Executive Director Rev. T Brian Bakeman
Brian Bakeman served as the minister of administration at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City from 1994 to 2006. In June 2006, Bakeman was appointed Oklahoma United Methodist Conference treasurer, director of administrative services, and conference benefit officer. Bakeman serves on the Annual Conference Council and the Conference Council on Finance and Administration. Bakeman earned a bachelor of science from Long Island University and an MBA from Texas Tech University. He has served as president of the United Methodist Association of Church Business Administrators and the Lubbock and Oklahoma City National Association of Church Business Administration chapters, and is currently the treasurer for the Oklahoma Community Orchestra as well as numerous other boards and committees. Bakeman and his wife, Julia, have three grown children.
Associate Director Rev, Linda Brinkworth
Rev. Linda L. Brinkworth, an ordained elder of the United Methodist Church was raised in northwest Oklahoma City. Her college career spanned 20 years, completing a bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Oklahoma City University in 1989. She completed a Master’s of Divinity at Phillips Theological Seminary in 1993, graduating Cum Laude. After 8 years on staff at Church of the Servant as Minister of Discipleship and Spiritual Growth, Rev. Brinkworth served in appointment as Director of Resident Life at Epworth Villa for 4 years. She is retired from full time ministry in 2015 from St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City.
Rev. Brinkworth is excited about joining the ministry team of the South Central Jurisdiction and looks forward to working with Rev. Brian Bakeman as well as the Mission Council and other Jurisdiction councils and committees.
SCJ Director of Volunteers in Mission & Disaster Response is Audrey Phelps
Audrey is passionate about assisting people in discerning their call to service and connecting them in missional partnerships that are healthy, mutually supportive, and committed. She previously served the Missouri Conference on staff in their office of Mission, Service, and Justice for 10 years, 8 of those as the Associate Director of Volunteers in Mission. Her focus has been to educate those called to ministry through mission service in the ways they can effectively answer that call.