Faith in the Workplace
During the Sundays of July, all adults are invited to join our annual summer formation gathering. Each week during the Sunday school hour, we’ll welcome dynamic guest speakers who will share how their faith shapes their work in the real world — from the courtroom to the sports field, from corporate boardrooms to hospital corridors. This exploration of faith-in-action provides a time to learn and grow together and an opportunity for Sunday school leaders to take a well-deserved break. All are welcome!
JULY 6: Faith & Sports with Deon Hunter
JULY 13: Faith & Law with Charles Hosch and Robert Thetford
JULY 20: Faith & Business with Claire Crouch and Dawn Moore
JULY 27: Faith & Medicine with Early Denison, M.D., and Ann Parker
Get to know our speakers
Faith & Sports
Deon Hunter | July 6
Deon Hunter is a dedicated Christian leader, mentor, athlete, and public speaker with a passion for empowering student-athletes. Through a career rooted in faith, service, and education, Deon works to develop young athletes not only in their sport, but in life. His approach combines player development, meaningful life-skills conversations, and biblically grounded principles to nurture growth in character, faith, and community engagement.
He leads three impactful outreach initiatives—Building Believers Inc., Academy 4 Community Outreach, and Hoop Hunter Basketball—each designed to help student-athletes strengthen their relationship with God while advancing their skills both on and off the court. Deon’s mission is clear: to build confident, faith-filled leaders prepared for purpose-driven lives.
Faith & Law
Charles Hosch & Robert Thetford | JULY 13
Charles M. Hosch is a lifelong Methodist and seasoned attorney with over 40 years of legal practice. For 35 of those years, he has also shared his expertise as a beloved instructor at SMU’s law school. A devoted member of University Park United Methodist Church, Charles is married to Beth, and together they raised their daughters, Julia and Mary Catherine, in the heart of the UPUMC community.
Originally from Georgia, Charles pursued higher education in the northern U.S.—joking that it was an effort to “improve his accent.” While his accent may not have changed, he did meet Beth, his partner in life, and the two have called Dallas home ever since.
A passionate teacher, Charles has led adult Sunday School classes at UPUMC for more than two decades, continuing to enrich the spiritual life of the congregation. His wide-ranging interests include history, theology, muzzleloaders, fountain pens, and most of all, people. Charles brings both intellect and heart to every aspect of his life and ministry.
Robert Thetford is an attorney and counsellor who advises businesses, institutions and individuals on political and public policy matters and has worked for Members of Congress and the Texas Legislature, the U.S. Department of Justice, and federal judges in U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
At University Park United Methodist Church, Robert serves as president of the Mosaic Sunday School class and as a member of the Nominations Committee. His past service at UPUMC includes as Church Council chair in 2020 and co-chair of the Forward Together capital campaign in 2017. In addition, since 2021, Robert has served on the board of Wesley-Rankin Community Center, which is a core mission partner of UPUMC.
Robert earned a bachelor of arts in history at Emory University, a masters in public administration from the Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University. He and his wife, Staci, have been married for 17 years and have two daughters, Laura and Julia.
Faith & Business
Claire Crouch & Dawn Moore | July 20
Claire Crouch is a graduate of Pace University who began her career in advertising at Vanity Fair magazine. After 10 rewarding years as a TV news reporter and anchor, she joined the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office in 2021. Claire now serves as the Public Information Officer under DA John Creuzot, where she is passionate about clear and honest communication.
Faith & Medicine
Early Denison, M.D. & Ann Parker | July 27
Early B. Denison, M.D., graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in genetics. He received his MD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and completed his pediatric internship and residency at Children’s Medical Center. He has a Masters in Business Administration with a healthcare focus. Dr. Denison currently sits on the PAD Board of Directors.
Dr Denison is married and has two daughters and a son. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, traveling, reading and playing the guitar.
Ann Parker, a native of Midland, received her Bachelor of Science/Nursing degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton. Her variety of work experiences included serving as a school nurse and in the post-partum unit at Midland Hospital. Her most meaningful assignments came during her 15 years as a nurse for Hospice of Midland.
Ann and her husband, Mark, moved to Dallas in 2020 after 40 years in Midland, where they raised their 4 children. They immediately found a church home at UPUMC where Ann sings in the choir, is active in UWF, delivers Meals on Wheels, and has served on the PPRC. She loves singing, reading, cooking, birding, playing 42 and mahjong, and (first and foremost) time with her 8 grandchildren.
