Bishop Hee-Soo Jung
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung is Wisconsin’s United Methodist bishop and has served in this role since September of 2012. Prior to leading the Wisconsin Conference UMC, Bishop Jung served eight years as bishop of the Northern Illinois Conference (Chicago area) and as a pastor and District Superintendent in Wisconsin prior to that. Bishop Jung was President of United Methodist Commission on Relief (UMCOR) in 2012-2016 and currently serves as president of the General Board of Global Ministries and Korean National Plan.
Breakout Sessions
- General Conference updates: Rev. Jenny Arneson, Lisa Jones, Lisa King, Don Cramer -
Here is your chance to hear directly from some of our annual conference delegates to the general conference.
They will provide up to date information on topics to be dealt with at the up coming general conference.
These issues are what we as members and they as our delegates will be challenged with deciding for the United Methodist Church.
- Lay Servant updates: Joe Hilke, Barbara Hill -
Learn from our new Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministries and NW director of Lay Servant Ministries.
They discuss with you what is new with Certified Lay Minister, Lay Servant , and Lay Speaker programs
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Mission Outreach: Gail Burgess, Rev. Anita Lang, Robin Kelby -
Learn from three exceptional individuals what is available to you through the United Methodist Church in the way of mission opportunities.
It could have been titled, " Where in the world are we today?"
- Missionaries Amongst us: D S Peace Kim, Rev. Christopher -
Normally we think of individuals that go to other countries as missionaries.
Now learn first hand from those that come from other parts of the world, how they are missionaries in the state of Wisconsin and how you are a part of their work.
Rev. Jenny Arneson
Rev. Jenny Arneson has been the appointed pastor of the Sun Prairie United Methodist Church in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin since July of 2015. Jenny currently serves as co-chair of the Wisconsin General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegation. She is also a clergy member of the North Central Jurisdictional Episcopacy Committee and the Wisconsin Episcopacy Committee. She was an alternate delegate to General Conference in 2012, 2016 and 2019. Jenny is the chair of the Wisconsin Conference Personnel Committee and serves on the General Conference on Finance & Administration (GCFA) Committee on Personnel Policies.
Jenny earned her Masters of Divinity degree from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, her Masters in Administration from the University of Iowa and her Bachelors degree from UW-Eau Claire.
Lisa Jones
Lisa Jones is a voting Lay General Conference Delegate for our Wisconsin conference. In her role as a delegate she serves the North Central Jurisdiction on the NCJ Episcopacy Committee, NCJ executive team, and NCJ Role of Bishop taskforce. At the conference level she serves as the Vice Chair of the Connectional Table, a member of the Anti-racism Taskforce, and serves at the Treasurer for the Black Caucus: WI Black Methodist for Church Renewal. In her congregation Brown Deer UMC she works tirelessly for racial justice in leading her congregation’s Conversation on Race and as a community organizer in her daily working on justice issues in Wisconsin. Lisa's motto is if you want to see the change be the change, silence and inaction is not an option.
Don Cramer
Don Cramer is a member of Milwaukee: Central UMC. He was elected to the Wisconsin Annual Conference's jurisdictional delegation in 2019, and he has served as the conference statistician since 2012.
Joe Hilke
Joe Hilke is a member of the Conference Board of Laity, serving as the Wisconsin Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministries. He is a lifelong United Methodist and current member of New Hope UMC in Greenbush, WI, where he serves as the chair of the SPRC. Joe currently resides in Plymouth, WI but his faith journey began in Green Bay, WI at First United Methodist. In addition to his work at the local church, Joe is the chair the NE District – Circuit 12 Laity Committee and the District Committee on Ordained Ministry for the NE District. Joe is also a Certified Lay Speaker and a graduate of the Institute of Congregation Development class of 2023. In addition to his work with the United Methodist Church, Joe serves on the board of directors and is the Director of Marketing for the Powerful Question Institute. Joe processes a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Prior to taking an early retirement, Joe held executive Human Resources positions within national and international companies in the manufacturing sector. Currently, Joe is the owner, producer, and director of a video production and media company, specializing in web-based media/design and live streaming for non-profit organizations. He has been married to his wife, Ann, for 42 years and they have two married daughters and are blessed with six grandchildren. Joe is very excited and passionate about his new responsibilities and helping to expand the laity presence within the Wisconsin Annual Conference.
Barbara Hill
Barbara Hill is the Northwest District Director of Lay Servant Ministries, a Conference Board of Laity (CBOL) member, and a Certified Lay Speaker. Prior to retirement, Barbara used fieldwork was project and service coordination with the TN State Department of Education and adjunct teaching at the University of Memphis. In participating with the walk to Emmaus, it changed her life and she worked several weekends for the Emmaus group. After retirement, her Lay Speaker duties included starting prayer warrior groups with various churches, serving Emmaus, music ministry to church and shut-ins, encouraging others to pray about Lay Servanthood, and serving a rural church in the state of Arkansas through preaching and being Jesus’ hands and feet. The move to Hudson, Wisconsin was a decision her clergy husband and she made to be closer to the grandchildren and help their daughter-in-law with the young children while their son was serving our country in Iraq.
Gail Burgess
Gail Burgess has been a member of the Wisconsin Conference Board of Global Ministries (BGM) for several years, serving as its chairperson and secretary. She is also a member of BGM’s Volunteer in Mission Committee, having co-led VIM Journeys to Alabama, Georgia and Texas and the annual post-camping season clean up at Lake Lucerne; and BGM’s Mission Motivation Committee which is sponsoring a Mission ZOOM February 27.
Gail is also the secretary of CBOL, a member of the 2020-2024 General Conference/North Central Jurisdiction Conference delegation, the Conference Episcopacy Committee, and the Northern Illinois and Wisconsin Conferences Shared Episcopal Leadership and Ministry Committee. The South East District UWP Program Resources coordinator, Gail is also the president of her local UWF unit at Bristol UMC in Kenosha County.
Gail and Harold, her husband of 47 years, have three adult children and five grandchildren, ages 4 to 13. She is a retired school librarian.
Rev. Anita Lang
Rev. Anita Lang was born and raised in Chile in the Methodist Church. A mother of three sons (Orlando 30, Pablo 25, and Esteban 16) she finds joy and inspiration in them every day. She's a United Methodist pastor in Wisconsin and an Adjunct Professor at Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin. Anita Lang graduated from the National University and Latin American Biblical University of Costa Rica with a Master's degree in Socio-religious Studies, Genders, and Diversities. In addition to that, she has a degree in education from the Arturo Prat University of Chile. From the Latin American Biblical University of Costa Rica, she also holds a bachelor’s degree in theological sciences. Since graduating with Garrett's Theological Studies Certification in 2019 (COS and ACOS), she's also completed four Clinical Pastoral Education CPE units from the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy. She is currently enrolled at the National University of Costa Rica in an Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Socio-Religious Studies. Pastor Lang is passionate about serving God and his people, locally and internationally. One of her favorite verses from the Bible is Joshua 1:9 “9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” And Matthew 9:16 “but with God all things are possible.” She worked for the United Methodist Women in Wisconsin for three years (2007-2010) as the Hispanic Language Coordinator. Passionate about serving both locally and internationally, Pastor Lang's dedication extends to her role as the Chair of Global Ministries at the Conference of Wisconsin. Additionally, she serves as the Chair of the Bolivia Partnership between the Wisconsin Conference and the Evangelical Methodist Church. Her passion for mission work is palpable as she actively engages with both the Wisconsin Conference and the Methodist Church in Bolivia. Beyond her church and mission roles, Pastor Lang is a proactive member of her community, working tirelessly on behalf of migrants. Her commitment to social justice and compassion is a testament to her profound dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of others.
Robin Kelby
Robin Kelby is the District Lay Leader for the Southwest District here in the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church. As a lay leader, Robin advocates for the people in the district and a link between local church leadership and the district and Conference. Robin helps to train and equip the members of our churches so that they have support in their local communities. As a member of CBOL (Conference Board of Laity), Robin stays in touch with leaders across the state for events, trainings, and news, and is one of the people coordinating the materials on the Laity section of the Conference website. Robin is a Certified Lay Speaker, and enjoys preaching around the state.
Rev. PyungAhn “Peace” Kim, North West District Superintendent
His Korean name, PyungAhn, means peace. His parents gave him the name with hopes that their son would bring Christ’s peace to others with the help of God. Pastor Peace says, “As was my parents’ prayer, this is my prayer that I may live out God’s call to proclaim Christ’s peace by words and actions in this world.”
Pastor Peace’s education includes bachelor’s degrees in philosophy, religious studies, PEP(Politics, Economics, and Philosophy) from Sogang University, Seoul, and a Master of Theology with a focus on missiology from the United Graduate School of Theology in Yonsei University, Seoul. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. He confessed, however, that the most important theological, ministerial, and life lessons came from his parents who are laity, having taught him through their lives the importance of faith, family, and respect for others, especially the elderly and the marginalized.
After having served in local churches in South Korea and the greater Washington DC area, he came to Wisconsin and has continued to live out his call to ministry. His ministry journey includes pastoral appointments in rural, suburban and hybrid settings, serving as a solo pastor, associate pastor, and lead pastor with program staff. Committed to the wholeness of Christian faith and to the United Methodist Church connectionalism, he extends his service as the conference’s Peace With Justice Coordinator and is an active member of the Peace Committee of Korean American United Methodist Church. He also represents the conference on the Board of Directors of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society.
Rev. Boddu Joseph Christopher - Biography
