Staff Promotions in the Division of Ordained Ministry

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) is pleased to announce the promotion of two outstanding team members in the Division of Ordained Ministry. Beginning June 1, Rev. Shannon Conklin-Miller and Rev. Meg Lassiat will both step into new roles at GBHEM. Conklin-Miller will become the acting associate general secretary for the Division of Ordained Ministry and Lassiat will be the acting assistant general secretary for the division.

Throughout their time at GBHEM, Conklin-Miller and Lassiat have fostered the agency’s mission as the leadership development agency of The United Methodist Church.

Conklin-Miller, who now serves as the agency’s assistant general secretary for theological education and leadership formation, joined the agency in 2015. She’s helped lead GBHEM’s work to ensure that the United Methodist Church has an educated and well-rounded clergy. She has further developed the Course of Study program throughout the connection, supported teachers in United Methodist studies, and regularly consulted with the Council of Bishops, the Order of Elders, the Fellowships of Associate Members and Local Pastors, and the Boards of Ordained Ministry. Among her major recent successes is helping to broker a new Course of Study program for clergy in Burundi and overseeing the development of an accredited CPE center. As the new acting associate general secretary for the Division of Ordained Ministry, Conklin-Miller will oversee all the division’s programs and staff and will report directly to GBHEM’s new acting general secretary, Rev. Greg Bergquist. Bergquist also begins his new role in June.

Lassiat has served in several roles in her nearly 14 years with GBHEM and is the agency’s current executive director of clergy excellence for the Division of Ordained Ministry. She works closely with the Boards of Ordained Ministry to prepare new board members for their vital work in recommending candidates for ordination. Lassiat has also been instrumental in the development of the Effective Ministry 360 (EM360) process for the denomination. Throughout GBHEM and its sister agencies, Lassiat is known as a go-to expert on the Book of Discipline as related to licensed and ordained clergy.

GBHEM invites all its constituents to join the agency in congratulating these two exceptional leaders on their new roles. Well done Rev. Conklin-Miller and Rev. Lassiat!

About GBHEM: As the leadership development agency of The United Methodist Church, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s mission is to build capacity for United Methodist lay and clergy leaders to discover, claim and flourish in Christ’s calling in their lives, by creating connections and providing resources to aid in recruitment, education, professional development and spiritual formation. Every elder, deacon and licensed local pastor benefits from our training and candidacy programs. Many young adults find help in clarifying their vocation and God’s call in their lives through our leadership and discernment programs. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @GBHEM.