Rural Ministry Conference

Leaders and Speakers

Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan is Academic Dean and Professor of Contextual Theology at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He teaches courses in the areas of contextual theology, pastoral theology, and theological ethics. Dr. Nessan has served eleven years as a parish pastor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In addition to other articles, reviews, and books, Dr. Nessan is the author of Shalom Church: The Body of Christ as Ministering Community (2010), Beyond Maintenance to Mission: A Theology of the Congregation (2010, Revised Edition), and Transforming Leadership: New Vision for a Church in Mission (2008—with Norma Cook Everist).

Rev. Dr. Annette Bourland Huizenga is dean of UDTS seminary and Associate Professor of New Testament. Her scholarly interests circle around the social- historical contexts of early Christian communities. Raised in the United Methodist Church she worked worked as a DCE in United Methodist Churches in the Chicago area. Annette was ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament at LaSalle Street Church-Chicago (non-denominational), where she served as one of the pastors for ten years. Her current books include Moral Education for Women in the Pastoral and Pythagorean Letters: Philosophers of the Household and 1-2 Timothy, Titus written for the Wisdom Commentary series.

Breakout Leaders

Pleanary Speaker

Jon Decker, MSE LMHC ACADC currently works as a treatment supervisor for the Substance Abuse Services Center (SASC) a local non-profit agency specializing in gambling, alcohol, and drug use disorders. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in psychology and from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with master’s degrees in School Counseling and Community Mental Health Counseling. As a licensed mental health therapist with an advanced certification in addictions, he has over 13 years’ experience serving individuals on an outpatient basis addressing co-occurring issues.

Jennifer Prinz is Portico Benefit Services’ regional representative covering the ELCA Region 5 (Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Upper Peninsula of Michigan). Jennifer has more than 25 years of communications and relationship-building experience, in both faith-based and health care organizations. She previously worked as a gift planner for the ELCA Foundation, serving the state of Illinois. Prior to that, she was Director of Professional Development at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

Rev. Dr. Martha Brunell is an experienced pastor in the United Church of Christ, spiritual director, retreat and workshop leader, and writer. Over the course of her ministry she also co-founded a domestic violence agency, served as a hospice chaplain, wrote curriculum, and taught adjunct at Eden Seminary and Aquinas Institute of Theology in Saint Louis. She is currently the pastor of Mayfield Congregational UCC in Sycamore, IL, has an active spiritual direction practice, and leads a number of retreats and workshops across several states.

Rev. Michael Kasevich is a graduate of Excelsior College in Albany, New York and has received his Master of Divinity from Bangor Theological Seminary in Bangor Maine. He is ordained in the United Church of Christ and now serves St. Paul United Church of Christ in Old Monroe, Missouri. Previously he has served churches in Connecticut and Maine. Rev. Kasevich and his wife Linda have four children, 14 grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren. Rev. Kasevich enjoys living the rural life. He relaxes and enjoys riding his Harley Davidson when time allows.

The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 18 years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). Her forthcoming book, Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red/Blue Divide, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2019. The book explores how clergy and churches can address controversial justice issues using nonpartisan, biblically-centered approaches and deliberative dialogue.