Southwest Conference Staff

Please contact us if we can be of service to you.

Transitional Conference Minister: Rev. Dr. Toni Hawkins
Email - thawkins@uccswc.org

The Rev. Dr. Altonnette D. Hawkins, fondly known as Dr. Toni, is an ordained minister dually aligned in the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is an adjunct faculty member at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS) and Lexington Theological Seminary. Toni has been mentoring seminarians and members in discernment for more than a decade as a field education supervisor, an Under Care mentor in the DOC, and advisor in the former In Care and current Member in Discernment processes in the UCC.

Dr. Hawkins is a licensed pastoral counselor, a certified conflict mediation and negotiation coach, and DEI facilitator. She received training at the Harvard University School of Law, Executive Education Program on Negotiation and Dispute Resolution. Also, she trained in conflict transformation through the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center and with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Anti-Racism and Pro-Reconciliation Training Team.

She has served as a local pastor in the DOC and the UCC in the states of Maryland and Kentucky. She is among those listed in Who’s Who in Louisville: African American Profiles. She serves on a variety of local, regional, and national boards.

She earned a B.A. in Public Administration from Rutgers University, a M.Div. at Howard University School of Divinity, and a D. Min. at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Dr. Hawkins is the mother of two adult sons, three grandchildren, and her heartbeat is her 90-year-old mother, fondly known as Mom Diva. Her guiding scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6 and favorite saying is "the best is yet to come!"

Rev. Leslie Etheredge –Bridge ACM for Authorization, Accountability, and Discernment

Email: ACM-COCAM@uccswc.org

Rev. Leslie Etheredge is a teacher, counselor, chaplain, pastor, mom and Grammie (to 7 grandchildren). She lives in Birmingham, AL and has pastored in several UCC Conferences. Most recently she worked in the FL Conference as an Associate Conference Minister where she gained valuable experience and knowledge in working with Committees on Ministry and Members in Discernment. She also developed and facilitated Communities of Practice and worked with churches in all aspects of congregational life. She also works for the Pension Boards as an Annuitant Dean and is the transitional pastor for a new church start. It's quite obvious to this newly retired pastor that God has even more in store for her. Leslie is most grateful for the opportunity to serve the Southwest Conference "for such a time as this."

For fun, Leslie loves singing, the beach, all Auburn sports, her little dog Lucy and is just absolutely crazy about those 7 grandchildren (with #8 on the way!!)

 

Rev. Dr. JJ Flag - Bridge ACM for Search, Call, and Congregational Transitions

Email: ACM-SCT@uccswc.org

Starting on May 1, 2024! The Rev. Dr. JJ Flag (he/him/his) has committed his life and work to seeing the Church be a place of welcome to and for all. An ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, he has held leadership roles within the UCC and other denominations. Rev. JJ has been a pastor and has also engaged in chaplaincy work on a university campus and within a multi-site hospital system. Rev. JJ earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Religion, minoring in Church Ministries before graduating with a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. He went on to earn his Doctoral degree from Drew University Theological School. Having been born with a disability, advocating for those with disabilities is an integral part of living out his call. He is a member of the Board of Directors for The Council for Health and Human Services Ministries and UCC Disabilities Ministries. Dr. JJ often lectures and contributes to podcasts centering matters of theology, faith, disability, and race. JJ currently resides in North Carolina with his spouse, Ebony and their two children.

 
Adrienne Kaye

Executive Assistant: Adrienne Kaye
Email: EA@uccswc.org

Adrienne Kaye officially joined us as our Executive Assistant, effective February 6, 2024.

Adrienne brings with her a wealth of invaluable experience in church administration, making her the perfect fit for her role as Executive Assistant to the conference minister. Her dedication and passion for service have been evident throughout her career, as she has successfully collaborated with several churches and non-profit organizations in Arizona.

Adrienne is grateful for the opportunity to utilize her unique skillset in supporting the mission of the UCC, and she is eager to contribute to fostering a community of compassion, understanding, and shared purpose within our organization.

When she is not hard at work at the church, Adrienne enjoys spending her time learning, organizing, and diving into the world of non-fiction literature.

 

Relational Communications Coordinator: Wende Gonzales
Email: wgonzales@uccswc.org

Wende manages the SWC website, weekly Loop newsletter, the Joy on the Journey podcast, Facebook page and Instagram account, the SWC Blog, registrations for Conference events, database maintenance, and she collects the annual church report data for the UCC Yearbook.

Telecommuting from Tucson, Wende has helped spiritual communities with their online presence and communication since 2013, after 21 years as an accountant & office manager. She’s active at Saguaro Christian Church (DOC) as a member of the worship team, band vocalist, and assists with tech and communication. She has an obsolete degree in systems analysis & design, and perpetually continues her education in the ever-changing world of online marketing. Wende and her husband Tony have two grown children and one kitty, plus backyard feral cats. She began contracting with the SWC in 2015, and joined the staff in 2017.

 

Finance Office: Dean Van Gorp

Email Dean Van Gorp financeoffice@uccswc.org

Dean works for Your Part-Time Controller, the organization that handles the conference's finance office duties. Dean is the person who replies to emails and phone calls to the finance office.

 

Authorized Ministers for the Southwest Conference setting

 
 

Commissioned Minister for Reimagining and Connecting with the God of One's Own Understanding: Gordon Street

Email Gordon at gpstreet3@me.com

Gordon Street is a minister commissioned by the Southwest Conference who focuses on helping people find their own spiritual connections with God of their understanding. Gordon’s 31 years of recovery and working with others gives him special insight into the common struggle (in and out of recovery) of finding a genuine experience with God, which is the essence of spirituality. Gordon likes to say his ministry is a gift from the recovery community back to the wider church. Currently, Gordon is offering churches in the Southwest Conference his services for a guest sermon, group discussions, book studies, a workshop, and one-on-one referrals.

 
nancy ackley website.png

Commissioned Minister for Faith and Money : Nancy Ackley