Lisa Maupin is the Great Plains Conference Lay Leader. As the conference lay leader she serves on various conference committees and is a member of the Conference’s Executive team. She is a five-time voting lay delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences and is the Great Plains lay representative on the South Central Jurisdiction Episcopacy Committee. In addition to her general church leadership positions, Lisa also has held various leadership positions for United Women in Faith on the district, conference and jurisdiction levels. She is currently a member of the UWF National Program Advisory Group.
Lisa lives in Lincoln, NE and is a member of South Gate United Methodist Church. Her day job is an Event and Outreach Manager with the Vice Chancellor's Office of Research and Innovation at the University of Nebraska. On a personal note, she and her fiancee, Eric will be married in March 2026. Together they spend a majority of their free time in the cheering section of Eric’s three boys during their various activities.
Lisa cares deeply about elevating the lay voice and perspective within our churches and denominations. Her passion for lay leadership extends to helping fellow laity develop their own church leadership paths and supporting them on their journey.
Conference Lay Leader
Contact Lisa: [email protected]
I have been part of Topeka First United Methodist Church since 2000, coming with my wife who has been a lifelong United Methodist. Together we’ve raised two sons—one living in Topeka and one in Derby. In my free time, I love hiking, playing board games, traveling, and especially spending time in Disney parks.
I work as an appellate public defender, representing people who cannot afford an attorney in felony cases before the Kansas appellate courts. I also teach at Washburn University School of Law as part of a cooperative program. One of the reasons I connect so deeply with this work is that my faith calls me to do justice with compassion, reflected in one of my favorite scriptures, Micah 6:8: “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
My deeper journey in church leadership began with Disciple Bible Study, which helped me grow in faith and gave me the chance to lead a class. From there I became a Certified Lay Servant and occasionally fill the pulpit around my district. At Topeka First, I have served as chair of Staff-Parish Relations, Lay Member of Annual Conference, sung in the Sanctuary Choir, volunteered in schools, and—together with my wife—offered balloon decorations as a fun ministry to bring joy to our church family and beyond.
Beyond the local church, I have been blessed to serve in a variety of leadership roles. I spent twelve years as a lay member of the Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, and later served as District Lay Leader before becoming an Associate Conference Lay Leader in 2018. I was elected as a reserve delegate to General Conference in 2012 and 2106 and as voting delegate 2020/2024, and since 2016 I have also represented the United Methodist Church as a delegate to the World Methodist Council.
Through both my vocation and my church service, I am grateful for the ways God has opened opportunities for me to serve, grow in faith, and walk alongside others in our shared journey.
Associate Conference Lay Leader
Contact Randall: [email protected]
Kathy is a member of the Blue Hill UMC in Blue Hill NE and serves many roles in the local church including Sunday School Teacher, Ad. Council secretary/treasurer, and lay member to annual conference. As a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, Kathy loves putting her faith into action by volunteering in her community, district and conference. For the past 20 year, she has been a Lay Servant and one of her favorite activities is co-teaching classes in lay servant ministries. In her professional life, she is a full-time Family Nurse Practitioner in Red Cloud, NE where she provides rural residents with access to primary care. Kathy and her husband Darrel live on the family farm outside of Lawrence NE where they have a cow/calf operation, as well as, grow row crops and alfalfa. They are parents to 5 daughters (Savannah, Samantha, Audrey, Abby and Whitney) and 11 grandchildren.
District: Central Nebraska
Contact Kathy: [email protected]
Andy Martin received a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Humanities from Kansas State University and a Juris Doctorate and Masters of Health Service Administration from the University of Kansas. He works for the Kansas State Board of Nursing and owns his own company working as business innovation consultant and leadership coach in Topeka Kansas.
Andy is a member of Countryside United Methodist Church and served as the co-chair of the Ministry Vision Implementation team for the Countryside executive team. He's humbled and honored to serve as the lay leader for the new East Central district of the Great Plains Annual Conference in partnership with district superintendent Jenny Collins.
Andy Martin is the son of United Methodist minister and an elementary music teacher. He and his wife Janelle have been married for almost 35 years and have three adult children. Andy enjoys all kinds of physical exercise ranging from running to swimming to water and snow skiing.
District: East Central Kansas
Contact Andy: [email protected]
Courtney Fowler is a member of College Avenue in Manhattan, Kansas. She is the district lay leader for the North Central district. Courtney is an experienced lay leader across the United Methodist connection. She served as the first conference lay leader of the Great Plains conference, during its formation of the three legacy conferences. She chaired the Great Plains General Conference delegation in 2016. She was previously elected as the first GC alternate from the Kansas East conference in 2012. She also served as the vice-chair of the Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders from 2016-2018 and was one of the speakers providing the lay leader address to General Conference in 2016. Courtney served on the South Central Jurisdictional episcopacy committee from 2016-2022. She also served as a board member for United Methodist Communications from 2016-2022.
Courtney is a member of the Muscogee-Creek Nation and is also Cherokee on her maternal side. She was raised in Kansas, but has also lived in California, Durban, South Africa, and most recently, Washington, D.C.
Courtney obtained a BA in Political Science and Economics from Kansas State University, as well as certifications in Technical Writing from California State University-Fullerton, and Digital Marketing from Kansas State University. She is currently enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, College of Law, pursuing a Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degree in Indigenous Peoples Law.
She is the proud daughter of a United Methodist clergy, following in the preacher’s kid tradition. She is currently heavily engaged in lay speaking and pulpit supply for the North Central district. “I love visiting our small town local churches and learning about their impact in their community. They may be small in numbers, but they are mighty in ministry!”
District: North Central Kansas
Contact Courtney: [email protected]
Ron and wife, Karen, are long-time members of Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita where he serves as Lay Leader. Over the years, Ron has served in various administrative and direct ministry areas of the local church. Also, he is currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kansas Methodist Foundation. Ron and Karen have 3 children, one daughter and two sons. They have been blessed with 10 grandchildren ranging in ages 16 to 33, and one great grandchild, age 8. Ron retired a second time in 2016 after serving 14 years in county government administration. His first retirement was at the end of 2001 after spending 32 years in the electric utility industry. Ron’s community service is significant as he believes that volunteer service is the “rent we pay for living.”
District: South Central Kansas (Co-Lay Leader)
Contact Ronald: [email protected]
I am a Lay Speaker that believes in taking the Word wherever God calls me to take it. My call forever has been to fill the pulpit for ministers that need time off whether it be for health, family happenings, or renewal of spirit. I was born in Wellington, KS and graduated from Stark High School and Pittsburg State University. I am a retired music educator of 42 years having taught pre-school through college age students.
My home church is Stark UMC in Kansas where I play piano and direct Chimes For Glory, an out-reach group of ladies that through music, scripture, and poetry spread the good news of Jesus. I serve on the district committee on ministry, the conference Board of Ordained ministry, and am Lay Leader for the Kansas Southeast District.
I love serving and look forward to filling for our pastors which blesses me every time I am invited to speak.
District: Southeast Kansas
Contact Nancy: [email protected]
I grew up in the Cozad and Lexington Methodist Churches. My career focused on University work. Janel and I have two children and two (twin) grandchildren. I volunteer with our Justice in Action initiative in Lincoln and with the Nebraska Community Foundation.
I joined St Mark's UMC in Lincoln, NE in 2020. In 2023, Pastor Wayne invited me to serve as a Lay Delegate. Also, I drafted a team of six people to consider the future of St Mark's and how we might be more focused on transformative, high impact work. We identified 19 big ideas that engage all members of St Mark's as well as our community (email me if you would like to see our list). DS Nancy Tomlinson invited me to serve as the Nebraska Southeast District Lay Leader in 2025. With Nancy's retirement, I now have the opportunity to build a new collaboration with DS David Livingston.
District: Southeast Nebraska
Contact Chuck: [email protected]
