District Conference 2026
2026 District Conference
Saturday, June 13, 2026
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Lunch provided)
Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church
8445 Greiner Road, Williamsville, NY 14221
Whether this is your first time serving as a delegate to district conference or you have served for many years, welcome! The Wesleyan Church has 22 Districts in the North American Conference. Every district holds an annual conference when all the ministers and elected lay delegates from the churches gather to choose leaders, cast vision, hear from denominational leaders, find out about parachurch ministries, celebrate baptisms, worship, and pray for each other. It is a long-standing principle in the Wesleyan tradition to have an equal representation of clergy and lay members of the conference. The number of delegates allotted from your church is determined by the number of church members. The total number of lay delegates is designed to equal the number of voting clergy members so that there is parity in those numbers.
In the Western New York District, we always begin the day in worship including The Lord’s Supper. District Conference is a time to recognize that we are part of something larger than just our local context. We are part of a district, a denomination, and the church universal.
Thank you for your interest in attending the 2026 WNY District Conference! If you are a delegate, alternate delegate (and planning on attending), non-delegate, ministry representative, event volunteer, or ministry representative, kindly fill out the registration form listed below.
Please register HERE
The conference is at Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church, 8445 Greiner Road, Williamsville, NY 14221.
The business meeting will be in the Multiplex Room (Room 9 on this map). You may enter through any main entrance, but doors 7 and 13 are closest to the meeting room. You will be seated at tables together with all your church’s delegates. Look for a sign with your church’s name. Your conference packet will be at your seat.
8:50 AM – Delegates please be seated
9:00 AM – Opening Worship & Lord’s Supper Celebration
Welcome & Call to Worship
Communion Devotional
The Lord’s Supper is served
It is a long-standing Wesleyan Methodist tradition to have parity between lay and clergy representation at District Conference. To keep this parity consistent, each year the District Board of Administration assigns a number of delegates for each church according to its members and to stay parallel to the number of ministers attending district conference. The chart below lists the lay delegate apportionment for 2026.
Eucharist by Roselyn B. Danner
CONFERENCE INFORMATION
Conference Packet
In place of the printed Conference Packet, we will have all of the necessary materials available online this year.
Ministry Representatives
MINISTRY REPRESENTATIVES COMING TO 2026 CONFERENCE
The Wesleyan Church
General Superintendent
Celebration of Baptisms
You will see a baptism celebration video at conference!
Ordination Candidates
New Licensed Ministers
Nominee Biographies
Rev. Kim Gladden
Nominating Committee- Clergy
Rev. Kimberly Gladden, former Director of Discipleship for the Wesleyan Church, is an ordained Wesleyan pastor and graduate of Colgate Rochester Divinity School who is currently serving as President of UMAP, an Urban Ministry Advancement Program. Kim loves to see God’s people transformed through spiritual growth opportunities. She has a heart of service and leads and supports mission projects around the globe. She previously served on staff as the Small Groups Pastor at Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church while simultaneously serving as the lead pastor of a church she planted, Zion Quest Christian Fellowship, which she continues to pastor in the Buffalo area. She has also served as an adjunct lecturer for the University of Buffalo, Empire State College, and PCMP (Pastoral Church Ministries Program). Kim is the founder of VisionQuest Ministries (a mission service organization) and the VisionQuest Community Christian Orchestra. Kim brings 30+ years of ministry experience and a passion for the creative worship arts to her desire to equip the church for ministry.
Reverend Paul Shea
Nominating Committee- Clergy
Rev. Shea, now retired, is in his 53rd year as an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church. He has served as Pastor and Assistant Pastor in Illinois and WNY. He and Debbie, with their three daughters, were missionaries with Global Partners in Sierra Leone for three terms in the 1970’s -80’s discipling youth and teaching at Sierra Leone Bible College (now TECT). Paul taught Missions and Intercultural Studies at Houghton University for 19 years. In retirement he filled a gap as Pastoral Assistant at Houghton Wesleyan Church where he continues in various voluntary ministries.
District Board of Administration
District Board of Ministerial Development
District Board of Ministerial Development
This is the board that oversees ministry candidates in our district.
Western New York Ministry Training Program
WNY Ministry Training Program is an approved program for ordination and licensing courses in The Wesleyan Church. ANYONE may take the courses for personal enrichment. You do not have to be an official Ministerial Student to enroll.
Pastor Prayer Map
Upcoming Events
Refresh Family Camp – July 19-24, 2026
Western New York District Service of Ordination –
Heart to Heart Weekend – (Pastors’ wives and Women Pastors)
District Winter Youth Retreat –
North American General Conference – May 17-20, 2026 (Marion, Indiana)
Youth HU Gym night- May 29, 2026
2027 WNY District Conference –
REPORTS
District Superintendent Report
Assistant District Superintendent Report
Rev. Dr. Dan Jones
District Children's Ministry Directors' Report
WNY Wesleyan District Children’s Ministry Report
Rev. April Allen
Rev. Becky Todd
District Youth President Report
District Missions Director Report
Rev. Mindy Tharnish
Global Partners Report to Western New York
Redeem Church
My name is Nathan Nedopak. My wife Jenny and I have been married for ten years. I have been blessed with the opportunity to preach the Gospel in six
nations and many Churches throughout the U.S. I have worked with multiple Youth Ministries as well as being a Christian Academy Principal, an Associate Pastor with three Churches, an Interim Pastor at two Churches and a lead Pastor for three Churches, including one Church plant.
Call to Plant
We are called to launch a new work in Western New York that will redeem lives, families, and neighborhoods. We endeavor to continue the Great Commission through reproducing disciples, equipping believers for God’s work, and establishing Kingdom-advancing Ministries and Churches.
Timeline
We are currently entering into our pre-launch phase with a goal of official launching Redeem Church in the Fall 2025.
Contact – Nathan Nedopak
Mobile: (716) 730-1169 * E-mail: pastornedopak@gmail.com
Action Committee
Statistics & Financial Reports
Pastoral Appointments 2026-2027
District Conference Election Results
Election Results:
District Board Of Administration, Clergy-
District Board of Administration, Lay-
Nominating Committee, Clergy-
Nominating Committee, Lay-
Action Committee, Clergy-
Action Committee, Lay-
OTHER RESOURCES
FREE GIFT - rightnow MEDIA Access for a year
FREE RightNow Media Access for 2026!
It’s almost too good to be true! Lead pastors, their families, and core leadership have access to RightNow Media for the entire year of 2026. Our Discipleship team believes in you, and this is one way we can equip you with disciple-making resources. Sign-up today at https://www.wesleyan.org/rightnowmedia
*If you already have an account or church wide access, our rep, Lynne Roberts,lynne@rightnowmedia.org, is ready to serve you with exclusive discounts.
WNY District Grant
Purpose of the Grant
The WNY District Wesleyan Church Grant exists to support local churches in their mission to serve their communities, strengthen their ministries, and further the Kingdom of God. This grant is designed to empower churches to launch new initiatives, revitalize existing ministries, and invest in projects that align with the mission of making disciples and transforming lives through the love of Christ.
Who is Eligible?
This grant is available to churches within the WNY District of the Wesleyan Church seeking funding for projects that will have a tangible impact on their congregation and surrounding community.
Each church may apply for up to $1,000 Grant. They may also apply for another $2,000 as a matching grant. In this case the church would match the $2,000 therefore receiving a maximum of $3000 from the district for their project.
The DBA has budgeted $50,000 per year for Grants to churches within the district for ministry activities. If you apply for more than $1,000, matching funds are preferred. If this is not possible to match your funds, fill out the application form and apply anyway. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The grant application deadline is October 1st of each year.
Any given church will be eligible to apply for a grant again 3 years after receiving their last grant.
Types of Projects Supported
Grants may be awarded to projects that fall under one or more of the following categories:
- Church Revitalization: Projects aimed at renewing the life and mission of the church.
- Community Outreach: Initiatives that meet the physical, emotional, or spiritual needs of the community.
- Leadership Development: Programs designed to train and equip church leaders.
- Minor Facility Improvements: Projects that improve the church building to better serve ministry needs.
- Other Ministry Initiatives: Projects that align with the mission and vision of the WNY District.
How to Apply
Applicants are encouraged to provide a clear vision of their project, including its goals, expected impact, and how it will engage both the church congregation and the wider community. Applications should include an itemized budget, funding plan, and measurable outcomes for success.
The grant application will open following District Conference. Look for more information to come!
TFI Matching Pension Grant
TFI Next Gen Pastors Matching Grant
Discipleship Team Resources and Opportunities
CULTIVATE – Growing a Disciple-Making Culture
The next Cultivate Workshop session will kick-off in February 2026! Registration for Summer and Fall Cultivate sessions will open in May 2026. Let us help you stay in the mix of current and future sessions and events by emailing cultivate@wesleyan.org.
www.wesleyan.org/discipleship/cultivate
Email:cultivate@wesleyan.org
Discipleship Webinars
www.wesleyan.org/discipleship/discipleshipconversations
We Disciple App
WeDisciple helps disciple makers define the relationship and maintain a regular flow of connection and conversation. There are hundreds of resources to guide the disciple and disciple maker through their intentional growth. Find books/workbooks, videos, tools and resource documents, assessments, courses, and more!
Upcoming 2026 Conferences with Wesleyan Shoulder Events
Multiethnic Resources
Hephzibah62:4 Ministry
Hephzibah62:4 Ministry
“Equipping and mobilizing local Wesleyan Church to transform the lives of vulnerable children.”
Worship Arts Resources
Worship Arts Resources
- Wesleyan Worship Collective, led by Dr. Josh Lavender
- Wesleyan Worship Collective Facebook Page