Scott McConnell is the executive director of LifeWay Research, which conducts surveys on issues affecting American religious life and Protestant pastors. Arrange an interview through Aaron Earls.

Jennifer McClure is an assistant professor of religion at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. She is also the senior associate for congregational resources with the Association of Religion Data Archives and consults with congregations on organizational health.

Rebekka King is an assistant professor of philosophy and religious studies at Middle Tennessee State University, where she teaches courses on global Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Her research focuses on the secular and religious elements of progressive Christianity. She is co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Sociology of Religion program unit.

Mary Gautier is a senior research associate with the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, which studies Catholic demographic trends.

The Rev. Randy Wall is senior pastor of New Covenant United Methodist Church in Mount Holly, N.C. He’s also the chairman of United Methodist Rural Advocates, a group that advocates on behalf of rural and small-membership churches within the denomination.

The Rev. Althea Spencer-Miller is an assistant professor of New Testament at Drew University Theological School and a United Methodist pastor.

The Rev. Alex da Silva Souto is pastor of New Milford United Methodist Church in New Milford, Conn. He is one of the authors of the Simple Plan, a plan for the future of the United Methodist Church that would involve eliminating all restrictions on LGBTQ clergy and church members from the denomination’s guiding documents. […]

The Rev. Chris Ritter is the directing pastor of Geneseo First United Methodist Church in Geneseo, Ill. He served as a clergy delegate to General Conference in 2016 and the special session on sexuality.