Regional Elders Retreat

Keynoter

Rev. William Spangler-Dunning has served as the Regional Minister of Virginia since 2019. Prior to that, he served for 12 years as the Regional Minister of the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest.

Rev. Spangler-Dunning (Bill, or also called BSD) was raised in southern Iowa and was nurtured into ministry through a partnership between his parents, his home congregation (Davis Street Christian Church, Ottumwa, IA) and the Regional Camping Ministry. He was the first in his family to graduate from a 4-year college (Culver-Stockton College) and then obtained his MDiv at Lexington Theological Seminary. He served as a student minister in Midway, MO, and in Frankford, KY. Following graduation from seminary he served as youth minister at First Christian Church, Glasgow, KY, and in a Team Ministry at First Christian Church, Owensboro, KY. After serving as the West Area Youth Coordinator in Western Kentucky, he fell in love with the gathering focus of Regional Ministry. This experience led to a call to become the Associate Regional Minister for Youth, Camp and Conference Center ministry in his home Region, the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest, which in turn, led to serving as Regional Minister.

Rev. Spangler-Dunning has written a church-wide youth ministry education resource entitled, Revolutions: Finding New Ways to Talk to Youth About issues Revolving Around the World. He is an optimistic storyteller and in 2017 authored his first book about his childhood, ImpeRfect StoRies: Memories from Holt Street. His most recent book entitled, Why I am Not from Mars and Other Stories of How I Turned Out OK is semi-autobiographical with the hopes of inspiring others to remember the stories of life that made them who they are too.

BSD brings a deep belief that God provides enough in the community to change the world together. His approach and focus in Regional Ministry is to gather and connect the people of the region and build relationships between one another. He loves to encourage churches and individuals to follow their passions in ministry and focuses on a permission giving/blessing in his role as Regional Minister. He believes that if we are able to find our way toward real wholeness, then, as the Body of Christ, new ministries will arise. He calls this way of being church – Disciples Together.

He is married to Rev. Amy Spangler-Dunning and together they have an only son, Tristan Spangler-Dunning. Amy grew up in Richmond, VA, and is both an Ordained Minister and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Their son, Tristan, attends the University of Chicago with intentions to pursue his Ph.D. to become one of the next Disciples church historians.

Deacon Track Leader

Rev. Marshall, a pastor, a published author, international speaker, a playwright, a composer, a public servant, and an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is the founder and senior pastor of the Fountain of Hope Christian Church in Atlanta, Georgia since 2009. He is also the Energy Director for Office Public Housing Programs with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development serving over 3,000 housing authorities in the U.S. and its territories. With over 40 years of ministry experience in several churches, he provides pastoral care and ministry throughout the world as he fulfills the call that God has placed on his life. He has preached, taught, and spread the love of Jesus Christ through many forms of media. He has written and published several books, articles, a play, and songs.

As a Certified Project Management Professional, a Certified Energy Manager, a Certified Energy Auditor, a Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional, an EcoDistrict Accredited Professional, and a Certified Building Commissioning Professional with the Association of Energy Engineers, Rev. Marshall is a subject matter expert in energy management and sustainable, environmentally conscious communities. He speaks around the world in conferences and has published articles in promoting environmental stewardship. Rev. Marshall has worked for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as Director of Asset Management, where he has won numerous awards; the U.S. Army where he was recognized for excellence in service at Fort Benning, GA; and the Atlanta Housing Authority, serving over 55,000 persons as the Senior Utility Analyst.

In addition to his service in the public sector, he is a Christian public servant who promotes education. He serves as an instructor of Church Administration at the Atlanta Divinity Center; Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Christian College of Georgia in Athens, GA; and a former instructor teaching business courses at Selma University, a Baptist seminary, in Selma, AL. He has poured into the community by organizing college tours, doing motivational presentations to students in school systems across Metro Atlanta, advocating education, serving on the advisory council to the CREATE (Culture, Religion, Ethics, and the Environment) program with the Center for Christian Ethics at Emory University. He is a life member of the Alumni Association of Auburn University and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

As Senior Pastor of the Fountain of Hope Christian Church, he has implemented numerous programs to make a difference in the lives of people, including “The Georgia Black Leadership Project” that creates opportunities for the church, private organizations, and government to work together to improve communities; the “Mission of Hope’” the “Learn Interact and Train Project” that creates opportunities to empower youth through education to maximize their potential; “The Personal Touch Ministry” that seeks to provide pastoral care to nursing home and youth facilities.

Rev. Marshall serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations including the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Atlanta Chapter, and the Atlanta Chapter of the International Facilities Management Association.

Elders Track Leader

Rev. Byron Wells currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Chestnut Ridge Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Marietta, GA. A native of Kinston, NC, he is married to Jena Kennedy, and they have three children and five grandchildren. Rev. Wells received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, and his Master of Divinity degree from Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, KY. He has also pursued post-graduate studies in Congregational Transformation and New Church Development at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA.

Having a passion for the local congregation, Byron has served churches in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. Rev. Wells has been pastor at Chestnut Ridge since 1997, and during his tenure, the congregation has gone through a building renovation project, built a new education building, undergone a re-visioning process, and has become an Open and Affirming Congregation. Recently Chestnut Ridge was named a Green Chalice congregation due to its Creation Care ministries. The congregation has hosted the Swift School for mildly-learning disabled children, and it currently hosts the Spanish Academy which is a full immersion Spanish language pre-school. Partnering with Cobb County Parks and Recreation, the church provides parking for the Wright Nature Center in East Cobb County. Chestnut Ridge also hosts the CrossRoads Community Garden.

Beyond the local church, Rev. Wells currently represents the Georgia Region on the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is serving on the Georgia Regional Board. He has also served on Regional Boards in Tennessee and North Carolina, and on a variety of Regional Task Forces and Commissions. In Georgia Byron has chaired a Regional Minister Search committee and in North Carolina Byron served on another Regional Minister Search committee. Byron also served on the Steering Team which formed the Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, and he was a member of its first council. Byron has also served on the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Disciples Home Missions Congregational Transformation Team which sought to help local churches respond to the changes in our culture and communities. Byron is also an Ecumenical Lay Cistercian related to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA.

In his spare time Byron enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, reading about spirituality and contemplation, history, and politics. With a passion for his beloved Wolfpack, Byron keeps up with professional and college sports and athletics, and he enjoys working out. Byron resides in Roswell, GA.

Worship Leader

Rev. Dr. Gloria McCall is a pastor, teacher, counselor, songwriter, playwright, musician, and choral director serving both the public-school sector and several church denominations for over thirty years.

As a child, Dr. McCall traveled with the late Rev. R. Wilson throughout Arizona and established storefront churches. Dr. McCall served with her uncle as a musician and singer, and taught Bible stories to the smaller children. These early evangelism trips were the beginning of a life of service to the Body of Christ.

Dr. McCall served on staff at the Ray of Hope Christian Church as a full-time Minister to Children for more than 20 years, leaving a legacy of children who have found faith in Christ. She also served as Minister of Music in the AME church, and as a high school choral director. Two highlights of Dr. McCall’s career were the opportunity to teach among the Hopi and spend time on the Apache Indian Reservations learning their culture while teaching music. The other memorable occasion was directing a professional chorale of 200 voices in the famed Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, UT.

Dr. McCall founded and operated the Glory Institute of Music and Ministry, offering piano, violin, organ and voice lessons and voice coaching. The yearly recital highlighted excellence in all students. To her credit Dr. McCall has several published and produced children's plays, including BethleOZ, Heaven Came Down, The Resurrection.

Today, as a member of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia, Dr. McCall spends her time consulting, conducting workshops, and writing music and books for those involved in teaching children. She is an ordained minister with the Disciples of Christ, and serves as a Regional Elder. Dr. McCall believes, “When we see our children, we see the future as well as the seed yet to be born, we give hope, faith, and promise.”