Bishop Kenny Martin
Bishop Kenny Martin presides over the Free Methodist Church USA along the West Coast (including Alaska and Hawaii) and in the South Central U.S. and Upper Midwest. He also provides ecclesiastical accountability for our missions work in Africa in partnership with the Free Methodist Church USA General Conference. He was elected to the Board of Bishops at General Conference 2023 after starting the Kingdom Cathedral church plant in San Bernardino, California, and serving since 1991 as a Free Methodist pastor in California, Indiana, Maryland, and Missouri.
His educational experiences include studies at Greenville, Spring Arbor, and Mid-America Christian universities. He is married to Rev. Estelle Martin, and they have two daughters and several grandchildren.
Bishop Fraser Venter
Rev. Dr. Fraser Venter is a Child of the King, friend of Jesus, servant to the Church, lover of people, and host of the Holy Ghost.
Fraser currently serves as one of the Bishops of the Free Methodist Church, after serving as Pastor, Superintendent, and on the national leadership team as the Strategic Catalyst for Love-Driven Justice.
Fraser and JoAnne have been married for 34 years, and next to Jesus, this has been the greatest gift of his life. JoAnne's love, friendship, prayer, and partnership in the Kingdom daily show him how much God loves him. JoAnne and Fraser are blessed with four children, two by blood, Madisen and Jeffery, and two by love, David and Nicole, and are looking forward to two more as the Lord leads. The captor of their hearts are their grandsons, Gabriel William Marble and Emanuel John-David Marble.
The Venters find their greatest joy in loving God and their family passionately, believing in the potential of people's dreams, giving space and voice to the marginalized, seeing people come to faith in Christ, engaging in fervent prayer, helping others discover and live in their strengths, and living with a legacy mindset. Ultimately, they aim to make Jesus the most famous person in every room they enter and every person they meet, to love.
Superintendent Carl Brannon
W. Carl Brannon was elected as Superintendent of the North Central Conference in April 2020 and began his duties July 1, 2020. He has had a variety of leadership roles and experiences during his years in ministry which include pastoring in the North Central Conference and as staff pastor at the Greenville Free Methodist Church for 13 years.
Carl is a strategic thinker with multiple experiences in cross-cultural collaboration and outreach, as well as a passion to grow the kingdom through developing and multiplying leaders.
Carl and Kim have been married 35 years. Kim is also outreach minded and has been a supportive partner in ministry. She has been a schoolteacher, stay-at-home mother, substitute teacher, and office administrator at the Greenville University Music Department. She also runs a Fair-Trade business supporting widows, orphans and missions. Kim has a passion for prayer, discipling women, and is active in Celebrate Recovery and supporting Eden’s Glory.
Rev. Dr. Larry Walkemeyer
Rev. Dr. Larry Walkemeyer is Strategic Catalyst for Multiplication for Free Methodist USA encouraging the multiplication of disciples, leaders and churches nationally. Larry also is Director of Equipping and Spiritual Engagement for Exponential, the largest church planting resourcing organization globally. He is also Global Pastor for Light & Life Church, a multiplying, multi-ethnic church he and his wife Deb led for 31 years. He holds a Doctorate of Ministry, has served as an adjunct professor at Asbury Seminary, is vice-chair of Azusa Pacific University Board and has authored ten books and speaks frequently across the nation.