Officer Autobiographies
President: Maynard Moore, Ph.D.
Maynard served on the host committee staff for the “Science and the Spiritual Quest
II” Conference held at Harvard in October 2001. sponsored by the Center for
Theology and the Natural Sciences at Berkeley. He has also been a participant in
several “science and religion” symposia through past involvement with the John
Templeton Foundation and the Metanexus Institute in Philadelphia. Through the
International Consortium on Religion and Ecology, Maynard participated in the
preparation work group for the “Future Visions” consultation in New York City in
2000, co-sponsored by the State of the World Forum and the New York Interfaith
Center. He supported Bawa Jain, Secretary General of the Millennium World Peace
Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, and assisted Dr. Douglas Johnston,
Director of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, in planning the
Summit Agenda.
Maynard has been involved in the science and religion dialogue for about ten years,
through the DoSER program coordinated at AAAS, and also in an on-going dialogue
group in the Washington Theological Union. During 2001-2002 he coordinated a series
of sixteen formal sessions at Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in
Washington DC that involved prominent scientists, including seven Nobel Laureates,
among them Dr. Charles Townes, Dr. Julius Axelrod, and Dr. William Phillips.
Currently Maynard serves on the Board of Directors for the InterFaith Conference of
Metropolitan Washington DC, one of the nation’s oldest such organizations, now
embracing eleven different faith traditions in the Nation’s Capital. In addition, Maynard
maintains active memberships in the Center for Process Theology at Claremont
Graduate Seminary in California, the Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy
at Wesley Seminary, and the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science. He teaches a
regular Sunday morning class in Science & Religion at MMUMC in Washington. He
has completed work for two graduate degrees from S.M.U., an M. A. from the
University of Chicago Divinity School, and the Ph.D. in Higher Education / Adult
Education at the Union Graduate Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Secretary: Rick Barr
Rick Barr is the founder and coordinator of The Montgomery County Science and
Religion Discussion Group which he started in November, 2000. The group has met
continually since that time. Rick has participated in a three year Local Societies Grant
from Metanexus in Philadelphia with the Washington Theological Consortium and has
given talks on science and religion throughout Montgomery County. Rick has a BA in
history from West Virginia Wesleyan College, a Masters of Science in Technology of
Management from American University and is currently enrolled in a Masters of
Theological Studies program at Wesley Theological Seminary. Rick spent twenty
years with Fannie Mae as a risk manager, auditor and internal consultant prior to his
retirement in 2007.
Jennifer Secki Shields
Jennifer Secki Shields earned her B.A. (major field: biology) at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland , Ohio . As a graduate student at the University of Virginia she
studied evolutionary biology, conducted field research, and served as an Award-
winning graduate teaching assistant and a graduate teaching consultant. In several
years of teaching and doing outreach programs, she often found herself answering
"God questions" from folks who wanted to know how she could be a Christian and
study science. In 2000, she became a Director of Christian Education and, since then,
has focused a great deal on teaching about the relationship between science and faith.
Since 2004 she has served as the chairperson for the annual Blackstone Seminar for
Science, Theology, Ethics & Ministry, an endowed program at the Virginia United
Methodist Assembly Center . She hosts The Nexus at Christ Crossman, where faith
and science meet for conversation. Jennifer resides in Falls Church , Virginia with her
husband and young family.
Rev. Jong-Woo Park
Reverend Jong Woo (J.W.) Park was born in Seoul, Korea. He graduated from
Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. with a Master of Divinity in 1993.
He is married to HiRho Y. Park, who is an ordained minister of the United Methodist
Church, Director of Continuing Formation for Ministry at the General Board of Higher
Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. They have been blessed with
one daughter Felicia Y. Park.
During his ministry, Rev. Park has co-authored Witness from the Middle: Korean-
American Pastors in Non-Korean Local Churches in the United Methodist Church.
Rev. Park continues to be very active in the United Methodist Church, serving on the
following Conference level committees: Scholarship, Trustees, Board of Ordained
Ministry, Mentoring Pastor for Probationary Members, Vice Chairperson on Mission
and Personnel. He has also been the president of the National Association of Korean
United Methodist pastors in cross-racial appointment. Finally, Rev. Park has been
elected as a General Conference delegate for 2012.
Kent Weaver
While living in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Kent Weaver is a member of Metropolitan
Memorial United Methodist Church in Washington, DC where he assists Maynard
Moore with a Science and Religion class. He is also active in the Montgomery
County Science and Religion Discussion Group that meets at Grace UMC in
Gaithersburg, MD. At various times he has been involved in a wide range of local
church lay-leadership positions. Currently he manages the provision of evening meals
for Metropolitan House, the men’s homeless shelter housed at Metropolitan Memorial
UMC, while also providing overall coordination of a number of other feeding programs
at MMUMC and the primary management of a service project website for the
Metropolitan Memorial Cooperative Parish which includes Metropolitan Memorial
UMC, St. Luke’s UMC, and Wesley UMC within Washington, DC. He also serves on
the board of directors for Metropolitan House and the St. Luke’s Mission Center.
Prior to retirement in 2009, Kent spent 40 years with the Montgomery County Public
Schools where he served as a high school math teacher, special education teacher,
middle and high school counselor, high school counseling department chair, high
school counseling specialist within the MCPS central office, and finally as supervisor
of school counseling services for MCPS.
Prior Board Members:
President 2008 - 2011: Rev. Dr. Walter Shropshire Jr.
Rev. Dr. Walter Shropshire Jr. is a United Methodist pastor having retired in 2003
from full time ministry at Foundry United Methodist church in Washington, D.C.
where he served for twelve years as Minister of the Parish, an associate pastor
position on a large staff serving a 1400 member congregation. He worked for 32
years as a Ph.D. research physicist at the Smithsonian Institution before retiring as
Assistant Director of the Environmental research Center in 1986. He graduated from
Wesley Theological Seminary in 1990 with a Master of Divinity degree, summa cum
laude. He retired May 2008 from teaching part-time as an adjunct professor at Wesley
Theological Seminary courses on science and religion and the practice of ministry and
mission with student pastors serving small rural congregations.
He is a native Washingtonian, married to Audrey Shropshire with three children and
six grandchildren.
He currently is the author with Craig Hill of the workbook for the Wesley Ministry
Network course on Religion and Science: Pathways to Truth hosted by Francis
Collins, an 8 video lecture series for small group study available in August 2008 from
Cokesbury. He also won Templeton Awards for Teaching Sci/Rel classes in 1996,
1999 and 2001. He became a fellow of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
in 1995.
Vice President 2008 - 20011 Dr. Tony Gattis
Dr. Gattis was one of five founding board members, served as Vice-President for
Organizational Development from 2009 until July of 2011. He also re-designed the
website in 2010 and served as webmaster from May of 2010 until July of 2011.
Treasurer 2008-2011: Dick Rhorer
Dick Rhorer is a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg,
Maryland, where the Montgomery County Science and Religion Discussion Group has
been meeting for the past eight years. Dick is neither a scientist nor a theologian, just
an old engineer (MSME from the University of New Mexico in 1967). He has been
involved in United Methodist local church lay-leadership positions for many years,
including being the adult education coordinator and a trustee at Grace Church. Dick is
on the Baltimore-Washington Conference Commission on Archives and History. He
works at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) specializing in
precision machining research. Dick enjoys studying interactions between science and
religion.
Maynard served on the host committee staff for the “Science and the Spiritual Quest
II” Conference held at Harvard in October 2001. sponsored by the Center for
Theology and the Natural Sciences at Berkeley. He has also been a participant in
several “science and religion” symposia through past involvement with the John
Templeton Foundation and the Metanexus Institute in Philadelphia. Through the
International Consortium on Religion and Ecology, Maynard participated in the
preparation work group for the “Future Visions” consultation in New York City in
2000, co-sponsored by the State of the World Forum and the New York Interfaith
Center. He supported Bawa Jain, Secretary General of the Millennium World Peace
Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, and assisted Dr. Douglas Johnston,
Director of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, in planning the
Summit Agenda.
Maynard has been involved in the science and religion dialogue for about ten years,
through the DoSER program coordinated at AAAS, and also in an on-going dialogue
group in the Washington Theological Union. During 2001-2002 he coordinated a series
of sixteen formal sessions at Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in
Washington DC that involved prominent scientists, including seven Nobel Laureates,
among them Dr. Charles Townes, Dr. Julius Axelrod, and Dr. William Phillips.
Currently Maynard serves on the Board of Directors for the InterFaith Conference of
Metropolitan Washington DC, one of the nation’s oldest such organizations, now
embracing eleven different faith traditions in the Nation’s Capital. In addition, Maynard
maintains active memberships in the Center for Process Theology at Claremont
Graduate Seminary in California, the Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy
at Wesley Seminary, and the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science. He teaches a
regular Sunday morning class in Science & Religion at MMUMC in Washington. He
has completed work for two graduate degrees from S.M.U., an M. A. from the
University of Chicago Divinity School, and the Ph.D. in Higher Education / Adult
Education at the Union Graduate Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Secretary: Rick Barr
Rick Barr is the founder and coordinator of The Montgomery County Science and
Religion Discussion Group which he started in November, 2000. The group has met
continually since that time. Rick has participated in a three year Local Societies Grant
from Metanexus in Philadelphia with the Washington Theological Consortium and has
given talks on science and religion throughout Montgomery County. Rick has a BA in
history from West Virginia Wesleyan College, a Masters of Science in Technology of
Management from American University and is currently enrolled in a Masters of
Theological Studies program at Wesley Theological Seminary. Rick spent twenty
years with Fannie Mae as a risk manager, auditor and internal consultant prior to his
retirement in 2007.
Jennifer Secki Shields
Jennifer Secki Shields earned her B.A. (major field: biology) at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland , Ohio . As a graduate student at the University of Virginia she
studied evolutionary biology, conducted field research, and served as an Award-
winning graduate teaching assistant and a graduate teaching consultant. In several
years of teaching and doing outreach programs, she often found herself answering
"God questions" from folks who wanted to know how she could be a Christian and
study science. In 2000, she became a Director of Christian Education and, since then,
has focused a great deal on teaching about the relationship between science and faith.
Since 2004 she has served as the chairperson for the annual Blackstone Seminar for
Science, Theology, Ethics & Ministry, an endowed program at the Virginia United
Methodist Assembly Center . She hosts The Nexus at Christ Crossman, where faith
and science meet for conversation. Jennifer resides in Falls Church , Virginia with her
husband and young family.
Rev. Jong-Woo Park
Reverend Jong Woo (J.W.) Park was born in Seoul, Korea. He graduated from
Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. with a Master of Divinity in 1993.
He is married to HiRho Y. Park, who is an ordained minister of the United Methodist
Church, Director of Continuing Formation for Ministry at the General Board of Higher
Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. They have been blessed with
one daughter Felicia Y. Park.
During his ministry, Rev. Park has co-authored Witness from the Middle: Korean-
American Pastors in Non-Korean Local Churches in the United Methodist Church.
Rev. Park continues to be very active in the United Methodist Church, serving on the
following Conference level committees: Scholarship, Trustees, Board of Ordained
Ministry, Mentoring Pastor for Probationary Members, Vice Chairperson on Mission
and Personnel. He has also been the president of the National Association of Korean
United Methodist pastors in cross-racial appointment. Finally, Rev. Park has been
elected as a General Conference delegate for 2012.
Kent Weaver
While living in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Kent Weaver is a member of Metropolitan
Memorial United Methodist Church in Washington, DC where he assists Maynard
Moore with a Science and Religion class. He is also active in the Montgomery
County Science and Religion Discussion Group that meets at Grace UMC in
Gaithersburg, MD. At various times he has been involved in a wide range of local
church lay-leadership positions. Currently he manages the provision of evening meals
for Metropolitan House, the men’s homeless shelter housed at Metropolitan Memorial
UMC, while also providing overall coordination of a number of other feeding programs
at MMUMC and the primary management of a service project website for the
Metropolitan Memorial Cooperative Parish which includes Metropolitan Memorial
UMC, St. Luke’s UMC, and Wesley UMC within Washington, DC. He also serves on
the board of directors for Metropolitan House and the St. Luke’s Mission Center.
Prior to retirement in 2009, Kent spent 40 years with the Montgomery County Public
Schools where he served as a high school math teacher, special education teacher,
middle and high school counselor, high school counseling department chair, high
school counseling specialist within the MCPS central office, and finally as supervisor
of school counseling services for MCPS.
Prior Board Members:
President 2008 - 2011: Rev. Dr. Walter Shropshire Jr.
Rev. Dr. Walter Shropshire Jr. is a United Methodist pastor having retired in 2003
from full time ministry at Foundry United Methodist church in Washington, D.C.
where he served for twelve years as Minister of the Parish, an associate pastor
position on a large staff serving a 1400 member congregation. He worked for 32
years as a Ph.D. research physicist at the Smithsonian Institution before retiring as
Assistant Director of the Environmental research Center in 1986. He graduated from
Wesley Theological Seminary in 1990 with a Master of Divinity degree, summa cum
laude. He retired May 2008 from teaching part-time as an adjunct professor at Wesley
Theological Seminary courses on science and religion and the practice of ministry and
mission with student pastors serving small rural congregations.
He is a native Washingtonian, married to Audrey Shropshire with three children and
six grandchildren.
He currently is the author with Craig Hill of the workbook for the Wesley Ministry
Network course on Religion and Science: Pathways to Truth hosted by Francis
Collins, an 8 video lecture series for small group study available in August 2008 from
Cokesbury. He also won Templeton Awards for Teaching Sci/Rel classes in 1996,
1999 and 2001. He became a fellow of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
in 1995.
Vice President 2008 - 20011 Dr. Tony Gattis
Dr. Gattis was one of five founding board members, served as Vice-President for
Organizational Development from 2009 until July of 2011. He also re-designed the
website in 2010 and served as webmaster from May of 2010 until July of 2011.
Treasurer 2008-2011: Dick Rhorer
Dick Rhorer is a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg,
Maryland, where the Montgomery County Science and Religion Discussion Group has
been meeting for the past eight years. Dick is neither a scientist nor a theologian, just
an old engineer (MSME from the University of New Mexico in 1967). He has been
involved in United Methodist local church lay-leadership positions for many years,
including being the adult education coordinator and a trustee at Grace Church. Dick is
on the Baltimore-Washington Conference Commission on Archives and History. He
works at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) specializing in
precision machining research. Dick enjoys studying interactions between science and
religion.
Picture to be posted
shortly.
shortly.