Chairperson -

 Rev. Elder Dr. Nancy Wilson

Member – Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin

Vice-Chairperson -

 Raquel Benitez-Rojas

Member – Rev. Onetta Brooks

Clerk -

 Kareem Murphy

Member – Rev. Tony Freeman

Treasurer -

 Liz Bisordi

Member – Bryan Parker

Member – Rev. Dr. Candace Shultis

Raquel Benítez

Raquel Benítez  is an entrepreneur and founder of successful companies in different fields.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree from UCM, two master’s degrees, MBA from UB and eight academic diplomas, Ms. Benítez worked in a variety of academic and professional positions around the world.

Benítez is member of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Toronto where she is team leader of the HOLA team, a welcoming group for Spanish speaking people that helps and supports refugees in Canada. She also volunteers in other areas such as anointing and serving ministry, finance director of the MCCT Drag’n Angels, etc. She was recently elected to the Governing Board of UFMCC and is co-founder of MCC Spain.

Raquel exemplifies the values & beliefs of her church community: Faith & Spirituality, Advocacy & Diversity, Care & Compassion.

Rev. Onetta Brooks

Onetta was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She was baptized and reared at Mount Rose and Calvary Baptist Churches.

Onetta first attended MCCLA in 1992 and became member in March 1998; she was a former member of MCCV and her current membership is with MCC Los Angeles. She has served on numerous leadership teams on the local church, regional and/or denominational level.

Onetta started seminary in August 2001 and completed Master of Divinity in May 2007 and ordained as UFMCC clergy in January 2007.

Onetta has thirty-four years of professional experience as program manager/systems/software engineer for leading aerospace/defense industry contractors. She possesses spiritual gifts of wisdom, preaching and teaching, administration and discernment.

Liz Bisordi

Liz has over 30 years of direct business and management experience in a large global company. She has been recognized numerous times for her excellence in leadership and management skills.

Liz has been in MCC since 2001 through her involvement at SunCoast Cathedral in Venice, Florida. Her involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors since 2003 both as a member and most recently as the vice-moderator. Liz has sucessfully developed and led many programs at Suncoast Cathedral, including the church rebuilding program, capital campaign and leadership retreats and summits.

Rev. Tony Freeman

Rev. Tony Freeman is an Award-winning Community Leader and Non-Profit Executive with a broad background applicable to executive positions involving development, fundraising, and community relations roles. A person with incredible presence in the community, accumulated from serving on countless growth initiative, planning, business, faith, and coalition committees and boards.

He has been involved with MCC since 1995 where he served as worship coordinator and then became the senior pastor of MCC of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado. He went on to pastor one of MCC’s largest churches, MCC San Diego, in 1996 where he developed, introduced and implemented programs and activities for youth and elderly participants. He also oversaw volunteers involved in daily operations, along with those participating on select committees, boards, and programs. Monitored and audited financial aspects, including annual financial planning, fundraising, capital campaign, budgeting, cost-cutting, expenditures, and profit/loss. Hired, trained, and mentored 9 direct and indirect personnel, and assisted the direction and management of volunteers. Networked with community organizations, such as food banks, social service organizations, and rehab centers, to secure long-term and beneficial relationships.

Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin

Dr. Griffin obtained his Master of Divinity degree from the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Florida Center for Theological Studies, Miami, FL.

In 20 years of MCC work Dr. Griffin has been a church planter (New Light MCC, Hagerstown, MD), a district conference planner, the MCC HIV/AIDS Program Manager, an assistant to three Elders (including the Moderator), a Project Manager for the Office of Clergy Development, and a staff minister at Sunshine Cathedral. Part of his work at Sunshine Cathedral has been to oversee the ministry of the Sunshine Cathedral site in Jamaica.

Dr. Griffin is an agent of social transformation, challenging institutional oppression and encouraging multicultural dialogue. In addition to being a member of the MCC Governing Board and a Trustee at the Episcopal Divinity School, Dr. Griffin currently serves as the Chief Programming Minister at Sunshine Cathedral.

Kareem Murphy

Kareem Murphy has been a member of the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, DC since November 2005. He has served in numerous volunteer roles there with the Couples Ministry and Usher Team, as the Church Historian, Lay Delegate, and as a member of the Board of Directors. He previously organized UFMCC’s participation the National Equality March and served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the 2010 General Conference in Acapulco and 2011 People of African Descent Conference in Washington, DC. He currently serves on the Moderator’s Public Policy Team, where is supports the Moderator service on the President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.  As part of the Team, he represents MCC before the U.S. Government and in partnership with denominations, faiths, and faith-based advocacy groups.

In his professional life, he is a partner with The Ferguson Group, a Washington, DC-based lobbying firm.  He chairs the Health and Human Services and Emergency Management Practice Groups, leveraging his extensive work in HIV/AIDS domestic policy to benefit his firm’s local government clients.  In 2007, Kareem became the youngest person to be make partner at the firm.  Kareem arranged for his firm to provide pro bono advocacy services to MCC through the Global Justice Institute.

He makes his home in Washington, DC with his college sweetheart and husband of 21 years, Rev. DeWayne Davis, and their canine child Dmitri.

He holds a B.A. from Howard University and an M.A. From the University of Maryland, College Park.

Bryan Parker

Bryan Parker is a National Real Estate Manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers. In his 11 year career with PwC Bryan has worked on dozens of real estate projects for PwC. Bryan’s team has been nominated for a CoreNet Innovation Award for their work on measuring real estate occupancy and creating models that help PwC right size their real estate footprint and reduce real estate cost all while increasing the efficiency of PwC’s workplace. Bryan is one of a small number of professionals certified in change management at PwC and is a founding member of the Association of Change Management Professionals.

Bryan’s 20 years of LGBT activism began in his college years as the Co-Chair of Eastern Michigan University’s Gay Student Union (GSU). After college Bryan’s LGBT activism found a home at Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit. During his 15 years at MCCD Bryan served in many roles including Interim Worship Coordinator, Vice Moderator, and Lay Delegate. In 2004 the Board of Elders appointed Bryan to the Lay Ministry Council of MCC, later he went on to be elected by MCC’s General Conference to serve as the Chair of LMC.

In 2010 Bryan and his partner of 18 years, Craig Anderson, moved to St. Petersburg, Florida where they are now members of King of Peace MCC.

Rev. Dr. Candace Shultis

Candace grew up in Kingston, NY and Pittsfield, MA. She earned her baccalaureate degree from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), B.B.A., in 1973, her master’s and her doctorate at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC, M.Div., 1980 and D. Min., 2004. From November, 1973 through August, 1976, she served as a disbursing officer in the United States Marine Corps. She first attended the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, DC in 1979. Candace served as the Associate Pastor of MCC Washington from 1983 until 1995 when she was elected Pastor.

Candace was called and elected to be the Pastor at King of Peace MCC in December, 2007. Candace has a passion for preaching and very much enjoys working with the terrific staff and congregation of King of Peace! She and her partner of 19 years, Barbara, also enjoy the company of their three dachshunds: Sunny, Wendy, and Molly.