We value your input and are inviting you to share suggestions to the Gifts Discernment Committee to help them as they discern the gifts that are needed for leadership in Central District Conference. We welcome receiving the names of those who have gifts and interests that would benefit the conference. Individuals are welcome to submit their own names as well.
Please fill out the online form or fill out the pdf form and email it to office@mcusacdc.org.
Job descriptions of all conference positions and a list of persons serving currently can be found at https://mcusacdc.org/who-we-are/. Nominees will be discerned and contacted by the Gifts Discernment Committee.
Scroll down to see the 2026-2027 nominees for the Board of Directors, Ministerial Committee, Missional Church Committee, and Camp Friedenswald Board of Directors
Position: Board of Directors, Member-at-large
Congregation: Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, Ohio
Occupation: Retired
Position: Ministerial Committee
Congregation: Assembly Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana
Occupation: Retired
Tom Kauffmann is currently Chair of Leadership Group at Assembly Mennonite and Mentor to two first-time pastors (one CDC, one IN-MI Conference). Tom was a former pastor at Paoli Mennonite Fellowship and Mennonite Church of Normal. He was Regional Pastor for Ohio Conference 2.5 years and Conference Minister for Ohio Conference 17.5 years.
He was a transitional pastor at Albuquerque Mennonite, Assembly Mennonite, & Paoli Mennonite. Tom was a
former member of Ministerial Committee & Board of Directors of CDC. He is married to Amy Gerber Kauffman and father of 4 children and grandfather of 10 grands.
Position: Ministerial Committee
Congregation: Shalom Mennonite Congregation, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Occupation: Pastor, Shalom Mennonite Congregation
Georgia Metz is on the pastoral team at Shalom in Harrisonburg, where she has served since December of2021. She is a 2013 graduate of Bluffton University and has previously been a member of Bluffton First Mennonite, Sojourn Mennonite of Fort Collins CO, and Manhattan (KS) Mennonite Church. Prior to becoming a congregational pastor, she worked in college ministry for 8 years. She is a proud Midwesterner currently living the Mid-Atlantic life in Virginia.
Position: Missional Church Committee
Congregation: Grand Rapids Mennonite Fellowship, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Occupation: Pastor, Grand Rapids Mennonite Fellowship
Position: Missional Church Committee
Congregation: Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana
Occupation: Pastor, Eighth Street Mennonite Church
Position: Camp Friedenswald Board of Directors
Congregation: Mennonite Church of Normal, Normal, Illinois
Occupation: Farmer and seed businessman
Position: Camp Friedenswald Board of Directors
Congregation: Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana
Occupation: CFO at Bethany Christian Schools
Originally from Wellman, IA, Will grew up at West Union Mennonite Church (Parnell, IA) and has fond memories of times spent at Crooked Creek Christian Camp (Washington, IA). He graduated from Iowa Mennonite School, since renamed Hillcrest Academy, and then Goshen College. Will is married to Kate(Nafziger) Leichty and we have three daughters. Will serves on worship commission and helps with Sunday School for lower elementary ages at Eighth Street Mennonite Church. He enjoys singing in a men’s ensemble called The Open Fifths.
