East Ohio General Delegates

Clergy

Gary Henderson is chief Relationship officer of Global Partnerships for United Methodist Communications and executive director of Imagine No Malaria. He has been a delegate from East Ohio to four General Conferences and previously been the Annual Conference secretary, a member of the Conference Board of Ministry, the chair of the Jurisdictional Elections Committee, and has served in other Church leadership positions. Henderson will serve on the General Administration legislative committee at GC 2020.

Andy Call is lead pastor of Church of the Saviour UMC in Cleveland Heights, having previously served the congregation as pastor of Administration and Development. His leadership is to equip the church to live into Kin-dom of God through committed discipleship. A life-long United Methodist, Call was a lay delegate to General Conference 2012 before entering pastoral ministry. He will serve on the Higher Education/Superintendency legislative committee at GC 2020.

Dan Bryant is the lead pastor of Lakewood UMC, having been appointed there after serving eight years as superintendent of the Mahoning Valley District. He is currently a General Board of Global Ministries director and previously served as chair of the Church and Society Committee. Bryant was a delegate to General Conference in 2012 and 2016, and to the 2019 Special Session of General Conference. He will serve on the Ordained Ministry legislative committee at GC 2020.

Matthew Laferty is a General Board of Global Ministries missionary serving in Vienna, Austria. He was formed and trained in, and sent out by, the East Ohio Conference. Laferty served as a lay delegate to General Conference in both 2004 and 2008, and he has served at all levels of the Church including the Study Committee on the Worldwide Nature of the Church, the General Commission on Archives and History, and the Committee on Faith and Order. He will serve on the Faith and Order legislative committee at GC 2020.

Armando Arellano is pastor of Euclid East Shore UMC. He has served in different capacities and positions on the district, annual conference, jurisdictional, and the general church. In East Ohio he serves on the Board of Ministry and the Commission on Religion and Race. Arellano was a delegate to the 2008 NCJ Jurisdictional Conference, 2012, 2016 General Conference, and the 2019 Special Called General Conference. He will serve on the Global Ministries legislative committee at GC 2020.

Benita Rollins is superintendent of the Tuscarawas District. General Conference 2020 is the second conference at which she is a delegate. She will be a Jurisdictional Conference delegate for the ninth time in 2020. A trained SBC-21 (Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century) consultant, Rollins has served on community boards and district, Conference and General Church task groups and commissions. She will serve on the Church and Society 1 legislative committee at GC 2020.

Lay

Martha Banks is a member of Christ Woodland UMC in Akron. A research neuropsychologist and former professor at The College of Wooster and Kent State University, Banks was a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences in 2016, and the Special Session of General Conference 2019. The certified Lay Servant has served on the EOC Church and Society and Black Methodists for Church Renewal committees and the Commission on Religion and Race. Banks will serve on the Church and Society 2 legislative committee at GC 2020.

Holly Grant serves on the Conference Board of Benefits and was a delegate to General/Jurisdictional Conferences in 2016 and to the Special Session of General Conference 2019. She will serve on the Local Churches legislative committee at GC 2020.

Connor Prusha is a member of Chardon UMC pursuing certified candidacy for ministry. He is an advocate for young voices to be heard within the church while also pursuing compromise, Christian conferencing and unity, and wisdom, and he is dedicated to letting the Holy Spirit guide us as we seek God’s future for His church.

Sarah Dixon is a member of Mayfield UMC, where she sings and plays piano in the worship band, leads and participates in LifeGroups, and serves on the Worship Committee and the Visioning team. A high school choir teacher and professional musician, Dixon is a life-long United Methodist and has been involved in churches in three different districts (Ohio Valley, North Coast, and Western Reserve) over the years.

Thomas Lewis is a member of Johnson UMC. The Ohio Northern University student was raised in The United Methodist Church. He served seven years on District Youth Council, representing the Western Reserve and Canal districts and served six years, including four years on Executive Team, on the Conference Council on Youth Ministries. He was chosen by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) to be on the design team for NEXT 2018.

Susan Achberger is a member of University Circle UMC. The Cleveland Clinic cancer clinical trial quality assurance coordinator was a member of the 2016 General Conference Delegation Steering Committee and attended 2016 Jurisdictional Conference as a reserve delegate. She serves as vice chair of the Conference Personnel Committee.