Wed, 24 Jun 2009 - 11:20 AM CST
Speakers
L. Alton Garrison
Title: Assistant General Superintendent, Executive Director, Division of Church Ministries and Discipleship
Contact Information
The General Council of the Assemblies of God
1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802
p. 417.861.2781 x3010
f. 417.863.6614
agarrison@ag.org
Alton Garrison serves as the assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God and is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the Executive Presbytery. In addition, he serves as the executive director of the Division of Church Ministries and Discipleship and is on numerous boards and committees.
Garrison served as executive director of U.S. Missions from 2005 – 2007, overseeing 1,073 U.S. missionaries and more than 450 chaplains across the United States and in military installations around the world.
Garrison served as superintendent of the Arkansas District from 2001 – 2005. During his four years as superintendent, he launched a district mentoring ministry for pastors with the District Coaching Group and local church leadership through the Arkansas Cohort Group. Prior to this, Garrison pastored First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, Arkansas, for 15 years. Throughout his pastorate, First Assembly saw significant growth, both numerically and financially. First Assembly gave $1.4 million to world and U.S. missions in 1996. Garrison began his pulpit ministry as an evangelist from 1966 – 1985.
Garrison and his wife, Johanna, have one daughter, Lizette. He authored the books, Hope in America’s Crisis and Building a Winning Team. Johanna Garrison authored the book, Tangled Destinies.
Wes Bartel
Title: National Director, Discipleship Ministries Agency
Contact Information
The General Council of the Assemblies of God
1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802
p. 417.862.2781 x4325
f. 417.862.3299
wbartel@ag.org
Originally from Western Montana, Wes Bartel currently serves as the Director of the National Discipleship Ministries Agency for the Assemblies of God. With more than thirty years experience in pastoral ministry, including serving as a lead pastor in four districts, a District Youth Director, and as the National Sunday School Director for six years, the importance of discipleship is deeply familiar to Wes. As he puts it, “Discipleship is the only effective method for the continued propagation and growth of the Church.”
For Wes, discipleship, particularly through Christian education, has been fundamental in his ministry. Pointing out that it is “a direct command of Scripture to ‘go and make disciples of all nations,’” Wes recalls the importance that he and his wife Dianne have placed on discipleship, “Early in our ministry we decided to place a primary focus on discipleship. It is exciting to see the impact this has made on individual lives and continued church growth.”
Wes has been given numerous opportunities to speak at conferences and conventions in the United States and around the world, allowing him to address his concerns for the discipleship movement. “Today’s church tends to be primarily ‘worship focused,’” he notes. “I believe that we need a more balanced approach that better addresses all the purposes of the church – Evangelism, Fellowship, Discipleship, Worship, and Ministry. Perhaps, the most neglected area is the focus on Discipleship.”
An alumnus of Trinity Bible College and Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Wes is currently finishing his graduate work at Harrison School for Graduate Studies. He and his wife, Dianne, have been married for over forty years and presently reside in Springfield, Missouri. They have two children and four grandchildren.
O. Dan Stanley
Title: Training Coordinator, Discipleship Ministries Agency
Contact Information
The General Council of the Assemblies of God
1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802
p. 417.862.2781 x4003
f. 417.862.3299
dstanley@ag.org
Dan Stanley serves as the Training Coordinator for the Discipleship Ministries Agency of the Assemblies of God. In this role, Dan creates and resources, conducts seminars and facilitates communication for the equipping and encouraging of teachers and small group leaders in Christian education and discipleship ministries.
Before joining the national discipleship team, Dan had served in church ministry in Massachusetts, Delaware and New Jersey. He was the chair of the Christian education department at Zion Bible College and the District Christian Education Director for the Southern New England District of the Assemblies of God.
An alumnus of Evangel University, Central Bible College and the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Dan’s passion has been helping pastors, teachers and lay leaders develop their ability to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ to “make disciples.” Dan has spoken at conferences and seminars both in the United States and Central America to encourage and equip believers to be true disciple makers.
Dan has authored numerous articles and his most recent project has been The Christian Education Teachers Resource Manual, a general overview on the art of teaching for anyone involved in Christian education ministry. It is the primary text for the new Christian Education Teacher Certification process offered by the Discipleship Ministries Agency.
Ron McManus
Title: President, Center for Church Leadership
Contact Information
The General Council of the Assemblies of God
Center for Church Leadership
1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802
p. 417.862.2781 x3025
rmcmanus@ag.org
Dr. Ron McManus served as a Senior Pastor for over 16 years. Under his leadership, the church grew from a congregation of 350 to over 3,000 attendees. He has served as a denominational executive and a member of several college and seminary boards.
Ron McManus received his B.A. Degree from Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida, an M.A. Degree from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, Missouri, and a D. Min. from Erskine Seminary, Due West, South Carolina.
Dr. McManus has spoken and conducted seminars throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, South Korea, India, Singapore, Philippines, and Latin America. He has a heart for pastors and a passion for leadership training.
Dr. McManus served as President of EQUIP, (Encouraging Qualities Undeveloped in People), a not-for-profit Christian organization in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by Dr. John Maxwell from 1997-2000. EQUIP's ministry is to develop leaders in over 100 countries.
Dr. McManus currently serves as president of the Center for Church Leadership of the General Council of the Assemblies of God.
Rick Allen
Title: Church Transformation Network
Contact Information
The General Council of the Assemblies of God
1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802
p. 417.862.2781 x3026
f. 417.862.3903
rallen@ag.org
Rick Allen has been a nationally appointed U.S. missionary since 2001 and currently serves in the Center for Leadership and the AG Trust Development Team. His assignment for the Center for Leadership focuses on local church leadership development and strategic missional involvement. Rick functions as the National Coordinator for the future Church Transformation Network. The Church Transformation Network will serve the local church with resources to sustain a spiritually healthy environment.
Allen also serves on the AG Trust Development Team to assist with the future vision of our fellowship. The AG Trust focuses on three primary directives: 1) To assist with planting new AG churches across the United States in conjunction with the Church Multiplication Network, 2) To financially assist AG university students with debt retirement to assist them with their ministry calling, 3) To assist with the creation of a Research and Development component for future resources to aid the local church and districts with updated materials for evangelism and discipleship.
Allen served as the district church enrichment director of the Arkansas District from 2002 to 2005. During his three years in this ministry, he assisted the district superintendent with the mentoring ministry for pastors through the District Coaching Group and oversaw the local church leadership development ministry through the Arkansas Cohort Group. Previous to his district appointment, he served as a U.S. missionary for the Book of Hope USA. Allen has pastored churches in Arkansas and Tennessee. Prior to his senior pastorate, Allen served as a youth pastor in Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee. During his youth pastorate in Tennessee, he served on the National Child Services Agency for the U.S. Senate.
Rick and his wife, Bev, have two married children and two grandchildren.
Jim Hall
Title: New Christian Life Ministries
Contact Information
Rev. James H. Hall
1411 E. Stoneridge Street
Springfield MO 65803
417-833-9052
JHHalls@aol.com
www.newchristian.com
Jim Hall is the author of The Harvester’s Handbook − One PLANTs One Discipling − Training Manual & Young Christian Manual that have been used nationwide and overseas for 20 years to train church members to win the lost and disciple new Christians - who then win and disciple others. The Young Christian Manual provides lessons for the discipling process that include training the new believer to be a soul-winner and discipler. These resources are available in English and Spanish from www.newchristian.com and www.gospelpublishing.com. Free downloads are also available in Portuguese, Bulgarian, German, Russian, and Chinese.
Jim's travels to do onsite training in friendship evangelism and discipling new Christians have taken him to inner cities, suburbs and rural communities nationwide. God has also opened doors for ministry overseas in Portugal, Bulgaria, Mozambique, Lesotho (Southern Africa), Guyana, Bahamas, Mexico, Honduras, Burkina Faso (West Africa) Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, and Russia - and to numerous ethnic groups in the U.S. He and his wife have been Assemblies of God U.S. Missionaries for over 16 years.
Jim is also the founder and National Director of Urban Bible Training Centers - impacting over 40 cities nationwide, with enrollments of up to 1,000 students. UBTCs provide in-service training for lay church leaders and those seeking ministerial credentials. Over 300 UBTC graduates have received ministerial credentials.
Previous ministry includes District XA Director for six years, and 12 years of pastoral ministry.
Jim and his wife Betty have been married for 43 years, and have an adult son and daughter. Their daughter and son-in-law recently added a brand new grandson.
Efraim Espinoza
Title: Director, Office of Hispanic Relations; Coordinator, Evangelio Pentecostal
Contact Information
The General Council of the Assemblies of God
Office of Hispanic Relations
1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802
p. 417.862.2781 x4014
f. 417.862.3903
emespinoza@ag.org
Efraim Espinoza is the director of the Office of Hispanic Relations for the Assemblies of God Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.
His ministry experience includes serving as a senior pastor in Texas and Missouri. He has also been a leader in the field of Christian education both nationally and prior to that as District Christian Education Director in the Gulf Latin American District.
On the national level, his leadership has spanned various capacities including Sunday School, U.S. Decade of Harvest, We Build People (Discipleship Ministries) and coordinator of Evangelio Pentecostal (Spanish Pentecostal Evangel).
He and his wife, Elois, have been married for 40 years. They have a daughter, two sons, and seven grandchildren.
