The Association of Ministers with Disabilities is a caucus of the United Methodist Church.
You can learn more about our mission and vision here.

Download and share our brochure, which includes membership information. Can be printed locally.Adobe Acrobat

Meetings

Committee Chairs Conference Calls

2016
2015

General Meetings

General Meeting, July 2015
General Meeting, July 2013
General Meeting, October 2009
General Meeting and hymn "Celebrate Challenge", October 1990
By-laws in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format.

Leaders and Committees

photo of Eric Pridmore's guide dog Atlas Atlas, Our Fearless Leader
Atlas is Professor of Dogmatic Theology at Pridmore Hall and feels as competent as any two-legged person at providing guidance in all kinds of theological and practical questions. Atlas holds a C.S.D. from The Seeing Eye of New Jersey.
no picture available Helen Betenbaugh
no picture available Brian Burch, Secretary
John Carr, photo not available John Carr, Chair Emeritus.
John was chair for what seems like a very long time, a great person who kept the group going during some troubled times.
Paul Crikelair, Nominations Committee
Jackson Day, Legislative Action Committee
no photo available Janine DeLaunay, co-chair
Gary Dillensnyder Gary Lake Dillensnyder, Media Assistant.
Gary was born and raised in Pennsylvania's anthracite region as mining was being phased out and other industry was moving into the area.
He holds a B.A. in psychology and another in religion from Lebanon Valley College, and is a member of Psi Chi, the honor fraternity of psychology majors. He also holds an M.Div. from Drew University with a focus on worship, preaching and sacramental theology and is an elder in the United Methodist Church.
Through Henri Nouwen's writings, Gary has learned to consider living with depression and anxiety to be part of who he is, and currently works to develop a theology of a spirituality of wellness for chronic illnesses.
William Downing, Finance Committee Chair
Greg Edwards Greg Edwards, Treasurer
Greg is an ordained Elder in the Texas Annual Conference and has been in parish ministry for 14 years. He serves as the chairperson of the Committee on Disability Concerns for the Texas Conference. He has used crutches for mobility since childhood and finds them to be handy tools for other tasks too.
photo of Russell Ewell Russell Ewell, co-chair

Rev. Harold "Russell" Ewell II serves as Associate Pastor of The Village Church of St. Louis (UMC) and as Co-Chair of The United Methodist Association of Ministers with Disabilities. Russell earned a B.S. in Sociology from Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville) and an M. Div. from Eden Theological Seminary (Webster Groves, MO). For the past 20 years, he has worked in the Disability Rights field for several influential agencies and organizations.

Lisa Jordan
Evy McDonald Evy McDonald
Evelyn R. McDonald is an elder in the New York Annual Conference. Her previous ministry was directing intensive care and coronary care units. She was also the Director of Education at HillHaven Hospice, one of the first three hospices in the United States.
Evy holds a D. Min., an M. Div. and a Master of Nursing. She had polio while a young child.
Lisa McKee, Continuing Education and Seminary Relations

The Reverend Lisa Lavelle McKee is an Elder serving in the West Virginia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Along with her Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, Lisa holds Master of Arts degrees in Rehabilitation Counseling and Parks and Recreation Administration from the University of Northern Colorado.

photograph of Patricia Magyar Patricia Magyar, GBGM Liaison
Patricia is the executive secretary of Health and Welfare at the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.
Eric Pridmore Rev. J. Eric Pridmore, Finance Committee.
Eric is an ordained elder in the Mississippi Annual Conference. He currently serves as co-pastor of First UMC in Poplarville MS, along with his wife, Rev. Lisa Pridmore. Eric also teaches at the Emory University Course of Study program at Millsaps College. Eric is legally blind and uses Atlas, a Golden Retriever Seeing Eye dog guide.
no photo available LeoDocia "Dodie" Risse, Publicity and Promotion co-chair
Lynn Swedberg, Program Committee Consultant
Lynn Swedberg has worked as an occupational therapist since 1976, and is a certified lay speaker, has completed health ministry (parish nursing) training, and has a master's degree in health services administration. She feels a call to use her skills to help the church become more accessible and inclusive. She is active in the disability concerns committee of the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference.
Tim Vermande Tim Vermande, Webmaster, Nominations Committee.
Tim holds degrees from Indiana University, United Theological Seminary, and the Graduate Program in Religious Studies at Southern Methodist University. He is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society. He teaches at a college in Indianapolis and is a member of St. Luke's UMC. He has been a resident theologian at Preston Hollow United Methodist Church in Dallas. Tim has a mobility impairment from birth and an accident. His web site is at www.vermande.us.
photograph of Bob Walker Bob Walker, Legislative Action Chair
Robert L. "Bob" Walker lives with Usher Syndrome Type Two. He holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Washington, an M. Div. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and a D. Min in Theology of Preaching from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City.
Bob has served local churches for 42 years, as well as with a number of agencies. He was instrumental in 1984 General Conference legislation that required UM facilities and ordination to be fully accessible. He has written several articles, and is a contributing author of Signs of Solidarity: Ministry with Deaf, Late-deafened, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-blind People, Second Edition, and co-author with Bishop Peggy A. Johnson of Make a Joyful Silence.
photograph of Nancy Webb Nancy J. Webb, Committee on Nominations
Nancy is a retired elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. A pastor since 1977, she currently serves part time at Grace United Methodist Church, Baltimore City. Nancy is a past co-chair of our group, and currently serves as the chair of the Baltimore-Washington Conference Commission on Disability Ministries.
Nancy is legally blind with macular degeneration since early childhood. Since junior high school, she has used reader service and taped material to complete her education. She holds a B.A. in Christian Education from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, and both a Masters of Religious Education and a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D. C.

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series photos of ministers with disabilties