Jackie Kropp is the LOVS Manager for the Tulsa City County Library. She is in charge of Literacy, Outreach Services and Volunteers. 15 staff with one vision: That all Tulsans may know the joy and dignity of access. She is an active volunteer serving on church councils, community working groups, and dozens of Oklahoma Library Association roles. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with her MLIS and MA in History of Science in 2009. She loves books about science with long subtitles almost as much as she loves romance novels. Her greatest joy is being a dog mom to a rescue Boston Terrier named Felix Malcolm.

Laura is a retired Board Certified Chaplain and did not ever think she would be able to retire, let alone, before her dad. It is retired because Laura became tired of serving as hospital chaplain after covid and needed a break. To be Board Certified, one must have 50 hours of annual education. While Laura likes learning, not that much when she isn’t serving in a role recognized by the credentialing organization. Laura currently answers calls for Oklahoma’s Abuse and Neglect Hotline. Laura earned a BS in General Studies with a minor in Substance Abuse Studies from University of Central Oklahoma in 2002. She went straight to seminary at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (where Mr Roger’s went) and earned a MDiv in 2005. From there, Laura did a Clinical Pastoral Education residency in San Antonio, Texas. Laura and spouse Diana, have been illegally married for 19 years and legally married for 9. They have one child whom they adopted on his 16th birthday. He and wonderful spouse, Ana are the proud parents of Laura and Diana’s only grandchild. His name is Andrew, Laura calls him New or GrandRew. He will tell you he is Andrew though. He’s almost 3 and is a beautiful, perfect, ball of rapidly moving, contagious joy. This is the point like in an obituary when the writer gets tired of being specific and lists the other relatives without fanfare. Laura and Diana also have 2 cats, Beatrice and Pru, and 2 dogs, Bailey and Luna.

Rev. Gage Church (he/him) has served as pastor of Central Congregational United Church of Christ in Topeka, Kansas, for seven years. He previously served on the KO Committee on Ministry subcommittee A (authorization) for six years and was a KO Conference delegate to General Synod in 2019. Gage and his husband, Tim, have been married (in the eyes of God) for 32 years and (legally) 12 years. He believes with all his heart that the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany season is the most wonderful time of the year.

Carenthia McCain is a member of Fellowship Congregational United Church of Christ in Tulsa. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, she graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge—Geaux Tigers! After completing two tours of duty in the U.S. Army, Carenthia transitioned into civilian life as a Control Room Operator in private security and later as a conductor on a short-line railroad. For the past twelve years, she has served as Oklahoma’s Motive Power and Equipment (MP&E) and Steam Inspector for the Federal Railroad Administration.

Carenthia is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Social Justice at Phillips Theological Seminary. Outside of her professional and academic commitments, she enjoys listening to music, playing pickleball, and spending time with friends, family, and her two dogs. At Fellowship Congregational UCC, she has served as Facilities Co-chair and assisted at the audiovisual booth as needed.

Rev. Demetra D. Moore serves as Pastor of Community United Church of Christ in Carbondale Kansas. She is passionate about creating an inclusive and justice-seeking community where all are welcome at Christ’s table.

As an authorized minister she was called to serve as the pastor of Community UCC on December 1, 2021. Rev. Moore also served as a community hospice chaplain from 2020-2025. She holds a Master of Divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary and was ordained in August 2025. Rev. Moore will begin serving on the KO Committee on Discernment in November 2025.

The scripture of Micah 6:8 — “to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God”, keeps her grounded in her faith.

Outside church, she enjoys gardening, traveling and spending time with her spouse Eve and their three fur babies.

Brent Maner has been a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Manhattan, KS since 2005. He has served as Treasurer for his church since 2021 and has previously served his congregation as Moderator (2014) and as a member of the Gifts, Endowment, and Investments Committee (2015-2020). In all of this work, he prioritizes accuracy and transparency in financial reporting and helps to ensure that financial resources are invested wisely so that they can support the current and future mission of the Church. Brent teaches European history at Kansas State University. When he’s not reading history books, he enjoys time in his garden among his hot pepper plants, walks with his dog Mabel, and watching classic movies with his wife Janine. 

Tracy Scott attends Fellowship Congregational UCC in Tulsa. She grew up in Tulsa and has a MLIS from the University of Oklahoma. For more than 25 years, she has worked at the Tulsa City-County Library and is currently the Director of Employee Development. Recognizing the importance of social and community impact, she has been a board member of the Tulsa Global District, Tulsa Municipal Employees Retirement Plan, Tulsa City-County Library’s Equity Diversity & Inclusion Executive Council, and Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Recognizing the significance of service and support, she has been a National Alliance of Mental Illness’s Family-to-Family Program Co-Facilitator and Family Support Group Co-Lead. During her time at Fellowship, she has served as Leader of Congregational Life and Leadership Development Worship Teams.

She enjoys spending time with her wife and two yorkiepoos, trying out a new recipe, practicing mindfulness in nature, and listening to an engaging podcast. She is currently exploring becoming a hospice chaplain following retirement. 

Janet George is a member of First Congregational UCC in Manhattan, Kansas, where she has found meaningful connection and purpose in the church’s spirit of welcome and commitment to justice. Since joining in 2018, she has been actively involved, serving on the Justice and Witness Board and the Cabinet, and enjoys engaging in a variety of activities within the church and the wider community. Janet is currently serving as Moderator. Her work within the church reflects her passion for creating spaces of belonging and inclusion.

Beyond her church involvement, Janet is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with more than 38 years of experience in disability inclusion, focused primarily on supporting child and youth programs in using inclusive practices. She has worked with Kids Included Together (KIT) for fourteen years, first as an Education and Training Specialist and now as a Curriculum Development Specialist, where she designs and facilitates high-quality training that helps child and youth providers create environments where all children can thrive.

Originally from a small town in southeast Colorado, Janet’s journey has taken her from Texas to North Carolina, then to San Diego, California, before settling in Manhattan to be closer to family. Throughout her career, she has focused on advancing inclusion through recreation, education, and community engagement. She holds a Master of Science in Adult Learning and Leadership from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation from Texas Woman’s University. Her professional background also includes work in physical rehabilitation, assisted living, and community recreation leadership. She also served part time as an Inclusion Facilitator at a church in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she first learned about social justice churches! 

In her free time, Janet enjoys reading, crafting, and spending time outdoors. She’s an enthusiastic bird feeder, who also happens to feed a few squirrels, raccoons, and possums (“because one must, if they fill bird feeders!”). She also enjoys carving wooden spoons and finding beauty in the simple rhythms of creation.

Joe Pruitt has lived in Eudora Kansas with his family since 2004, and they have been members of St. Paul UCC since 2008. Joe graduated from Johnson County Community College with a culinary degree and has been a Chef in the Lawrence area for 20+ years. Recommended for the KO Lay Leadership Program of the Conference in 2015, Joe and his wife Morning attended General Synod in Cleveland and became more engaged in wider church as well as locally. During his time at St. Paul UCC Joe has served as the head of parish life committee, and has served on the church council as the Financial secretary and Moderator. Joe and Morning have two children, Quinn and Althea.