General Conference Board

As the board of directors, General Conference Board acts as the governance and decision-making entity for the BIC U.S.

General Conference Board (GCB) comprises members from each regional conference and various individuals appointed by General Assembly.

Tom Law

Denise Conway

Denise Conway, representing the Midwest Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2022.

Denise is a BIC U.S. missionary in New Mexico. In 2003 she came to Christ after battling drug and alcohol addictions through her youth and young adulthood. She became a member of Revolution Church in Salina, Kansas where she was discipled and began to serve in youth ministry. She first sensed a call to cross-cultural missions at a BIC U.S. World Missions Conference hosted by Revolution in 2007, and soon after began her missionary journey among the Navajo people in New Mexico.

Her background in education is a foundation for her ministry. She has a degree in teaching from Adam’s State University and spent several years teaching at the BIC Navajo Mission and in a special education setting. She now helps adults who never finished high school attain their GED diplomas. She is an associate pastor at Broken Walls Fellowship, a contextual Native American church plant in Fruitland, NM, and helps facilitate a church for the homeless. Additionally, she serves on the Midwest Conference youth team and helps lead summer camps and spring retreats.

Rachel Diaz

Rachel Diaz, representing the Southeast Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2014 as a member-at-large.

Since childhood, Rachel has actively participated in developing the South Florida cluster of BIC churches.

A member of Iglesia Rescate in Hialeah, Fla., Rachel previously volunteered in a number of Brethren in Christ congregations with worship, youth work, small groups, translation, and legal assistance. She also served for four years on the BIC Board for World Missions. She continues to be an active member of her local church where she serves in various capacities.

Rachel’s unique perspective as a bilingual, urban attorney is an asset both to the churches in South Florida and to the larger denomination. It is her prayer that the BIC U.S. would become a prominent presence in its surrounding society — strengthened, united, and growing to better reach out into the world for the sake of God’s Kingdom.

Rachel and her husband, Hamlet, live in South Florida with their two daughters.

Sherri Flohr

Sherri Flohr, representing the Allegheny Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2018.

Sherri has led at national, regional, and local levels of the Brethren in Christ U.S.: At the national level, Sherri serves as facilitator for the BIC Directed Study Program and has been a member of the BIC Equipping for Ministry team.

For the Allegheny Conference, she serves on the board of directors, as well as the discipleship and staffing councils. She has also served on bishop selection for the conference. Sherri has led young adult, youth, and ministry programs and events for Allegheny Conference and Roxbury Holiness Camp, where she was a director and committee member.

Having grown up in the Chambersburg BIC Church, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Sherri was on the board of Christian education, a member of the personnel committee, and director of VBS. Today, Sherri participates in Five Forks Church, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, where she was director for youth ministries, as well as on the church board, worship committee, and Sunday school teaching team. She led several international mission trips and continues to serve in various ways at Five Forks Church.

Sherri has a Master of Arts in global leadership from Fuller Seminary’s School of Intercultural Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Christian education and music at Messiah College. Having benefited from leadership training in the BIC U.S. Church, Sherri has a vision to see the BIC U.S. continue to emphasize developing and equipping leaders to live out their full potential in Christ.

Sherri, and her husband, Mark, reside in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. They have two adult children.

Adam Forry

Adam Forry, representing the Atlantic Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2014.

He grew up as part of the Mount Pleasant BIC congregation, Mount Joy, Pa., where generations of his father’s family attended. After graduating from Messiah College in 1999, Adam went on to serve as an associate pastor in two BIC congregations and then became lead pastor at Speedwell Heights BIC, Lititz, Pa., in 2008. That same year, he completed his Master of Arts in Ministry at Lancaster Bible College. Since 2019, Adam has served as senior pastor of Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ Church (EBIC), Elizabethtown, Pa.

As a “cradle BIC,” Adam is excited that the BIC faith family has expanded and crossed potential barriers of all kinds to become a diverse, international church with 80 percent of its people outside North America. He sees local churches as the center of God’s work in the world as they seek to reach people for Christ, disciple believers, and make an impact locally and globally. He is grateful to serve on both GCB and the Atlantic Conference board of directors as they support and strengthen the mission of local congregations.

Adam enjoys reading, trying new foods, and going for walks with a mini goldendoodle. He and his wife, Kimberly, live in Manheim, Pa., with their daughter, Cassie, and sons, Trace and Liam.

Bonnie Hershberger

Bonnie Hershberger, from the Susquehanna Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2021 as a member-at-large.

Bonnie came to the BIC in 1997 when her husband, Dave, started serving as worship pastor of Mechanicsburg BIC.

She is an attorney who has practiced both in the public and private sectors. In addition to her Juris Doctor degree, Bonnie has a Master of Laws from Villanova University School of Law. She currently works as an assistant general counsel and specializes in health and benefits law.

She volunteers her legal services for the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, an organization that works to exonerate those who have been wrongfully convicted and advocates for criminal justice reforms. Additionally, she serves as a board member and chair of the mission committee at Bethesda Mission, a ministry that has cared for the poor and homeless in Harrisburg, Pa. since 1914.

Bonnie is passionate about cultivating intimacy with God, living a lifestyle of worship, growing in biblical literacy, and walking alongside others as they pursue the same. She and Dave live in Mechanicsburg, Pa. with their miniature schnauzer, Titus.

Abby Kean

Abby Kean, representing the Great Lakes Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2020.

A proud native of Milwaukee, WI, Abby has been a part of New Vision BIC just outside Milwaukee since 2010. Having come to know Jesus personally through the ministry of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship early in college, Abby’s adult life has always been framed by an understanding that ministry and missional living is central to the Christian life regardless of vocation. Though active in Bible studies, worship ministry, and global missions work since college, she sees her vocation as a high school history and theater teacher as her primary missionary assignment.

Since joining New Vision and the BIC (which she met through a family at her school), Abby has been a regular part of the musical worship team, a facilitator for large group gatherings, and a committed member of weekly Life Group; as well as a member of the Church Board/Leadership Team since 2013. She has also served as the congregation’s Director of Missions, helping to lead three summer teams at the Navajo BIC Mission and a team sent to visit BIC U.S. global workers in Thailand.

When not in the classroom, working on the next school play, or “something with church” Abby looks forward to video calls with out of town friends and family, game nights, and long walks outside listening to a good audiobook.

Jonah Langenderfer

Jonah Langenderfer, from the Great Lakes Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2022 as a member-at-large.

Jonah’s story began in a broken home with his parents’ mental illness and eventual divorce. Jonah was placed in foster care at the age of 5., and his father tragically died shortly later in a work accident. Yet by God’s grace, it was in this tragic moment that God began to turn things around. With a new foster family, Jonah heard about the Good News of Jesus through a local Baptist church. Through this community, Jonah experienced the love and healing of Jesus that turned his life around.

Jonah sensed God’s call to ministry while attending Cedarville University for a degree in Biblical Studies. After graduating in 2014, he went on to complete his Master of Divinity in 2018 from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School outside Chicago, Ill. Since 2019, Jonah has served as senior pastor of Pleasant Hill Brethren in Christ Church in Pleasant Hill, Ohio.

While Jonah was not raised Brethren in Christ, he has gratefully found a theological home in the BIC after worshipping and serving in different evangelical denominations. He believes that BIC history and DNA – like our core value of pursuing peace – has great potential to guide us towards faithfulness to Jesus in today’s context in the U.S.

Jonah enjoys reading, movies, sports (especially basketball), hiking, eating good food, and spending time with family. He and his wife, Amy, a neuropsychology resident practicing in the Dayton area, reside in Pleasant Hill, Ohio, with their two sons, Preston and Pierce.

Jacob Lougheed

Jacob Lougheed, from the Allegheny Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2022 as a member-at-large.

Grafted into the BIC in August 2001, Jacob first came to be part of the BIC when he moved with his family from Stouffville, Ontario, Canada to Greencastle, Pa. where his father serves as a pastor at Hollowell BIC.

Jacob has participated in a variety of ways at the local church level for the last 21 years. Currently, Jacob facilitates a Young Families Life Group, remains connected with missions in the Dominican Republic, has served as a youth sponsor, and has coached softball and basketball in local church sports leagues.

Jacob received his Master’s Degree in Education from Wilson College in May of 2021 and currently works as a social studies teacher in Hagerstown, Md. He has a heart for young people and works to help them realize their potential.

In his free time, Jacob enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, the outdoors, and baseball. He looks forward to summer vacations at the beach, visiting new ballparks, and dreams of the day that the Maple Leafs will hoist the Stanley Cup. Jacob and his wife Kelsey, live in Greencastle, Pa., with their two children, Benaiah and Elizabeth.

Brian Mbuu

Brian Mbuu, from the Atlantic Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2020 as a member-at-large.

Born and raised in Kenya, Brian came to the United States to attend Messiah College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. For more than 20 years, Brian has worked in various human resources roles. He currently works in State Government supporting the 14 Pennsylvania state-owned universities in the areas of human resources and labor relations. His role includes working with teams to negotiate, implement, and administer state-wide labor agreements.

As a member of Harrisburg BIC Church since 2003, he has held various roles including having the privilege to serve as a member of the church board, serving as chair of the personnel committee, as well as volunteering with various ministries.

Living simply is one of the core values that motivates him to live, love, and serve the broader community. This value embodies the life of Jesus Christ and encourages us to strive for dependence on God and service to others.

Brian and his wife, Joela, live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with their two daughters.

Kevin Noll

Kevin Noll, from the Atlantic Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2018 as a member-at-large.

Since 1998, Kevin has served as director of business services at Paxton Ministries, a nonprofit in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that provides affordable housing and support services to adults who are challenged with poverty, mental illness, and intellectual disabilities. At Paxton Ministries, Kevin has responsibility for the fiscal management of the entire organization, including accounts receivable and accounts payable, payroll and benefits, budget, and annual audit, while also managing human resources and information technology infrastructure. In 2009, he played a key role in the startup of Paxton Cleaning Solutions, a subsidiary of Paxton Ministries, and he continues to oversee its management.

A member of New Hope Church, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for 20 years, Kevin has served on the leadership team and has supervised children and youth ministries. He currently serves in the high school youth ministry.

He is grateful for his upbringing on a Lancaster County farm, where he cultivated a strong work ethic, an ability to seek practical solutions, and a deep desire to serve others with the love of Jesus Christ. Kevin obtained a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Eastern University.

Kevin and his wife, Jennifer, live with their two children, Elijah and Rebecca, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. As the parent of two teenagers, he is particularly grateful for the way our denomination supports and desires to raise up the next generation for Christ.

Alan Robinson

Alan Robinson has been serving as national director of Brethren in Christ U.S. since 2013.

Alan’s journey to the BIC family begins in his home country of Northern Ireland. Coming to personal faith at a young age through an Independent Methodist Church and discerning a call to pastoral ministry, Alan has served as a church planter and pastor across the United Kingdom. Along the way, he received a bachelor’s degree from Nazarene Theological College of Manchester University in 1993 and a master’s degree in applied theology from the University of Oxford in 1997.

Following his graduation from the University of Oxford, Alan and his family moved to the U.S. while he pursued a doctor of ministry at Asbury Theological Seminary. It was during this time that he first heard of the Brethren in Christ. In 1999, Alan became senior pastor of Carlisle (Pa.) BIC (now The Meeting House – Carlisle Campus).

Alan has been involved in BIC Church life in many ways — as chair of the Commission on Ministry and Doctrine, chair and faculty member of Equipping for Ministry, assistant moderator for the Susquehanna Conference, and representative to the National Association of Evangelicals. In addition to his doctorate from Asbury Seminary, he also earned his Ph.D. in administration and leadership from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2012.

Alan lives in Dillsburg, Pa., with his wife, Sharon. They have two adult daughters and two grandchildren. Other than ministry, Alan’s main passion is soccer, having refereed and officiated at the college level for more than 20 years. To stay in shape for his referee work, Alan enjoys running and has participated in many marathons, including a 50-mile ultramarathon.

Jose Rodriguez

Jose Rodriguez, from the Southeast Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2020 as a member-at-large.

Born in Cuba, Jose came to faith in Christ as a child and became heavily involved in the first Cuban BIC mission congregation, the Cuatro Caminos Church under Pastor Juana Garcia. After sensing a call to pastoral ministry and attending seminary, he would later serve as pastor of that church for two years. In 1989, he and his family moved to Miami, Fl. where he has served in pastoral ministry ever since; most recently providing oversight to the Esmirna congregation, which he started in 1998.

In addition to serving on the Commission on Ministry and Doctrine and the Southeast Conference Board of Directors, Jose founded PEACE CDC, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides afterschool and summer camp programs throughout Miami-Dade County for approximately 250 children year-round.

Jose and his wife, Lourdes, have two adult children, Madai and Josue.

Naomi Smith

Naomi (Spurrier) Smith, representing the Susquehanna Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2021.

Naomi was born into a BIC pastoral family and spent most of her childhood in Dillsburg, Pa. She graduated from Houghton College in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature. After living in Houghton, N.Y. and State College, Pa., she and her husband Jason spent a year in Arusha, Tanzania before returning to Dillsburg in 2015.

Naomi serves as an associate pastor at the Dillsburg BIC Church, where she oversees areas of discipleship for adults and children. She is passionate about intergenerational discipleship and finding ways for people of all ages to learn together and from each other. She especially loves studying the Bible in community. She represents the fourth generation of BIC pastors in her family and is grateful for that legacy.

She lives with her husband, their three children, and her parents on the east side of a wooded mountain. She enjoys long walks, good books, family movie nights, and Saturday morning pancakes.

Julie Stout

Julie Stout, from the Susquehanna Conference, began serving on General Conference Board in 2015 as a member-at-large.

Growing up in central Pennsylvania, Julie attended Elizabethtown (Pa.) College and graduated with an accounting degree in 1975. After earning her CPA at Ernst and Young, she worked in corporate finance and governance for a large Carlisle, Pa., manufacturer until 1997. Her time in banking provided useful experience to take on the role of CEO of the Brethren in Christ Foundation in 1999. In 2003, Julie accepted the position of chief financial officer at Messiah Village, now Messiah Lifeways, where she worked until retiring June 2014.

Julie became a member of Carlisle (Pa.) BIC in the early 1980s (now The Meeting House – Carlisle Campus). She is actively involved in the children’s ministry, having taught Pioneer Girls and Sunday school classes for over 30 years. She has served on the congregation’s church board and various other committees.

While Julie was not raised Brethren in Christ, her church and denomination have become home. Serving on GCB allows her to express her thanks for the many mentors, co-workers, teachers, and preachers who have poured into her throughout her time with the church, the BICF, and Messiah Lifeways.

Since retiring, Julie enjoys volunteer work, traveling, spending time with extended family, reading, and working on many projects around her home and garden in Boiling Springs, Pa.