Candidates for General Conference
Statements of Candidacy for the 2016 United Methodist General Conference
Rev. Susan Boegli
I submit my name, Rev. Susan Boegli, to be considered as a delegate representing the Alaska Annual
Conference for the 2016 United Methodist General Conference. I presently serve Aldersgate UMC in
Juneau Alaska and have done so for the past four years. Prior to this current appointment, I served a
small congregation in Oregon and before that, I served as an associate pastor for a large church in
Oregon. I have been ordained in full connection for five years and belong to the Oregon-Idaho Annual
Conference. It would be my pleasure to act as a delegate representing the Alaska Annual Conference.
Rev. Evelyn Erbele
Clergy appointed to First United Methodist Church in Ketchikan since July 2008.
I am asking that the Alaska Annual Conference consider my declaration for candidacy as a delegate to
General Conference 2016
I am an ordained elder of the Oregon Idaho Annual Conference and have been a commissioned
missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries since 1989 having served in Nigeria, Russia,
Latvia and Lithuania.
In 2011, I was elected by this conference to be the 1st Alternate to the Western Jurisdictional
Conference.
As happens in Alaska clergy move. As a result when the General Conference delegate moved in 2011 I
became the 1st Alternate to GC 2012. Because of a subsequent departure of the second delegate in
2013, I floated up the list to fulfill the quadrennial responsibilities of the GC clergy delegate.
I am now on the Western Jurisdiction Episcopacy Committee. A committee that I find most intriguing
and would, if elected, enjoy the privilege to continue serving on.
Having been to General Conference and Western Jurisdictional Conference for the first time in 2012, I
witnessed firsthand the wranglings, nuances and finesse that goes into having the Alaska Conference’s
voice heard in both the general church and the jurisdiction.
Within the Alaska Conference I have served on the Southeast Program Council and the New Ministries
Committee. Currently, I am secretary for the Professional Ministries Unit.
The Ketchikan UMC is home to the First City Homeless Services – Day Shelter. I serve on the governing
board as chairperson. The Day Shelter’s mission is to offer the homeless a safe non-judgmental shelter
and access to local resources. Never in all my youthful imaginings would I have seen myself spending the
day addressing the multitude of needs presented by men, women and children who are hungry and
without shelter.
I consider it a privilege to serve the Alaska Conference, love living in Ketchikan and am living my call to
ministry when advocating for the respect and dignity of my neighbors.
Academic credentials: Bachelors of Science in Nursing, Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling and a
Doctorate in Theology.
Thank you for considering this request.
Rev. Doug Handlong
Doug was ordained a probationary member in the Desert Southwest Annual Conference in 1997 and an
elder in 2000. Doug has served the rural and urban churches in his years of ministry. As a part of the
annual conference leadership in the Desert Southwest, Doug served as Chair of the BHECM and Chair for
the North District Committee on Ministry. He has also served on the Board of Ordained Ministry, and
New Faith Communities as well as the Annual Conference Leadership team. Doug first came to Alaska
in 2010, and again in 2011 while on short term mission. Doug has served here in Anchorage at Anchor
Park UMC since 2012. Doug currently serves on the Leadership team for the annual conference and is
the chair of the Professional Ministries Unit. Doug also serves on the Birchwood board. Doug is for an
inclusive church that is open to all people, at the same time honoring our theological and cultural
differences that make us a diverse body that are United Methodists.
Rev. Carlo Rapanut
I respectfully put my name into consideration for election as a delegate to General and Jurisdictional
Conference, per conference rule R6.1700. Here are my reasons:
• Serving as Superintendent gives me a “big picture” view of the Conference as well as knowledge of the
specifics of each ministry setting. This allows me to have a well-rounded perspective to represent the
concerns and needs in our area.
• Having come from the Philippines and having maintained my clergy membership there until last year, I
possess the perspective of one who used to be from outside the U.S. “looking in” and one who now lives
and serves in the U.S. I can be a bridge and a “core interpreter of issues” for our sisters and brothers
from the Central Conferences.
My qualifications are as follows:
Ordination and Conference Membership:
• Ordained Elder in the UMC on April 23, 2006 in the Northwest Philippines Annual Conference.
• Transferred clergy membership to the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference in 2014.
Education:
• Master of Divinity, Wesley Divinity School, Philippines; March 2003
• Master of Management major in Business, University of the Philippines; April 2000
Appointments:
• Pastor, Philex Mines UMC, Philippines 1998-2000
• Associate Pastor, Baguio First UMC, Philippines 2000-2004
• Senior Pastor, Baguio First UMC, Philippines 2004-2006
• Assistant to the Bishop, Baguio Episcopal Area, Philippines 2006-2008
• Pastor, UMC of Chugiak, Alaska 2008-2014
• Conference Superintendent, Alaska UM Conference, 2014-present
Connectional Involvement:
• Western Jurisdiction: WJ Mission Cabinet; WJ Inter-Ethnic Coordinating Committee
• Alaska: PMU (Member/Chair); Congregational Development (Chair); South Central Region Program
Council (Chair); Communications
• Philippines Central Conference: Delegate (as lay in 2000 and as clergy in 2008); Coordinating Council;
Conference UMYF (President)
I am committed to remaining in the Alaska Conference for the foreseeable future and, if elected, I will
represent our Alaska interests at the General and Jurisdictional Conferences to the best of my ability and
with faithful attention to the great diversity of church family here.
Jo Anne Hayden
In 2012 I served as Chair of the Alaska United Methodist Conference Delegation as the lay delegate to
General Conference and as a lay delegate to the Western Jurisdictional Conference.
Twice immediately prior to that (2004 and 2008) I served the AUMC as the 1st reserve delegate to the
Western Jurisdictional Conference and the 2nd reserve delegate to General Conference.
It is with this background that I offer this statement of candidacy to represent the Alaska United
Methodist Conference in 2016.
Having initially attended both the General Conference and the Western Jurisdictional Conference in the
status of reserve delegate gave me the opportunity to directly observe and learn about these major
bodies and their work. While doing that, I was also afforded the opportunity to serve initially as a
committee member of the Western Jurisdiction Program and Arrangements Committee for the 20042008 quadrennium and the Rules Chair within that committee, both which I continued to do during the
2008-2012 quadrennium as well. During the last year of the previous quadrennium (2012) and during
this 2012-2016 quadrennium I have and continue to serve as a member of the Western Jurisdiction
Committee on Episcopacy.
Additionally, I served as a Director for the Women’s Division during the 2008-2012 quadrennium and I'm
currently serving as a Director of United Methodist Women, Inc. and as a member of the Program
Advisory Group during this 2012-2016 quadrennium.
I have also served in a couple leadership positions at the Jursidictional level within United Methodist
Women previously.
Currently, within the Alaska United Methodist Conference I serve as a member of the Professional
Ministries Unit and as a member of the Leadership Team. Recently I have also assumed the position of
Associate Lay Leader of the Alaska United Methodist Conference. Previously I have served as a member
of the Nominations Committee and both previously and currently serve on the Annual Conference
Planning Team.
President of the Alaska Conference United Methodist Women is another position that I have held for
four years in addition to the eight years served prior to that as a member of the UMW Conference
Executive Team.
Within my local church I have also served in a number of capacities both as a church committee member
and in leadership positions over the years and I have even served within our former regional program
councils. Additionally, over the years, I have also served in my local UMW in multiple leadership
positions.
Thoughout my years of service in the variety of capacities I have and continue to serve, I have met and
worked with many throughout the church and I look forward to continuing to do so with your support as
together we work to be the church today as well as in the future.