Staff

Rev. Dr. Shonda Nicole Gladden

The Rev. Dr. Shonda Nicole Gladden is Director of Programs and Initiatives in the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. A mother of an adult son, she is committed to helping students see themselves as co-creators of knowledge, capable of shaping both the classroom and the wider world through inquiry and imagination.

An interdisciplinary scholar, pastor, and public theologian, Dr. Gladden examines the intersections of Womanism, digital faith practices, and African diasporic cultural expression. Her research, featured in podcast interviews with CNN and NPR and in national and international print media, centers Black women’s knowledge traditions, ritual innovation, and the impact of technology on religious education and community life.

Dr. Gladden earned a Ph.D. in American Studies from Indiana University, graduate degrees in theology from Wesley Theological Seminary, and a B.A. in Philosophy from Morgan State University. She currently serves as pastor of La Plata AME Church and occasionally teaches in Indiana University’s School of Liberal Arts.

She is also completing her first academic monograph, under contract with Palgrave Macmillan, part of Springer Nature. The book explores gendered and racialized understandings of service, obedience, and calling as enduring remnants of plantation logics within contemporary U.S. institutions.

Matthew Lyons

Matthew Lyons is marketing manager for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. He joined the staff in August 2010 and oversees marketing, advertising, branding, social media, and public relations. Matt has more than 20 years of marketing experience in varied environments, including non-profit, for-profit, and association. He has worked in the travel, software, healthcare, and association industries. His past titles include desktop publisher, copywriter/editor, webmaster, manager, and director.

Education

• Master of Arts, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C., 2010.
• Bachelor of Arts in Journalism-Advertising, Summa Cum Laude, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, 1991.

Jonathan Page

Jonathan Page is the Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary. Jonathan has served in a variety of ministry settings over a nearly 20-year career as a Lead Pastor, Associate Pastor, and Youth Pastor. Most recently, Jonathan was the Director of Connection and Innovation for the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. His degrees include a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages and Literatures from Christopher Newport University. Jonathan is married to Kelly, dad to Alfie, and finds joy in building community, preparing and consuming great meals, winning trivia nights, and most things related to sports.

Rev. Dr. Karen E. Stewart

Karen E. Stewart is a licensed and ordained Baptist pastor with a DMin from United Theological Seminary. Along with being the Director of Content Development for the Lewis Center, she also provides leadership at the Hub for (Re)imagining Ministry as the Director of Programs and Engagement expanding the Hub’s programs into the Desert Southwest. With over 30 years of experience in the non-profit and faith community, Dr. Stewart directs her energy to serve on boards and with organizations that align with her passion for the Church, leadership, children and families. Dr. Stewart resides in Phoenix, Arizona.

Anna Taflan

Anna Taflan is the content editor for The Lewis Center for Church Leadership. She joined the staff in 2024 and works to keep all written content from the Lewis Center in the best form possible. Anna has worked in communications since 2021 and has varied experience writing and editing content from newsletters to novels.

Education

• Master of Arts in Strategic Communications, American University, Washington D.C., 2021.
• Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Maryland, 2019.

Dr. Lovett H. Weems Jr.

Dr. Lovett H. Weems Jr., is distinguished professor of church leadership and senior consultant of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Lovett was the founding director of the Lewis Center in 2003, coming to the position after 18 years as president of Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri. He became senior consultant in 2017. A native of Mississippi, he was a local church pastor in that state for many years. His years in local church ministry in Mississippi were marked by emphasis on both evangelism and social concerns. His work in Mississippi led the distinguished Mississippi writer Willie Morris to describe him as “one of the persons who added much to the growing civility of Mississippi.”

Education

• Dr. Weems is a graduate of Millsaps College; Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University; and Wesley Theological Seminary. He holds honorary degrees from Baker University, Central Methodist University, and Millsaps College.

Books

• The Right Questions for Church Leaders (Abingdon Press, 2025).
• Sustaining While Disrupting: The Challenge of Congregational Innovation, co-authored with F. Douglas Powe Jr. (Fortress, 2022).
• High Yield: Seven Disciplines of the Fruitful Leader, with Tom Berlin (Abingdon,2014).
• Overflow: Increase Worship Attendance and Bear More Fruit, with Tom Berlin (Abingdon, 2013).
• Focus: The Real Challenges That Face The United Methodist Church (Abingdon, 2012).
• Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results, with Tom Berlin (Abingdon, 2011).
• Church Leadership: Vision, Team, Culture, and Integrity, Revised Edition (Abingdon, 2010).
• Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church (Abingdon, 2003).
• Leadership in the Wesleyan Spirit (Abingdon, 1999).
• John Wesley’s Message Today (Abingdon, 1991).

Rachel Williams

Rachel Williams is a Program Administrator for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. She joined the staff in 2018 and manages day-to-day administrative responsibilities and is the point of contact for online programs such as the Lewis Pastoral Leadership Inventory and Keeping our Sacred Trust. While earning her graduate degrees, Rachel worked with international development firms and human rights organizations in research and programmatic capacities across the Washington, D.C., area.

Education

• Master of Theological Studies, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C., 2018.
• Master of Arts, International Peace and Conflict Resolution, American University, Washington, D.C., 2018.
• Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Religion, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, 2015

Certification

• Certificate, Muslim-Christian Studies, Washington Theological Consortium, D.C., 2018.