Speakers

Reverend Adam Baker (he/him) is one of the pastors of The Gathering, a rapidly growing urban, multi-site, and inclusive United Methodist Church in St. Louis, Missouri.

Born in England and raised in Canada, South Africa, and the American rust belt, Adam is a former clinical counselor to young survivors of sexual abuse and neglect and devoted advocate for LGBTQIA+ persons. He is passionate about holding space for those who have been harmed, displaced, or marginalized by others, understanding Biblical faithfulness as welcoming all people as though they are Jesus (Matthew 25:35).

Described by friends as “a punk rock Mr. Rogers,” Adam’s advocacy has also been shaped by long involvement with the worldwide punk and hardcore community, where he gained a deep love for honestly pursuing the better, the power of raising your voice on behalf of others, and collecting far too many band t-shirts and records.

Adam received his M.Div. from Duke Divinity School and his M.A. in Clinical Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Jennifer Baker, have four children, two dogs who resemble sausages with legs, and live in St. Louis. He served at Wesley Memorial UMC in Wilmington, NC.

Adam will speak during the Saturday Morning, Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning sessions.

Kuda Kagura was born in Zimbabwe and and his family moved to NC in 2002. He grew up in Graham, NC and attended Cedar Cliff UMC. His faith was deepened and transformed in the time he was at Cedar Cliff, thanks to his youth leaders, pastors, and the members of Cedar Cliff. They poured out a lot of love and helped him to understand that God loves him and that God was calling him into the life of ministry. The youth program at Cedar Cliff introduced him to Conference Youth Ministry in the NC Conference — his first event was Pilgrimage, and at Pilgrimage he encountered God in a different way than he had before. The experience he had singing and worshiping with 6,000 other youth and adults made the fire in his heart burn brighter than ever. Not long after that, he understood where God wanted him in life. He later learned that his entire church had seen God’s call on his life and he began working toward his journey into ministry. He attended Methodist University for a short period pursuing Forensic Science and later transferred to Alamance Community College and completed an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. As God continued to call him, he went to UNC Greensboro to get a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies. After graduating, he began his first job in youth ministry at Friendship UMC as youth leader and shortly after he began attending Duke University’s seminary and received his Master’s in Divinity in 2022. After graduating, he had his first appointment and would later have a mid-appointment change to where he is now at Jarvis Memorial UMC and St. James UMC as their Associate Pastor of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry.

Kuda will speak during the Friday Evening session.