Member Delegate: Denise Nicole Stone

Members of United Women in Faith put love into action every day to inspire, influence, and impact their churches and communities. Many of our members live out their faith by serving as leaders in The United Methodist Church.

Meet Denise Nicole Stone, a member of United Women in Faith at Greenstone United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She’s been a member of the United Women in Faith Board of Directors since 2016 and served as the organization’s representative to the Division on Ministries with Young People.

She is also a General Conference delegate for the Western Pennsylvania Conference.

How long have you been a member of United Women in Faith?

My mother is a member of United Women in Faith, and I was raised in the organization. I have been an active participant since 2001.

What called you to be a General Conference delegate?

In 2012, I attended the Limitless event in North Carolina where the scripture was Esther 4:14, “maybe you have come to your position for such a time as this.” As I look to General Conference, this verse resonates with me. So much of the past several years has been new, unexpected, and challenging. When I look back at my journey, the experiences I have had in The United Methodist Church and United Women in Faith and the lessons they have taught me and when I look at the events of the past several years that have allowed me to serve in this position, this is the verse that comes to mind.

I care deeply about the work and mission of The United Methodist Church and I believe that this church has so much to offer the world and that God is not done with us yet. For this reason, I feel called to service to this church—particularly in such a pivotal moment.

How has being a part of United Women in Faith helped in your role as delegate?

United Women in Faith has taught me everything I know about leadership and community—lessons that have been essential in fulfilling my role. It has provided a space to learn about and engage with many of the topics that will be discussed at General Conference and a vital resource in this process.

Moreover, it has introduced me to women throughout the connection who are also serving as delegates, and I am excited to get to share this journey with so many people I love and respect. I plan to lean on that sisterhood throughout this process.

What are your hopes for the church?

In the lead up to the General Conference the church has encountered and weathered many new and challenging situations, and I have been encouraged by the grace and creativity with which we have risen to the occasion. My hope is that the church will continue to move in this way and that we will collectively cast a bold vision for a church better equipped to nurture its members in a rapidly changing world. And I hope that we do so with care, humility, and a christ-centered ethos.

The conversations we are having as a church are essential, the outcomes of those discussions and the way in which they are conducted will determine what the next generation of United Methodists will inherit. As those making decisions today, I think it is essential to engage the topics and one another in a manner worthy of the weight of that responsibility.

---