The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) Nominating Committee has nominated the following persons to serve as Officers for the term running from January 1, 2026-December 31, 2027. The nominees are ABCUSA President, Joshua Kagi; ABCUSA Vice President, MariJane Kiley; and ABCUSA Budget Review Officer, Vonda Brecheisen. Officers will be elected during the 2025 American Baptist Churches Biennial Mission Summit, July 3-6, 2025 at the CHI Health Center Convention Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The Nominating Committee also published the Election Slate for 2026-2027.

Joshua Kagi – Nominee for President
Joshua Kagi has been nominated to serve as President. He is a producer and strategist who leverages the transformative power of storytelling to strengthen diverse communities during times of transition. Through his work, Kagi assists faith-based organizations and nonprofits in utilizing media and technology to amplify their missions and foster meaningful impact. His professional background—spanning newsrooms, marketing agencies, government, and mission organizations—provides him with valuable insight into guiding institutions to thrive in an ever-changing world while remaining grounded in their core values.

Rooted deeply in American Baptist life, Kagi affirms the denomination’s unique strength in its ability to gather diverse voices around a common table of fellowship and purpose. This conviction has been shaped through years of service—from his formative experiences at Emerald Community Fellowship in Oregon, where his volunteer missionary grandparents influenced his worldview, to his tenure on staff at American Baptist Home Mission Societies, and his current roles as Technology Coordinator at Royersford Baptist Church in Pennsylvania and consultant for International Ministries and the American Baptist Foundation. Kagi is also the producer of the PBS documentary series Grown Up Dad.

Marijane Kiley – Nominee for Vice President
Marijane Kiley has been nominated to serve as Vice President. She is an active member of the First Baptist Church of Elkins, West Virginia, and a dedicated private piano instructor who teaches students from her home studio. Within her local congregation, Kiley has served in multiple capacities, including organist, Sunday School Superintendent, Director of Children’s Ministries, and currently as vice moderator and pianist.

In denominational life, Kiley has held numerous leadership positions within the West Virginia Baptist Convention (WVBC), serving on the Executive Committee and Board, including a term as Region President and as Chair of the Stewardship Commission. She currently serves on the WVBC Executive Board and Stewardship Commission, and as Parliamentarian for the Convention’s annual meeting. Nationally, she served for four years on the General Board of American Baptist Churches USA and, more recently, for eight years on the Board of General Ministries, including five years as Special Director to International Ministries. She completed that term at the end of 2022. Kiley identifies her commitment to American Baptist life with its emphasis on church autonomy, personal freedom in Christ, and the distinctive approach to mission.

Vonda Brecheisen – Nominee for Budget Review Officer
Vonda Brecheisen has been nominated to serve as Budget Review Officer. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at the age of eleven and, alongside her husband, Steve, served in pastoral ministry in three Central Region churches from 1996 to 2016. Brecheisen has been actively involved in American Baptist Women’s Ministries at the local, association, and regional levels, and has held positions as financial trustee and treasurer in her local church.

In 2003, she returned to school to pursue a degree in accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant in 2007. She most recently served as a partner with Knudsen Monroe & Co., LLC in Newton, Kansas, until her retirement in 2023. She currently continues part-time work in individual tax return preparation and the auditing of financial statements for small municipalities. Brecheisen and her husband are active members of Appanoose Baptist Church in Pomona, Kansas. They are blessed with three children and eight grandchildren.