Five Visionary Leaders Join Wesleyan Impact Partners Board to Advance Mission-Driven Investment in Churches and Communities

New directors distinguished in ministry, philanthropy, and leadership will guide growing impact

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wesleyan Impact Partners is pleased to announce the addition of five new members to its Board of Directors: Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount, Rev. Dr. April Casperson, Rev. Rachel Gilmore, Rev. Robert R. “Robb” Webb III, and C. Todd Willis. Together, these leaders bring deep experience in church innovation, philanthropy, and community-centered ministry. They will help expand and deepen Wesleyan Impact Partners’ empowerment of the congregations, neighborhoods, and leaders it serves across the United States.

Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount is a transformational scholar, pastor, and ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church whose work bridges faith, education, and community impact. A longtime faculty leader at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and co-founder and executive director of the Oikos Institute, he brings decades of experience in leadership formation, asset-based community development, and faith-inspired social innovation rooted in pastoral and academic excellence.

Rev. Dr. April Casperson is a seasoned organizational leader and ordained deacon with deep experience guiding complex institutions through change. She serves as director of enrollment management at Methodist Theological School in Ohio and has held senior roles in advancement and inclusion. With a doctorate in organizational leadership, she brings a systems-minded, data-informed approach to strengthening leaders and institutions.

Rev. Rachel Gilmore is a nationally recognized leader in church innovation and organizational development. She serves as director of new and vital faith for the Desert Southwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and previously led national church planter recruitment and training. A veteran church planter, author, and co-founder of Intersect, she brings strategic imagination and deep commitment to cultivating courageous, sustainable ministry leadership.

Rev. Robert R. “Robb” Webb III serves as director of the Rural Church Division at The Duke Endowment, guiding strategic investments that strengthen rural congregations as community anchors. An ordained deacon in Western North Carolina and formerly a management consultant, he brings expertise in systems thinking, governance, and long-term sustainability for churches and faith-based institutions.

C. Todd Willis serves as COO and general counsel of Global Ministries and UMCOR, providing executive leadership for governance, operations, and compliance. A former partner in a private law firm, he brings expertise in risk management and organizational strategy. He is committed to aligning mission, resources, and accountability for long-term institutional health.

“We are grateful to welcome leaders who listen with care, think deeply, and lead with courage,” said Rev. Lisa Greenwood, President & CEO of Wesleyan Impact Partners. “Each brings a distinctive voice and set of gifts, and together they will help us steward resources faithfully, invest in leaders, and lean into a hopeful future—supporting ministries that are helping congregations and communities flourish.”

About Wesleyan Impact Partners

Wesleyan Impact Partners is a national nonprofit fueled by generous individuals, borrowers, and innovative leaders courageously doing God's work, empowering a cycle of generosity and helping bring about thriving congregations and flourishing communities. Throughout its 55-plus-year history, Wesleyan Impact Partners has made thousands of loans empowering churches across the United States to pursue their God-sized dreams while also lifting up the work of courageous spiritual entrepreneurs across the Wesleyan Ecosystem through the nationally recognized Locke Innovative Leader Award and its thought leadership in the Igniting Imagination® podcast. Our work is made possible through partnerships across the country with generous individuals and Methodist foundations. Based in Austin, Texas, the organization is led by President & CEO Rev. Lisa Greenwood, who is also President & CEO of Texas Methodist Foundation. To learn more, visit wesleyanimpactpartners.org.