ideas for new discipleship or doctrinal training
  • Invite Commission members to speak or teach
  • Partner in developing resources for Just Ministry

Coming Resources

Visitors will soon be able to view and download materials from this page, including:


  • White Papers – theological studies and position documents
  • Training Videos – equipping pastors and lay leaders
  • Teaching Materials – resources for classes, bands, and small groups
  • Confession of Faith Draft – for study and feedback

Check back soon as we expand our resource library and invite feedback from across the global connection.


CONTACT