Dr. Michael Traylor is an ordained Elder and Superintendent of the River Conference of the Free Methodist Church. He is also a board-certified pediatrician, currently serving with the US Army at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio TX.

Michael is originally from Massillon, OH, and he answered his call to ministry while working as an MD. He has served in multiple pastoral roles in Ohio and western New York. He and his wife Amelia were the founding pastors of Christ Community Fellowship in Twinsburg, OH. His medical experiences include directorships of health centers, Free Clinics, and child advocacy programs. Additionally, he was involved in short term missions’ programs in Kenya, Malawi, and Rwanda, where he and Amelia rendered patient care, offered consultations, and preached the gospel. He has served as the coordinator of local ministerial groups and has directed numerous community-based ministries over the past decades. He has also served in denominational roles as district leader, conference boards and general church delegate. His passions include leadership development, community development, cultural competence, and relational wholeness. Michael has developed significant interests in organizational change, culture, and transformational leadership and writes frequently in his blog “Learning, Loving, and Leading.”

Michael’s academic training includes degrees from Oberlin College, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Northeastern Seminary, and Cleveland State University. He also completed Physician Executive leadership training at the Weatherhead School of Business in Cleveland, OH and Coach training with Spiritual Leadership Inc., located in Lexington, KY.

Michael and Amelia have been married for 32 years and have two adult children, Matthew and Michaela. He enjoys reading, fitness and is an avid movie-goer. He and Amelia are huge Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Cavaliers fans.

Bishop Kenny Martin presides over the Free Methodist Church USA along the West Coast (including Alaska and Hawaii) and in the South Central U.S. and Upper Midwest. He also oversees ministries in Africa. He was elected to the Board of Bishops at General Conference 2023 after starting the Kingdom Cathedral church plant in San Bernardino, California, and serving since 1991 as a Free Methodist pastor in California, Indiana, Maryland, and Missouri.  

His educational experiences include studies at Greenville, Spring Arbor, and Mid-America Christian universities. He is married to Rev. Estelle Martin, and they have two daughters and several grandchildren.  

Rev. Heather Baker Utley has served in church and non-profit ministry for over 20 years. Born in the Buckeye state (O-H), she’s a graduate of Taylor University and Seattle Pacific Seminary (MDiv), which included a semester at Daystar University (Kenya). Previous ministry positions include Communications Director at Youth Dynamics, Family Ministries Pastor at Arlington Free Methodist Church and Seattle’s First Free Methodist Church in Washington, and Church Planter/Pastor at Tapestry Church in San Antonio. She’s also worked in communications at the Free Methodist Church USA and Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy. She began as Assistant Superintendent of The River Conference in February 2025 and also serves on the Teaching and Communications Team at The Park Community Church in San Antonio. Heather is married to Clay, our conference youth ministry advocate, and they have two middle school boys.

Deb graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.S. degree in Management Information Systems in 1986. She worked in the financial industry, held several security licenses and eventually became the Director of Marketing of a Denver-based financial advisory firm. After over a decade in that industry, Deb resigned to be with her two boys to help them navigate their way through middle and high school. She became a career volunteer, serving in local schools and church ministry. Deb grew up in the church and gave her life to Jesus as a young person. She loves to serve the Lord and now has the privilege of working as The River Conference’s Administrator. Deb and her husband John live in Wyoming and have two adult sons.

Julie Gray has a life-long love for the Church, and a passion for the Bride of Christ to be a healthy instrument of transformation in the world. Her 30+ years of ministry in diverse and multi-cultural churches have expanded that passion to include people of every language, nation, tribe and race that will be gathered around the throne of God. Her education includes time at Central Christian College of Kansas, Seattle Pacific University, Fuller Theological Seminary, Free Methodist Ordination coursework, and a Certificate in Spiritual Transformation from the Transforming Center, in Wheaton, IL. Julie is currently Sr. Pastor at Phoenix Life Church, married to Marvin for 32 years, and loves to spend time visiting her kids and grandkids scattered across the country.

Talena and her husband, Tim, have been in ministry in the Free Methodist Church for 40 years. She led Youth and Children’s ministries throughout the years. They are presently at Rockwall Free Methodist Church. Talena works with children at Rockwall FMC and is director of their weekday preschool. They have three adult children, a son-in-law, two daughters-in-law, and eight grandchildren. They are all active in Rockwall. The Free Methodist Church is an important part of Talena’s life. She has followed God’s leading as she works, prays, and plays alongside those in their local church, friends around the country, and missionaries around the world. 

James grew up a missionary kid on an Indian Reservation in eastern Montana. This childhood helped shape his worldview and his desire to see people come to a life-changing knowledge of Jesus. He felt called into full-time pastoral ministry as a freshman in college, but it took another eight years for him to end up in a church setting. He is excited about pushing and challenging people to order their entire lives around Jesus Christ. His heartbeat is connecting those who currently know and passionately worship Christ, and those who are willing to live in authentic community, with those who have not yet had their lives transformed by Jesus. James is also passionate about his family. He’s been married to Abby since 1999. They are blessed with two sons, Sam and JJ.

Hanna lives in Caldwell, Idaho and attends Deer Flat Church. She serves on their local Board of Administration. Hanna and her husband, John, have been married for 20 years and have a daughter, Madalyn and son, Maxwell.