Where are you currently serving? Please share a bit about the work/ministry in which you are involved.
I currently serve as the Minister of the United Church of Christ of Kent, Ohio. In its 200-year history, I am the first female Senior Pastor. After more than two decades of ministry in global and ecumenical settings, serving the local congregation has been a new experience for me. While my previous positions for both the wider church and ecumenical organizations opened the whole world to me, ministering to and with a local community has allowed me a depth of experience with people’s daily lives. Admittedly, I miss the overseas partners with whom I was so honored to accompany in my ministries with Week of Compassion, Church World Service, and, just prior to serving the Kent UCC, as Vice President for IMA World Health. Working for the general church and the global NGO community was a “wide” ministry but serving a congregation is a deep dive. There is nothing quite like baptizing a child, officiating the marriage of a young adult who had been in your youth group, or burying a cherished long-time member of your church. Sharing congregational and personal life with a particular community, day in and day out is an extraordinary privilege. You become family.
What are some of your memories from your time in DLI?
DLI was, in all honesty, my most treasured experience as a young Disciples leader. I loved every minute of my time as part of the first DLI cohort. Both challenging and nurturing, DLI was a learning community that created the space for encounters with diversity, self-reflection and deep personal growth, and the opportunity to build a beloved community among those who focused not on “saving the church” but on being the body of Christ in an unjust, oppressive world. DLI sparked creativity and imagination while encouraging us all to be innovative in our spiritual, theological, and ecclesial perspectives and practices. I recall the first time I heard the terms “established church” and “emergent church” and having to navigate new possibilities for what it means to gather in Christ’s name for the sake of the gospel. The friendships and collegiality formed at DLI are the foundation and the lasting impact of our intense moments together. Some of my best friends, to this day, are from DLI.
What skills, experiences, and/or knowledge did you gain by participating in DLI?
The skills I gained participating in DLI are deep and active listening, and an ability to ask critical questions. We developed a very real sense of holding one another accountable, not only for our own sakes but for the sake of the church we were attempting to serve and impact. But we also committed to creating a church that works and that was true to its gospel mission, reflecting the diversity of all of creation. We learned how to “do” church differently so that we could be the church for this generation—relevant, meaningful, and one that strives to do justice in an otherwise mad world. DLI demanded, in the way it was conceived and organized, that we all took a good, hard look at ourselves, our own social locations, and how that would impact our ministry and work in the church and society. It also taught us empathy, courage, and instilled a sense of confidence in us as servant-leaders.
In what ways has this participation shaped your understanding of ministry and, in particular, what it means to be a leader?
DLI shaped my understanding of what it means to be an adaptive leader, able to mobilize people for a common mission in the midst of rapid change. Leadership in this era demands well-honed adaptability and creativity alongside the commitment to invite people to new ways of moving through the world. DLI also instilled in me the importance of communicating openly, honestly, and effectively as a church leader—and that oftentimes this means initiating courageous conversations. DLI was perhaps one of the first spaces where we, together, created a safe and even brave space to explore who we are as children of God, how we are uniquely called, and challenged us to take courageous and innovative steps forward. But most of all, DLI taught me that no one leads alone. The most inspiring and effective leaders are those who lead with and alongside others, seeking out and honoring a multiplicity of voices, experiences, and hopes. DLI truly was, for me, a glimpse of the kin-dom.