2016 Forma Board and Officer Elections
The Forma Board offers this slate of candidates for the 2016 Forma Board elections. Each Forma member is allowed one vote to approve or reject the slate of board members. A nominating committee made up of board and non-board members selected the three candidates for their diverse voices in the leadership of Christian Formation as well as their varying gifts for filling the needs of the future of Forma. You should have received this ballot by email if you are an active member. If you are not an active member please join us
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Forma Board of Director Nominees
The Rev. Arlette D. Benoit
The Rev. Arlette D. Benoit is a graduate of General Theological Seminary in New York City where she earned her Masters in The Rev. Arlette D. Benoit is a graduate of General Theological Seminary in New York City where she earned her Masters in Divinity with a Certificate in Spiritual Direction. She served as seminarian at Trinity Wall Street and St. Ann’s Church for the Deaf during her time in New York City. Before seminary Rev. Benoit worked as a Marketing Analyst for UPS Mail Innovations in Atlanta GA, where she managed Account Representatives and their Customer Care Department. She was ordained to the priesthood in June 2013 in the Diocese of Atlanta and now serves at St. Paul’s Episcopal Atlanta GA, as Associate to the Rector. While at seminary she interned with The Episcopal Church’s Office of Black Ministries. She continues to be involved with the Office of Black Ministries, and assists and provides consultation for the planning of the S.O.U.L (Spiritual Opportunity to Unity and Learn) Conferences for youth and young adults. Arlette works with a team of clergy and lay leaders to develop The Rising Stars (RISE) Experience — a new initiative aimed at countering the “School-to-Prison Pipeline” where children are pushed out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. She also serves as a Youth Ministry Liaison for the Office of Youth Ministries of The Episcopal Church and on the board of Episcopal Service Corps and is passionate about Christian and Spiritual Formation.
Polly Gurley Redd
Polly currently serves as the Director of Formation and Communication at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Gastonia, NC, in the Diocese of Western North Carolina and is a member of the Diocesan Charter Committee for Lifelong Formation in the Diocese of North Carolina. She is a graduate of the first cohort of Forma’s Certification for Leadership in Lifelong Christian Formation program. Since retiring from full time teaching and administration, she has worked as both a paid and a volunteer lay professional at 3 different congregations and has served on several parish and diocesan committees. Polly served on the Forma board in early years and as secretary during the time of transition to a formal board. She has served as Parliamentarian at a number of Forma annual meetings. Polly looks forward to serving on the Forma Board again as we move into this new structure and phase of our life together.
Eduardo Solomón Rivera
From a very young age, Eduardo served in children and young adult formation ministry. For over twenty years he has served in a professional capacity as a lay minister in various types of ministry from the parish to the university campus, and from regional church leadership to publishing and hospital chaplaincy. More recently, Eduardo led the process that resulted in Forward Movement’s launch of a new Latino/Hispanic ministry ¡Adelante! at Nuevo Amanecer, 2014. He also served on the pastoral team of St. Helena Episcopal Church in Burr Ridge, Illinois. Eduardo was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He recently moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico with his spouse of ten years, and their four sons. They are members of St. Michael and All Angels Church in the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande. He earned the Master in Divinity degree at Catholic Theological Union and the Diploma in Anglican Studies at Bexley Seabury Seminary. Eduardo is currently the coordinator of Academia Ecuménica de Liderazgo. The Academia is an innovative Christian formation and lay leadership development program of Latino/Hispanic Ministries offered in collaboration with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Eduardo sits on the council of advice of the missioner for Latino/Hispanic ministries of the Episcopal Church.
Forma Officer Nominees
Officers are elected by members. These positions include the President-Elect and secretary positions. The President-Elect (Jamie Martin-Currie) will automatically accede to President in the 2018-2020 term.
President-Elect: Kyle Matthew Oliver (@kmoliver)
Kyle is digital missioner and instructor in the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary and priest associate at St. Michael’s Church in Manhattan. His job is helping faith communities evaluate and implement technology in faith formation and other ministries. He leads the e-Formation Learning Community and is co-author of The Seasons of Adult Faith Formation. He lives in the Bronx with his wife, Kristin Saylor, and enjoys podcasts, comics, music, and yoga.
Secretary: Sue Vogelman
Sue Vogelman is the Church School Director (also known as the Minister of Children and Youth Formation) at Trinity, Newtown, Connecticut and has served there for 15 years. As a public elementary school teacher prior to joining church ministry, Sue has a decade of prior experience teaching children. She continues to use her background in developmental psychology and music in the many Christian Formation and enrichment programs at Trinity. Sue has worked on both Diocesan and Provincial committees and is a long-time member of Forma. She was elected to the Forma board in 2014, elected to secretary in 2015 and is looking forward to continuing to serve as secretary in 2016.