Bishop Lanette delivers the 2025 Episcopal Address.

In her 2025 Episcopal Address, Bishop Lanette Plambeck described some of the challenges the Dakotas Conference faced during the last quadrennium – a pandemic, disaffiliation, "rotating bishops," and the grief and disorientation that accompanied them.

Yet even amid those challenges, she pointed out, "We did not lose our song. We still sing, 'Hallelujah!' Even when the melody cracked under grief, when the rhythm shifted with uncertainty, we kept singing. Not because we ignored the challenges, but because we chose to bear witness to something greater. We chose to bear witness to our God, who never stopped moving, calling, and loving this conference into the fullness of its purpose. We chose to bear witness to something greater when all the yuck was going on."

"We raise our hallelujah as testimony to what God has done. And we raise our hallelujah as a commitment to what God will do through us," she emphasized.

It is with this spirit of "Hallelujah!" that the Dakotas Conference moves forward into this quadrennium. As a part of the creative, Spirit-led work of the Extended Cabinet and Wisdom Council, the Dakotas Conferences invites individuals – lay or clergy – to apply for one of the new "Connector" roles that will undergird the mission and ministry of leaders and churches across the Dakotas.

Connectors are 20-hour-per-month, stipend roles. Each Connector will cultivate relationships and connections, amplify best practices and resources, and encourage innovation and imagination for what it means to be a connectional church in this moment. The Connectors will undergird the purpose of the annual conference to REACH (Resource, Equip, Align, Connect, and Herald in the Wesleyan Way).

"Connector roles are not secondary ministries—they are structural sinews that strengthen the body of Christ across the Dakotas," said Bishop Lanette Plambeck. "These leaders will serve as bridge-builders, resource-sharers, and holy disruptors—linking gifts with needs, wisdom with innovation, and call with context. Through their focused presence and Spirit-led agility, these ministry partners will embody the value and strength of connection and will help us move forward in collaborative mission."

The four Dakotas Connector roles are (View complete descriptions of each role):

Connector for Renewal - This individual will work with churches to cultivate discipleship pathways that help persons of all ages and stages grow in discipleship and spiritual maturity. By curating resources and collaborating with congregations of all sizes and contexts, the role will support the church's work of evangelism, formation, and revitalization.

Connector for Justice & Advocacy – This individual will resource local churches in developing ministries of mercy, justice, and advocacy through building partnerships, curating educational resources, and connecting churches in the Dakotas with the work and resources of the greater denomination. With a prophetic and pastoral spirit, this role will encourage and equip individuals and congregations in their public witness and faith in action.

Connector for Call & Development – This role will be committed to developing a comprehensive culture of call across all ages and demographics in the Dakotas. Through opportunities for discernment experiences, guided mentoring, and vocational exploration, this role will help individuals discover God's unique call on their lives and how that call fits into God's story and Kingdom purposes.

Connector for Strategy & System Design – This role will serve as a strategic partner in helping churches promote the stewardship of time, talent, and treasure, a foundational aspect of Wesleyan discipleship. They will help ask bold questions, build collaborative processes, and design agile systems that streamline governance and administration, empowering leaders to do their best work.

These missional positions address key adaptive questions and serve as incubators for experimenting with new strategies, creative ideas, and new ways of being church.

"I'm excited about the new Dakotas Connector roles as we will be able to provide expertise to local churches in specific areas that churches themselves have requested," said Rev. Brandon Vetter, conference superintendent.

"These four areas came up repeatedly through conversations, surveys, and church conversations."

A key function of the Connector role will be to sift through the content created by denominational partners and other ministry providers, highlighting and recommending resources that align with the Dakotas Conference's values and address local church needs. They will also work to connect congregations and leaders for collaboration, connection, and the sharing of resources.

"We have the people and theology many in the Dakotas need; these connectors will help us to develop and to reach out in the Wesleyan way even better," added Vetter.

In the same way that churches across the Dakotas are creatively responding to current missional realities, Conference leadership is committed to being adaptive and innovative in discovering the best ways to support churches and leaders in advancing our shared mission.  

"This model addresses important areas in an ever-evolving society while ensuring we are in alignment with Jesus' Great Commission to go and make disciples," said Pastor Travis Voeltz, a member of the Wisdom Council who serves First United Methodist Church in Jamestown, North Dakota.

Do you have gifts and experience that could be a fit for one of these Connector positions? Do you know someone else who does? Please send Letters of interest and related experience to Dakotas.Connectors@umconnect.org by Aug. 22.  

"Through the Connectors' work, we will amplify our Hallelujah into every community and every corner of our conference as together we love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously for the sake of Christ's mission in the world," said Bishop Lanette.