Rev. Heather Baker Utley has served in church and non-profit ministry for over 20 years. Born in the Buckeye state (O-H), she’s a graduate of Taylor University and Seattle Pacific Seminary (MDiv), which included a semester at Daystar University (Kenya).  Previous ministry positions include Communications Director at Youth Dynamics, Family Ministries Pastor at Arlington Free Methodist Church and Seattle’s First Free Methodist Church in Washington, and Church Planter/Pastor at Tapestry Church in San Antonio. She’s also worked in communications at the Free Methodist Church USA and Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy. She began as Assistant Superintendent of The River Conference in February 2025 and also serves on the Teaching and Communications Team at The Park Community Church in San Antonio. Heather is married to Clay, our conference youth ministry advocate, and they have two middle school boys. 

Rev. Heather Baker Utley has served in church and non-profit ministry for over 20 years. Born in the Buckeye state (O-H), she’s a graduate of Taylor University and Seattle Pacific Seminary (MDiv), which included a semester at Daystar University (Kenya).  Previous ministry positions include Communications Director at Youth Dynamics, Family Ministries Pastor at Arlington Free Methodist Church and Seattle’s First Free Methodist Church in Washington, and Church Planter/Pastor at Tapestry Church in San Antonio. She’s also worked in communications at the Free Methodist Church USA and Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy. She began as Assistant Superintendent of The River Conference in February 2025 and also serves on the Teaching and Communications Team at The Park Community Church in San Antonio. Heather is married to Clay, our conference youth ministry advocate, and they have two middle school boys.

Julie Gray has a life-long love for the Church, and a passion for the Bride of Christ to be a healthy instrument of transformation in the world.  Her 30+ years of ministry in diverse and multi-cultural churches have expanded that passion to include people of every language, nation, tribe and race that will be gathered around the throne of God. Her education includes time at Central Christian College of Kansas, Seattle Pacific University, Fuller Theological Seminary, Free Methodist Ordination coursework, and a Certificate in Spiritual Transformation from the Transforming Center, in Wheaton, IL.  Julie is currently Sr. Pastor at Phoenix Life Church, married to Marvin for 32 years, and loves to spend time visiting her kids and grandkids scattered across the country.

Ebenezer Appiagyei is a dynamic leader who is dedicated to serving others. As an ordained Elder in the Free Methodist Church USA and a Trial Lawyer, he has combined his skills to make a difference. His previous leadership roles in the Ohio Conference and current position as Lead Pastor of Living Tower Free Methodist Church in Aurora, Colorado, and District Leader of the Colorado Region of The River Conference, highlight his ability to inspire and empower others. He is married to Angelina and they have three children. He enjoys reading, and quality family. He is a beacon of hope, a testament, and a strong advocate of “ The Beloved Community.”

Timothy Greenawalt, has been in ministry for 43 years. He served as pastor in San Antonio, Texas for 15 years before moving to Rockwall in 1996. He is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary and enjoys coaching soccer and playing his guitar. Pastor Tim has been married to his ministry partner and wife, Talena, for 46 years. They have three adult children and eight grandchildren.

William Peña, originally from Santiago, Dominican Republic, holds a BA in Physical Therapy from PUCMM. After relocating to Miami, Florida in 2006, he immersed himself in various roles within the church, serving as a worship leader, youth pastor, and eventually becoming a senior pastor. In 2022 he ventured to Houston, TX to plant Essential Life Church alongside his wife Marianne and their three boys. Today, William dedicates his time to coaching younger pastors and church planters while also contributing to Conexión Latina of the FMC.

James grew up a missionary kid on an Indian Reservation in eastern Montana. This childhood helped shape his worldview and his desire to see people come to a life-changing knowledge of Jesus. He felt called into full-time pastoral ministry as a freshman in college, but it took another eight years for him to end up in a church setting. He is excited about pushing and challenging people to order their entire lives around Jesus Christ. His heartbeat is connecting those who currently know and passionately worship Christ, and those who are willing to live in authentic community, with those who have not yet had their lives transformed by Jesus. James is also passionate about his family. He’s been married to Abby since 1999. They are blessed with two sons, Sam and JJ.

Deb graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.S. degree in Management Information Systems in 1986. She worked in the financial industry, held several security licenses and eventually became the Director of Marketing of a Denver-based financial advisory firm. After over a decade in that industry, Deb resigned to be with her two boys to help them navigate their way through middle and high school. She became a career volunteer, serving in local schools and church ministry. Deb grew up in the church and gave her life to Jesus as a young person. She loves to serve the Lord and now has the privilege of working as The River Conference’s Administrator. Deb and her husband John live in Wyoming and have two adult sons.

Rick has planted, pastored, and mentored pastors for over 35 years. He mentored Conference Superintendents, and as Assistant Superintendent, mentored 71 pastors in the PNW Conference as well as many others outside the denomination. He and his wife Patti planted churches in Vallejo CA, Redmond WA, Mt. Vernon WA, and Nampa, DI. They live Granbury Texas where Rick serves as North Texas District Superintendent and as Director of Church Planting and Multiplication for The River Conference. Rick serves on the board of Impact, a multiplication movement where he has coached and mentored several micro churches and impact community leaders. Rick also coaches business owners and CEOs in organizational health as a way staying connected to the secular market place where the voice of Jesus needs to be heard. He works hard every day to walk out his life purpose to, “be living proof of a loving God to a watching world.” Ricks primary educational influences were Northwest Nazarene, Seattle Pacific, Western Evangelical Seminary, Regent and Fuller. Rick and Patti have been married for 43 years, have three sons who are married and serving Jesus and have been blessed with 9 grandchildren.

Kasey was born in Palm Springs, CA, but grew up primarily in Temecula and Hemet. He grew up in a loving home surrounded by people who loved and followed Jesus with all of their hearts.  Despite this fact, it was not until attending college locally at Mt. San Jacinto College that he came to an intellectual conversion and placed his faith in Jesus – the heart conversion took a little bit longer. God used a diagnosis of Clinical Depression in 1995 to initiate a relationship based on love that would alter things entirely. After graduating from MSJC, Kasey pursued his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Biola University.  In 1999, having graduated from Biola, he returned home to Hemet and began serving God through involvement in the ministry of his local church.  It became clear around 2002 that God had some new things in store for his life; Kasey got connected with the Free Methodist Church and sensed a deeper call to serve God in vocational ministry.  This led to completing seminary at Asbury Theological Seminary in 2009 and then pursuing Ordination with the Free Methodist Church in 2012.

Rev. Clay Utley is a seasoned youth ministry leader with a wealth of experience in leading regional youth networks and coaching youth pastors. A graduate of Abilene Christian University, he spent 15 years serving full-time in youth and children’s ministry at churches in Tucson, AZ and Washington State. He currently works full-time in the marketplace in sales and volunteers with youth and kids programs at his local church in San Antonio, TX.  Clay is leading The River Conference’s partnership with the Tenx10 initiative to launch a new faith formation strategy that  makes faith matter for 10,000,000 young people in the next ten years.