Bishop Delores J. Williamston Announces Changes to the Louisiana Cabinet

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• ​Rev. Jan Holloway Curwick set to retire

• Bishop Williamston appoints Rev. Karli Pidgeon as the Baton Rouge and New Orleans district superintendent

• Bishop Williamston appoints Rev. Frances Hooten as new district superintendent

Rev. Jan Holloway Curwick has served in numerous roles throughout her 24-year career as a pastor in the Louisiana Conference, including the last six years as District Superintendent. 

On July 1, Curwick will officially retire.  

Rev. Jan Holloway Curwick

"I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities I've had in the Louisiana Conference to help make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," says Curwick. "I have immense gratitude for the valuable experiences, the relationships built, and the lessons learned over the years. I look forward to the exciting possibilities and opportunities that await in retirement."

Most recently, Rev. Curwick has overseen the Baton Rouge and New Orleans districts for the Louisiana Conference. 

Bishop Delores J. Williamston remembers meeting Rev. Curwick in 2017 in Austin, Texas, at a meeting for the Texas Methodist Foundation. 

"I feel as if I've known her my entire life!" says Bishop Williamston. "Her dedication to our Conference and the kingdom of God is unmistakable. In every place, Rev. Jan Curwick has been appointed, disciples for Christ have been made, shaped, and formed. I thank her for her years of service on the Cabinet, her work at the Conference Office as Executive Director of Administrative Services, and her service as an elder in Louisiana. Her impact will be felt for years to come."

Curwick's retirement comes amid appointment season, a season where the Cabinet, along with pastors, staff-parish relations committees, and churches, work together on the upcoming appointment year, which runs from July 2023 to June 2024. It's a time when the connectional nature of the United Methodist system is made visible. 

The appointment-making process for Bishop Delores Williamston is nothing new. In the Great Plains Conference, Bishop Williamston served as a District Superintendent and later as assistant to the bishop. She knows just how valuable the role of a district superintendent is to the process.  

"The superintendents of our Louisiana Conference tirelessly work behind the scenes to ensure the smooth functioning of the districts they supervise," says Bishop Williamston. "Their devotion and dedication to our churches and subsequent mission fields are valued in ways I cannot begin to assess. In addition to providing spiritual and administrative leadership, they are chief missional strategists, shaping and guiding the ministries of clergy and congregations in their roles as extensions of the bishop's office."
 

Rev. Karli Pidgeon to Serve as Baton Rouge, New Orleans District Superintendent

Rev. Karli Pidgeon

One of Bishop Williamston's first appointments is to fill the vacancy left by Rev. Curwick's retirement.

Rev. Karli Pidgeon will serve as the next District Superintendent in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans districts, moving from her current district, the Alexandria District. 

Rev. Karli Pidgeon has shown a tremendous amount of adaptability over the years. After becoming the first African-American female District Superintendent in the history of the Louisiana Conference, she has overseen two districts. First in Lake Charles, then overseeing the Alexandria District. All the while, she currently serves as the Interim Director of Congregational Development and Transformation. 

 "Rev. Karli Pidgeon was called to the district superintendency in the midst of the pandemic," remembers Bishop Williamston. "Ever since, she has embraced every challenge set before her. She has the leadership qualities needed for this time in the season of our church, and I am confident the Baton Rouge and New Orleans districts will benefit from her remarkable insight and immense experience."

In some ways, Pidgeon is returning home as she is a native of Baton Rouge, later graduating from Spelman College and receiving her MDiv from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. 

"South Louisiana is a vibrant community and an even more vibrant collection of Jesus-loving people," says Pidgeon. "I am looking forward to continuing to help in ways I can the long legacy of making disciples of Jesus in our unique Louisiana kind of way. We have some exciting days ahead, and I can't wait to see the Holy Spirit unfold." 
 

Rev. Dr. Frances Hooton to Serve as District Superintendent

Rev. Dr. Frances Hooton

Rev. Dr. Frances Hooton has been appointed to serve as the next District Superintendent of the Alexandria and Monroe Districts.  

Hooton is the current pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church of Slidell, Louisiana.

She is an ordained elder in full connection and has been connected to the Louisiana Conference since 1994 and has served nine churches during her 29 years of service. 

Hooton has a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Direction from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary and graduated from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in 1994 with a Master of Divinity. She received her B.S. degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, majoring in Secondary Education.

Frances has been married to Rev. Richard Hooton, now retired for twenty-seven years. They have two dogs, Taffy and Sandy. 

"Spend any amount of time with Rev. Francey Hooton, and her infectious enthusiasm for Jesus inspires hope for the journey ahead," says Bishop Williamston. "I am so excited to assign Rev. Hooten to the District Superintendency. In addition to being deeply respected by her peers across Louisiana, she brings immense experience at all levels of ministry. I am confident that her leadership will assist churches and pastors in central and northern Louisiana to meet their fullest potential in today's shifting environment."

Hooton is extremely excited to become the next District Superintendent in Louisiana. While she fully acknowledges the challenges facing the church in this difficult season, she sees possibilities. 

"I believe God is calling us to do the hard things with faith, hope, and love," says Hooton. "Richard and I are looking forward to living in Alexandria once again as we previously spent twenty years of ministry in Central/ Northeast Louisiana. This new appointment is yet another extension of my personal mission - helping everyone I encounter to live, teach, and preach the Word of God at home, at church, and into the world."
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The full list of retirees for this coming year can be found here. If you would like to follow the appointment process, please bookmark this page; announcements are first announced at the local church and, subsequently, on our website.