Board of Trustees

Originally from Florida, the Rev. Dr. Greg Bergquist entered the ordained ministry after working as a systems engineer and manufacturing manager for Procter & Gamble. He has been an ordained clergyperson for over 40 years, serving churches in Georgia and California in a variety of settings – rural, urban, and suburban. Greg retired from active ministry June of 2024

As a member of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, the Rev. Dr. Bergquist served Los Altos United Methodist Church as associate and executive pastor, First UMC of Santa Rosa as the senior pastor, the appointive Cabinet as the Conference Superintendent for Leadership Development, and as a General Conference Delegate from 2012-2020. In addition, Greg served on the faculties of the Pacific School of Religion and Southern Methodist University, teaching in the areas of Historical Theology and Wesleyan/Methodist Studies.

The Rev. Dr. Bergquist was appointed to the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) on January 1, 2017 as the Associate General Secretary – Division of Ordained Ministry and Higer Education. Beginning January 1, 2020, Greg was elected as the General Secretary and CEO of GBHEM. Greg led GBHEM into a future that embraces the agency’s historic ministry of learning and leadership while re-imagining GBHEM’s core ministry and mission in relation to the changing United Methodist Church, and our Pan-Methodist and ecumenical partners around the world – including an innovative strategic, missional, and operational alignment with the General Board of Global Ministries.  

Greg and his wife Connie enjoy traveling, hiking, music, Scrabble and spending time with the families of their two adult children, Jonathan and Susanna. Greg is also an avid photographer and cook.

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, elected in 2022, is the Resident Bishop of the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area in the Western Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. The area encompasses the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and Pacific Northwest Conferences.

Early life
Bishop Bridgeforth was born in Decatur, Alabama. His home churches were the Lakeview United Methodist and Oakville Baptist churches. Clifton and Premina Griffin, his maternal grandparents, insisted upon and modeled a Christian faith that expressed love for all, compassion in dire circumstances, and grace, especially when it seemed unwarranted from a human point of view.

Education and Ordination
Bishop Bridgeforth is a U.S. Air Force veteran who earned a Bachelor of Arts, Religion from Samford University (1997); a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree from the Claremont School of Theology (2000); and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University (2005). He was ordained an elder by Bishop Mary Ann Swenson in the California-Pacific Conference.

Ordained Ministry
At the beginning of his pastoral ministry, Bridgeforth served as a student intern at Crossroads UMC in Compton (1997-1999). As a spiritual leader, he has served as lead pastor in four congregations in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California. Those pastorates ranged from predominantly African American congregations in the heart of the Crenshaw District to multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-site ministries in the inner-city and suburban sectors of Santa Ana. These pastorates included Grace UMC Los Angeles (2018-2021), Santa Ana UMC (2015-2017), Crenshaw UMC (2003-2008), and Bowen Memorial UMC (1999-2003).

Superintendency
For eight years (2008-2015), Bridgeforth served as a district superintendent and dean of the cabinet in the California-Pacific Conference (Los Angeles and West Districts) in one of the most diverse regions in United Methodism, with language and cultural ministries from over twenty regions of the world. The geography spanned coastal, mountain, rural, and desert communities.

Episcopacy
Rev. Bridgeforth was elected as a bishop of The United Methodist Church on November 4, 2022, by the Western Jurisdiction at Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City on the 18^th ballot. He was assigned to the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area (Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences).

Connection
Within The United Methodist Church, Bridgeforth has been a candidacy mentor for those discerning a call to ministry and a supervising elder for those in the provisional and full connection review processes. He was elected a clergy delegate to general and jurisdictional conferences in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2020. In 2016, 2019, and 2020, he was the first elected clergy delegate for the California-Pacific Conference. Those elections led him to service on the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits (now Wespath) and as a member of the Western Jurisdiction’s committee on nominations.

From 2013 to 2016, Bridgeforth served as president of Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) and co-convener of the Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group.

Family
Bishop Bridgeforth is married to Christopher Hucks-Ortiz. Hucks-Ortiz is a public health and research professional with demonstrated leadership in the US domestic and global field of infectious disease. His work and research have focused on HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, STIs, and Hepatitis prevention and intervention, with proven success in securing public funds to support research and health programs targeting key vulnerable populations.

Michael Brown, a partner at Watts Law LLP, has a general litigation practice, with expertise in the field of labor and employment matters, including litigation and preventative counseling with management clients. Mr. Brown sits on the board of a publicly traded company and assists in the formulation of human resources policies and procedures for a number of publicly traded companies in the western United States. Mr. Brown’s past experience includes the position of Vice President of Legal Affairs for Pacific Enterprises.

EDUCATION
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1975

University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., 1978

Bar Admissions: State Bar of California

Practice Areas: General Litigation Practice, Labor and Employment Matters, as well as Insurance and Risk Management Issues

Designated Student Trustee

MDiv. Student and Social Events Coordinator for the Student Council.  

Larry R. DeJarnett is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Claremont School of Theology (CST) and Chair of the Board’s Committee on Trustees.  A member of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church of Palm Desert, CA, Larry retired from full-time work as Vice President of Kearney Management Consultants and CEO of the Kearney/EDS Enterprise Solutions joint venture.  He has continued a “fifth career” on a part-time basis, as founder and Managing Director of The LAMAR Group, which provides Board advisory services to both for-profit and non-profit organizations and has continued to work with several non-profits and religious organizations.   Presently, he is: an Emeritus Director and past Chair of the Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries International, Inc. (GII); past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Goodwill of Southern Los Angeles County and a member of their Finance Committee; Past-President of the Board of Directors of the Southern Illinois University (SIU) Foundation, and a life-time Emeritus Director and member of its Development Committee.  Previously he has served on local, regional and national governing or advisory boards for United Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal denominations; he also has worked closely with several academic institutions in a consulting or advisory capacity.

Designated Ecclesial Trustee

Rev. Dr. Dottie Escobedo-Frank, Resident Bishop of the California-Pacific Conference, has been on the leading edge of church vitalization and transformation. She has served the church and community in progressive roles and responsibilities including working with people on the street, founding a church Farmer’s Market, working with immigrant populations, the opening of The Inn, and gathering a community rich in diversity. Bishop Dottie is a preacher, speaker, writer, community leader, wife, mother and grandmother.

Bishop Dottie grew up as a daughter of Lutheran missionaries, living on the border of Arizona and Mexico. A social worker, she specialized in foster care and medical pediatric crisis management. She earned a Masters of Social Work from Arizona State University. Later, she completed a Masters of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology. She earned her Doctorate of Ministry from George Fox Evangelical Seminary. Bishop Dottie has pastored six churches: Liberty UMC, Mission Bell UMC, Community Church of Joy (ELCA), CrossRoads UMC, Catalina UMC, and Paradise Valley UMC. She has also served as South District Superintendent, and Dean of the Cabinet, in the Desert Southwest Conference.

Bishop Dottie authored several books on the subject of church vitalization and transformation: Advent & Christmas; Sermon Seeds, 40 Creative Sermons; Jesus Insurgency, The Church Revolution from the Edge (co-authored by Rudy Rasmus); ReStart Your Church; Our Common Sins; Give It Up!; and The Sacred Secular, How God is Using the World to Sharpe the Church (co-authored by Robert Rynders). As a preacher and speaker, Bishop Dottie’s voice brings courage and hope to pastors and church leaders around the world.

Bishop Dottie believes that living in a time of epochal change requires the church to find sacred ways to die in order to be reborn. Death moments in the church are the impetus for Her resurrection. She calls for a church structure in decline to ‘embrace’ the pain of loss, so that the joy of life can be found again. Bishop Dottie calls for “heretics” to lead the church forward. As the ones who create movements, as the ones who see clearly the Church’s true vision, edge-dwellers are now recognized and rewarded by society, while at the same time rejected by the Church. Now is the time, she says, to push these new leaders, these edge dwellers, to the forefront of church restarts.

Worship, preaching, justice, mercy, and creating space for revolutionary change define Bishop Dottie’s work and passion. She is full of hope that the Holy Spirit is leading the Church in the present and into the future and calls on churches to develop communities of true disciples of Jesus Christ who participate in this transformation. She recently served as President of the College of Bishops for the Western Jurisdiction and currently chairs the Justice and Reconciliation Committee for the Council of Bishops.

The Rev. Patricia Farris has served as Chair of the CST Board of Trustees since 2014.  She has taught Methodist History as an Adjunct Professor at CST and has mentored many ministerial candidates.

A United Methodist clergyperson, she retired in 2024 following 28 years as Senior Minister of the First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica. Deeply committed to ecumenical and interfaith work, Rev. Farris has served as a director of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns and as a member of the UMC Committee on Faith and Order and the Episcopal/UMC Dialogue.  She has been elected to ten General and Jurisdictional Conference delegations.  She participated in three Assemblies of the World Council of Churches, the WCC Team Visit to Madagascar, and a Women’s Division study trip to Mozambique. 

She is the author of SHINE! Light for All People (an Advent Study Guide) and Five Faces of Ministry:  Pastor, Parson, Healer, Prophet, Pilgrim.  She is a contributor to Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling: Women Pastoring Large Churches. 

Rev. Farris received her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Carleton College and her Master of Divinity degree cum laude from the Harvard Divinity School.  She is married to David Bremer, retired Associate Professor of Literature and Ombudsman at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.  They live in Long Beach.

Sheila Faulk is a graduate of Spelman College with a BA in Psychology.  She received her Master of Arts in Christian Education from CST 1975-1977.  She also completed a Course of Study at Cl State LA for the Teaching Credential as well as receiving a Life Early Education Permit from the State of California.

A resident of Los Angeles, Sheila is a life-long member of Holman UMC where she has given leadership in a great variety of groups and classes, including the choir, the Learning Tree Youth Program, MYF, United Women in Faith, the Storehouse Ministry and the Saturday School for African American History.  She has served on many non-profit boards including the Black Child Institute of Los Angeles, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles.

Sheila has also served in a part-time position as Church School Consultant in the California-Pacific Annual Conference.  She worked as a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District during the COVID pandemic, organizing the “Grammie Neighborhood School” to home school young children.

Deeply committed to the church and community, Sheila is a long-time supporter of and advocate for CST.

Margie earned a Bachelor degree in Psychology with emphasis in Organizational Behavior from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Grant Hagiya is the Resident bishop of the California-Pacific Annual Conference, which geographically extends to all of Southern California, Hawaii, and Guam. He chairs the Leadership Focus Area of the 4 Areas of Focus for the United Methodist Church, and is a member of the Council of Bishop’s Executive Committee. He is the current chair of the Council of Bishop’s Task Force that plans the new Learning Retreats for all active Bishops. He is currently serving as President of the College of Bishops for the Western Jurisdiction. He is a Board member of the General Board of Church and Society. He graduated with an Educational Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University in 2012. His book, Leadership Kaizen, based on his dissertation on the Traits, Qualities and Characteristics of Highly Effective UMC Clergy was published by Abingdon in 2013. He is a professional certified coach as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) from the International Coach Federation. He is also a Gallup StrengthFinder Certified Coach.

He is a graduate of the Claremont School of Theology, and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in United Methodist studies and Leadership. A former full faculty member of the Claremont School of Theology and District Superintendent of the Los Angeles District, he was elected to the Episcopacy in the midst of starting a Center of Leadership Excellence for both the Cal-Pac Annual Conference and the Claremont School of Theology. His vision for this Center has been fulfilled recently in the creation of the Bishop Jack and Marjorie Tuell Center for Leadership Excellence for the Western Jurisdiction.

Telaireus “T.K.” Herrin, Psy.D. has more than 25 years of experience within the medical device, financial services, and non-profit sectors.  Having a wide range of human resources and organization development expertise, he specializes in inclusion and equity, talent management, and executive coaching.  Currently, T.K. is the Vice President, Inclusion and Diversity Programs, where he leads business enablement to advance inclusion, diversity, and equity across Medtronic, including the company’s enterprise Diversity Networks/Employee Resource Groups and external partnerships.  Previously, he was the Vice President, HR for Medtronic’s Brain Therapies business unit.  Prior to Medtronic, T.K. held leadership roles with Covidien, Edwards Lifesciences, Cal National Bank, The Aquarium of the Pacific, and Wachovia Securities. 

T.K. earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Winthrop University, a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Claremont School of Theology, a Master of Science in Human Resources Design from Claremont Graduate University, and a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Organization Development from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University.  He is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) through the HR Certification Institute.  Additionally, he serves on the Winthrop University Foundation Board of Directors and is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Organization Development Network (ODN), the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the American Academy of Religion (AAR).

Designated Partner Trustee

Parveen Jain, PhD, is the Founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer of Arihanta Institute. Following a distinguished 30-year career as a technology entrepreneur and executive—including leadership roles as founder and CEO of multiple companies and a senior executive at McAfee—he has devoted himself to philanthropy, education, and community leadership.

A lifelong advocate for Jainism, Dr. Jain has played a pivotal role in the growth of Jain institutions in North America. He helped establish the Jain Temple in the San Francisco Bay Area, served as chairman and president of the Jain Center of Northern California, and has long been a trustee of the International Mahavira Jain Mission, supporting the development of Siddhachalam, the first Jain tīrtha outside India. He is Emeritus Board member of Stanford-CARE and served on the boards of American Foundation for the Blind and other philanthropic originations, and several technology companies, mentors entrepreneurs, and is the author of the bestselling An Introduction to Jain Philosophy. His enduring passion is advancing Jain education, nonviolence, and ethical living for future generations.

Dr. Kuan began his tenure at CST on July 1st, 2013, as the school’s 7th president. Before coming to CST, he was Dean and Professor of Hebrew Bible of the Theological School at Drew University. His research and teaching interests include ancient Israelite and Near Eastern history, Asian and Asian American hermeneutics, the Book of Job, as well as approaches to biblical instruction for the churches. As a theological educator, he is a strong proponent of religious pluralism and passionately committed to justice issues in the global and local contexts.

As a biblical scholar, Dr. Kuan has long been a visible advocate for LGBTQIA+ equality in churches and society who has been teaching against the misuse of biblical texts towards lesbian and gay Christians for decades. He served as an expert witness both in the investigation of the Sacramento 68 and in the church trial of a lesbian clergy in Seattle. He has marched and spoken out publicly in rallies and press conferences, as an Asian Pacific Islander clergy in support of LGBTQIA+ equality and marriage. Most recently, Dr. Kuan has continued using his voice and scholarship at the General Conference of The United Methodist Church’s ongoing conversations and decisions on the full inclusion and celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community.

President Kuan is the chair of the Member Council of the Hispanic Theological Initiative Consortium, a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Association for Theological Schools, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Kuan previously served on the faculties of the Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and the South East Asia Graduate School’s Regional Faculty. He also served as Old Testament Editor for the multi-volume New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible from 2006 to 2009, and served on the Council of the Society of Biblical Literature from 2007 to 2012.

In 2004, the Reconciling Ministries of the California-Nevada Annual Conference named him the winner of the Turtle Award for “sticking his neck out” for the LGBTQ community.

Designated Alumni Trustee

Rev. Dr. Ju Hwan Kwak is the Senior Pastor of Bethany Methodist Church in Seoul, a position he has held since 2000. He earned his Doctor of Ministry in 1994 and Master of Divinity in 1990 from Claremont School of Theology, following his Bachelor of Theology from Methodist Theological University (MTU) in Seoul. In addition to pastoral leadership, he has served in theological education as an adjunct professor from 2008 to 2017 and currently sits on the MTU board. He is Chairman of the Korean Methodist Military Mission Association and Director of the Methodist Missionary Training Institute. From 2018 to 2024, he also served as President of the Claremont Korean Alumni Association. Dr. Kwak is the author and translator of several works on preaching, church life, and spirituality.

Jong Oh Lee served as a CST Trustee from 2017 before being appointed as Vice President for International Relations in October 2018. He served in that position before retiring in May 2023. A member of Chungdong First Methodist Church in Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Lee has also been a Professor of Marketing at Yonsei University and a Visiting Professor of Marketing at CSU-LA. Previously, he was a successful businessman: working seven years with Samsung Electronics before founding his own company, Elson Co., Ltd, where he served as CEO. Following retirement, he returned to Korea to focus on family and business developments.

Dr. Lee has worked to strengthen CST’s relationships with our Korean and Korean American students, alums, congregations, donors, and supporters. His successful efforts led to the creation of the Korean Leadership Scholarship Fund, the expansion the Korean Endowment Fund, and the recruitment of countless students to CST over the years.

Designated Partner Trustee

Rev. Newton is a pastor and scholar who has faithfully and courageously served the Church and the academy for over 25 years.  Ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), she currently serves as the Executive Director of Disciples Seminary Foundation, supporting the leadership formation of emerging theological leaders in innovative and creative ways. She is committed to making theological education accessible, affordable, inclusive, inviting, globally-relevant, spiritually-grounded, and critically-engaged. Her ministry, teaching, and leadership boldly focus on the gritty and tangible work of justice, dynamically translating a prophetic gospel message into languages that diverse people can understand.  She is energized by practical and public theologies that insist on hospitality, justice, and compassion, and she is inspired to help individuals and communities sustain their prophetic voices in a difficult and polarized world.

Jeri (she/her) is a consecrated and commissioned United Methodist Deaconess serving as Director of Spiritual Engagement, Compassion Care & Justice Ministries at West Los Angeles United Methodist Church, a Reconciling congregation in the California-Pacific Annual Conference. She brings decades of experience in ministry, community advocacy, nonprofit leadership, spiritual care, and justice work. She is also an ordained interfaith/interspiritual Animal Chaplain, certified grief and loss care provider, mindfulness meditation instructor, creative writing facilitator, and Compassion-Based Spiritual Director through the Center for Engaged Compassion.

Jeri holds a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a J.D. from Loyola Law School, and an M.Div. from Claremont School of Theology, where she received the President’s and Preaching Awards.

A third-generation Japanese American, Jeri’s personal and professional journey has shaped her commitment to belonging, equity, and marginalized communities. Before entering ministry, she practiced law as a litigator with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and then entered legislative service as District Director and Asian Pacific Islander Liaison for California Assemblymember Louis Caldera, representing downtown Los Angeles and surrounding diverse neighborhoods including Boyle Heights, Koreatown, Little Tokyo and parts of East and South Los Angeles. As the mother of two daughters adopted in China, Jeri co-founded and chaired the nonprofit Families with Children from China–Southern California, supporting more than 700 adoptive families and developing collaborative programs focused on transracial adoptive parenting and positive identity development and cultural connection for Asian American adopted youth.

Jeri has served on numerous nonprofit and community boards, including the Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation, OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates, and Asian Pacific Community Fund. She currently serves on the Boards of the National Japanese American United Methodist Caucus and the 580 Café/Wesley Foundation Serving UCLA campus ministry. She is also a founding faith community representative with the Asian Pacific Islander Rainbow Coalition (ARC), organizing in solidarity with the AAPI queer community and allies in Southern California.

Designated Ecclesial Trustee

Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut is the episcopal leader of the Desert Southwest and New Mexico Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church, an area that covers Southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas. In October 2026, he will be the chair of the denomination’s Connectional Table which stewards the alignment of the mission, ministries, and resources of the church with its vision.

Carlo went to the University of the Philippines (UP) where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1994. After college, he served as president of his annual conference United Methodist Youth Fellowship for four years and it was during that time that he discerned a call to ordained ministry.

After a brief stint working as a scriptwriter, anchor and voice-over talent for a local TV station and serving on staff managing databases for Bishop Daniel C. Arichea, Carlo answered the call. He was first appointed to serve Philex Mines UMC in Benguet, Philippines in 1998 while he was finishing his Master of Management, major in Business Management (MBA equivalent), also from UP.

Carlo attended Wesley Divinity School in Cabanatuan City, Philippines where he finished his Master of Divinity, magna cum laude, in 2003. He served the Baguio City First UMC for 6 years, first as associate pastor while he was in seminary and then as senior pastor after his graduation.

In 2006, Carlo was ordained elder in the Northwest Philippines Annual Conference by Bishop Benjamin A. Justo who also appointed him to serve as his Assistant to the Bishop in the Baguio Episcopal Area. In 2008, Carlo and his family answered the call to serve in the Alaska Missionary Conference and was appointed to the UMC of Chugiak where he served for six years.

Bishop Grant J. Hagiya invited Carlo in 2014 to serve on the cabinet of the Greater Northwest Area as Conference Superintendent and Director of Connectional Ministries of the Alaska Conference. He also served as one of the deans of the cabinet, representing Alaska. Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky continued this appointment and then eventually invited Carlo to be her Assistant to the Bishop in 2021. It was from that role that he was elected to the episcopacy by the Western Jurisdiction on November 4, 2022 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Carlo’s leadership in the church included service as delegate to the Philippines Central Conference (1996 as a layperson & 2008 as clergy), Western Jurisdictional Conference (2016 as head of delegation) and General Conference (2016 & 2019 as head of delegation). He also was a director of the General Board of Global Ministries (2016-2022) where he served on the Mission Engagement and the Policy and By-laws committees. In both the Northwest Philippines Annual Conference and the Alaska Conference, Carlo served on various boards and agencies as member and chair.

Carlo is joyfully married to Zoraida “Radie” Sanchez Rapanut, a certified public bookkeeper. They make a home with their two sons Karl Caleb and Titus Carl. Carlo fell in love with long-distance running as an adult and has done many races in the past 10 years from 10Ks to Ultra marathons. He also enjoys cycling, photography, and hiking with Radie.

Designated Student Trustee

Tom Reinehr is a student in the Doctor of Philosophy in Religion / Process Studies Program. He grew up in a small town in rural Ohio but has spent most of his adult life in South Bay of Southern California.  He graduated from the University of Toledo, earning a BS in Electrical Engineering, and from the University of California, Irvine, earning an MS also in electrical engineering. Tom’s engineering career has been focused almost entirely on space-related programs, including  at The Aerospace Corporation, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon from which he retired in 2026.  The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) recognized Mr. Reinehr’s impact on national security space systems by designating him the 2016 NRO Pioneer honoree.  While preparing to retire, Tom began taking classes at CST in 2023.  His area of specialization is Science and Religion / Process Philosophy. 

Sharon Rhodes-Wickett is an alum of CST with an M.Div. in 1978 and D.Min in 1981.  She was active in the Alumni Council in the early 80s and later became an adjunct instructor in Field Education and Preaching and Worship.  She is a retired United Methodist pastor.

Rev. Melissa Rynders serves as the Superintendent of the Valley District of the Desert Southwest Conference of the UMC, as well as the Dean of the Cabinet for the Desert Southwest Conference.

An ordained elder, Melissa is the daughter and spouse of UM pastors and is an alumna of the University of Arizona and of CST. She brings extensive experience serving on DSW Conference boards, including the Conference Council on Youth Ministries, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the Board Ordained Ministry. She has also served on staff for Sierra Service Project, a service organization for youth and young adults. Along with this, Melissa has worked to develop worship for United Methodist Youth Events both nationally at Youth 2019 and internationally at the Global Young People’s Convocation in July of 2026.

To these various groups, Melissa brings innovative thinking, creative organizational strategizing, and a view of right-sizing and re-forming organizational structures to serve missional objectives. Her vision is ecumenical and interfaith and she is deeply committed to the mission and future of CST.

Faculty Representative

To see Dr. Rogers’ full bio, please click here.

Nitin Shah, M.D. is Professor of Anesthesiology at Loma Linda University and Assistant Chief of Anesthesiology and Chief of the Surgical ICU of Long Beach Veterans Healthcare System.  His medical practice has included work in India; Zambia and Zimbabwe, Africa; and New York and California in the US. He has held numerous board and Officer positions in various Jain organizations, including President of the Jain Center of Southern California.  He is presently a member and Chair of the Board of Directors of Shanti Charities and a Director of the American Chamber of Commerce.  He has extensive fund raising experience for social and health needs around the world and has worked closely with President Kuan in sponsoring or assisting with multi-faith educational programs and conferences.

The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor is the retired seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, where he served as bishop diocesan from 2017 to 2026. Under the theme “Feeding Hungry Hearts,” his episcopate emphasized reconciliation, interfaith collaboration, immigration justice, affordable housing, and compassionate pastoral leadership. He guided the diocese through the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires and championed the development of affordable housing on church-owned land.

A lifelong Episcopalian, Bishop Taylor earned his Master of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology and Bloy House and was ordained to the priesthood in 2004. Before his episcopal ministry, he served as vicar of St. John Chrysostom Church and School in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Bishop Taylor’s earlier career included work as a newspaper reporter, chief of staff to former President Richard Nixon, and director of the Richard Nixon Library. An active advocate for ecumenical and interreligious partnership, he has encouraged Christian leaders to practice empathy and curiosity across religious, racial, cultural, and social differences. He is married to Canon Kathy O’Connor and is the father of four and grandfather of four.

Monalisa Tu’itahi, Esq., is a life-long Methodist currently affiliated with the United With Hope UMC in North Long Beach. Beyond the local church, she has held a variety of leadership positions within almost all levels of the connection, including current member of the Connectional Table, Co-Chair of the Western Jurisdiction Leadership Team, Vice Chair of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, and first-elected lay delegate to General Conference from the California-Pacific Conference. She brings her legal training, and experience in working with worldwide UMC partners, and strong community involvement within the Pacific Islander community. From 2012 to 2016, she chaired the Inter-Ethnic Strategy and Development committee.

Her deep faith is grounded in personal spiritual disciplines. As an immigrant herself, she has a passion for ministry to and with immigrants and marginalized persons. Well-acquainted with CST, having lived on campus when her spouse was a CST student, she deeply appreciates the effort to broaden access to higher education, making it accessible, and supporting all races, language, faiths, sexual orientations, and generations.

Designated Partner Trustee

Jihad Turk is the founding President of Bayan Islamic Graduate School, the nation’s first Muslim graduate school to offer accredited Master’s degrees in the fields of Islamic Studies, Education, Chaplaincy and Leadership. Jihad previously served as the Imam/Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Southern California, LA’s oldest and largest mosque. He is a sought after national speaker on issues related Islam, Muslims in America, Muslim Reform Movements, Ethical Leadership, and Spiritual and Identity Formation of Youth. Additionally, Jihad has committed himself to building bridges across faith communities to collaboratively address issues of homelessness and poverty.

Tom Wallace was born, raised and continues to live in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Notre Dame H.S., Claremont Men’s College, and the University of Southern California earning a B.A. in Business Economics and a M.S. in Systems Management. He was a decorated combat Army rotary wing aviator in Southeast Asia and attained the rank of Captain. Tom spent twenty years with the Lockheed California Company retiring as Director of the Product Assurance branch. He was the President and CEO of CC Industries where he served for ten years, and was the President and CEO of the Granada Hills Community Hospital for four years. Tom is now retired and serves on the Board of Directors of the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council, the North Valley Family YMCA, the Ventura/LA North chapter of Legatus, and as a Trustee of the Claremont School of Theology. He is a member of the Lockheed Martin retiree organization and several community social service groups. Tom has been recognized for his accomplishments in the aerospace and health care industries, and for his community service and enrichment. Tom and his wife Catherine have been married since August 1967 and are members of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Northridge, CA.  They have four children and five grandchildren who live throughout California.

Rev. Dr. Wernett is an ordained United Methodist minister. He was one of the principals of MissionInsite. He joined Mike Regele and Chuck Salter in 2007 to create MissionInsite. He was also a principal with Percept, Inc. for 16 years, leading its client development department and serving as its president for three years. Both companies provided community-based ministry and mission decision support information to National Denominational Offices, their Conference, Synod, Diocese, Regional leaders, and their local churches. His ministry also included:

• Eight years as a pastor of local churches in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. Churches included a two-point charge and 400-member congregation.
• Two years as a staff member of the General Board of Global Ministries
• Four years as a consultant to the General Board of Global Ministries with responsibility of leading United Methodist Conferences through a three-year strategic congregational development process.
• Four years as a staff member of Christian Laity of Chicago, a small group ministry network of bible study/relational support to professionals working in downtown Chicago.
• Four years as a staff member of Faith at Work, an early developer of local church small group and lay ministry in the United States.

He has been a member of Laguna Beach United Methodist Church for over 20 years and has served on the Leadership Board.

Peter has been a Trustee since 2014 and serves as Chair of the Library and IT/Facilities Committee and a member of the Executive committee.

Education includes Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Norwich University, Moravian Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity degree, Princeton Theological Seminary, Doctor of Ministry degree, Claremont School of Theology.

Peter resides in Mission Viejo, California.

Rev. Ginny Wheeler is a retired elder in the California-Pacific UMC conference. She has served over 35 years in local church ministry and is currently active in Laguna Beach United Methodist Church as pastor emeritus. Ginny also serves on the board of the international Messy Church ministry.

Ginny has a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary, a Masters in Education from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and a Bachelor of Religion from Southern Methodist University. She has two grown sons. One works with humanitarian crisis organizations, currently with the Ukranian war response, and the other a crisis investigation reporter and producer of documentaries.

Designated Partner Trustee

Ms. Elise Xiaorong Xu is a nationally certified Second-Level Enterprise Trainer and Second-Level Human Resources Specialist with expertise in pedagogy and cognitive development. She also serves as a First-Level Lecturer in brain development and children’s English language teacher training. In educational publishing, she has been chief editor of Little Creators and the school-based pocket book Famous English Language Quotations. Ms. Xu has held key leadership roles, including Director of the Elementary School Department at Shanghai Gold Apple Private School and legal representative and vice principal of Shanghai Jing’an Shuangmei Parent-Child Education and Training School. Her work spans teacher training, academic leadership, and publishing, contributing to innovative education in China.

Designated Partner Trustee

Mr. Wenrong Zhangis a distinguished management economist and entrepreneur who chairs several major institutions, including Shanghai Yalong Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Golden Apple Education Investment Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Bond Polytechnic College. In addition to his business leadership, he has been deeply engaged in advancing education, industry development, and public welfare initiatives in Shanghai and beyond. A celebrated civic and business figure, Mr. Zhang has been honored as a National Model Worker, an Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and a National Outstanding Private Educator. He has carried the Olympic torch, received the Medal of Honor for the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, and was named among CCTV’s Top Ten Figures for Agriculture, Rural Areas, and Farmers.