Keynoters and Workshop Leaders

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Paul Bouman is the current Executive Director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit. He served as bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod from 1996 – 2008.  Prior to that, he served several congregations in the New York and New Jersey area.  He is founder of the diakonia ministry education program, which trains lay people for ministry in local congregations. Pastor Bouman is a published author of a number of scholarly articles, books, curricula and devotionals. Two recent books are They Are Us: Lutherans and Immigration, coauthored with Ralston Deffenbaugh, published in 2009 and Grace All Around Us (an account of ministry in the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks) published in 2007. He is married to the former Janet Luce, and they have three grown children and three grandchildren. They reside in Chicago.

The Rev. Edward R. Benoway was elected Bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in May 2001.  He was re-elected to a second term in 2007. He served parishes in Florida and Tennessee and served as Assistant to the Bishop prior to his term as Bishop. Bishop Benoway has served the church in local, regional and Churchwide capacities.  Bishop and Mrs. Linda Benoway live in Lutz, Florida.  They are the parents of married children,  Lisa, Steve, Chris and Carrie, and proud grandparents of nine grandchildren.

The Rev. Brenda K. Smith is currently Program Director for Faith Practices and Missional Leadership in the Congregational and Synodical Mission Unit of the ELCA’s Churchwide Office.  In this role she heads the Faith Practices Team, which is developing strategies to create a culture of discipleship in the ELCA. .  Prior to this position, Rev. Smith was pastor of New Hope Lutheran Church in Jamaica, New York for 13 years.  Before answering God’s call to ministry, she was a pediatric nurse and taught pediatric nursing at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.   In her spare time Rev. Smith enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading and listening to Motown classics, especially songs by the Temptations.  

The Rev. Dr. George Cruz-Martinez, a native from Brooklyn, New York, grew up as the third of twelve siblings from Puerto Rican parents.  Pastor George’s ministry has taken him to Mexico, Central and South America where he has served in the area of theological education and biblical studies.  In the States he has served as pastor to congregations in New York, New Jersey and Florida.  At the present time Pastor George is the newly installed pastor at Iglesia Evangélica Cristo Rey in Orlando, Florida. Pastor George enjoys writing children’s books, poetry, and painting.

Pastor Steven E. Wigdahl, an Iowa native, spent five years in the radio/television broadcast industry before attending seminary. Pastor Wigdahl served fifteen years at Ascension Lutheran Church in Ogden, Utah where he relocated a congregation from a side street to Main Street.   Since 1999 he has served as Senior Pastor at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Naples where a two site ministry is being developed via a ten-year plan.  Pastor Wigdahl has four sons.

Pastor John Herman has served three congregations in Virginia during his 29 years in parish ministry.  John is currently writing a five volume discipleship curriculum, which provides a year of discipleship themes and devotional resources for small groups and individuals.  John and his wife, Leslie, have two adult married daughters (Kristin and Cathy) and one grandchild (Andrew).  John’s life mission statement is:  Coaching individuals and congregations into the fullness of God’s mission.

Pastor Barry Hunteman served as Mission Developer (1998-1999) and now serves as called pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in the Villages. He is a regular attendee at Dr. Kennon Callahan’s annual seminar:  “The Mission Leaders Network for Pastors and Key Leaders” every February at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA. Pastor Hunteman shares the following information about Hope Lutheran:  Current membership is around 1582 (1293 members and 283 associate members and 6 children) with 948 households.  Average attendance in 2011 was 1131 per week, ranging 750-800 in the summer months and 1400-1500 in the winter months.

The Rev Dr. Johan Bergh has served 30 years as a congregational pastor, now serving as Interim Pastor of St. Philip Lutheran Church, Mt. Dora, FL.  He currently serves on the ELCA Churchwide Coaching Ministry Team and as a level II Natural Church Development Coach. Johan also operates his own coaching practice of BeingandDoingMatters.com. He and his wife Janet have been married 32 years and have two adult daughters, Katherine and Kelsey. He enjoys golf, running, hiking, fitness exercise, basketball, reading, biking, spinning, and good friends!

The Rev.  Ronald R. Lee, retired ELCA pastor, currently does the national assessment and approval of the teaching coaches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

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