Résumé or PIF (Personal Information Form)
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Ecclesiastical Status: PC(USA) Presbyterian Minister of Word and Sacrament
Presbytery Membership: Detroit Presbytery PC(USA); Ordained October 9, 2011
Formal Education:
Continuing Education:
· Festival of Faith and Writing, Calvin College (2012)
· Lilly Endowment Transition into Ministry Conference (2012)
· Theology of Peace Conference (2012)
· Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program, Synod of the Covenant (2012)
· Kenya Mission Network Conference (2012)
· Stephen Ministry Training, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA (2011)
· Clinical Pastoral Education (1 Unit), San Francisco Theological Seminary (2011)
· Prepare/Enrich Program: Pre-Marriage and Marriage (2010)
Employment type I would consider: Either Full or Part Time
Community type I would consider: Any
Church size you would consider: Any
Geographic Choice: Anywhere in the United States
Ordained Ministry Experience: 2 years
Language Fluency: English
Compensation and Housing: $36,000+
Housing Options I would consider: Allowance or Manse
Positions I would consider (and whether or not I have experience):
Experience Position Type Experience Position Type
Yes No Yes No
__ X AP (Christian Education) __ X Campus Ministry
X __ AP (Youth) __ __ Chaplain
X __ AP (Other) X __ Pastoral Counselor
__ X AP (Young Adult) X __ Christian Educator
__ X Pastor (Solo) X __ Youth Director
__ X Pastor (Head of Staff) __ __ Administrator
__ __ Pastor (New Church) __ __ Church Business Admin.
__ __ Pastor (Redevelop) __ __ Executive/Director
__ X Pastor (Part-time) __ __ Minister of Music
__ __ Pastor (Yoked/Multiple) __ __ Director of Music
__ __ Pastor (Parish) __ X College/Seminary Faculty
__ X Pastor (Shared Ministry) __ X College/Seminary Staff
__ __ Pastor (Supply) __ X Mission Co-Worker
__ __ Executive Pastor __ __ General Assembly Staff
__ X Co-Pastor __ __ Presbytery Staff
__ X Designated Pastor __ __ Synod Program Staff
__ X Mission Pastor __ __ P/S Stated Clerk
__ X Interim Pastor __ __ P/S Executive
__ X Interim Associate Pastor __ __ P/S Exec/Leader
__ __ Interim Ministry Gov. Body __ __ Other
Equal Opportunity Employment:
Are you willing to serve in a church or institution composed mainly of persons of another race/ethnicity other than your own? Yes _X__ No ____
Are you willing to have your PIF matched to positions in order to broaden representation and help meet the church’s commitment to Equal Opportunity Employment? Yes _X__ No ____
Primary Skill Choices:
___ Administration of Programs
_X_ Adult Ministry
___ Building Renovation/Property Development
___ Choir Directing
___ Community Ministries
_ _ Conflict Management/Mediation Skills
_X_ Congregational Fellowship
___ Congregational Redevelopment/Revitalization
_ _ Counseling
_ _ Curriculum Building
___ Development of New Educational Experiences
___ Evaluation of Program and Staff
___ Facility Management
___ Financial Management
___ Governing Body Ministry
___ Hospital and Emergency Visitation
___ Instrumental Music
___ Leadership Development
___ Leading Music Ministry
___ Management of Building Usage
___ New Church Development
___ Older Adult Ministry
___ Organizational Leadership and Development
_X_ Pastoral Care
_X_ Preaching
___ Project Management
___ Rural Ministry
___ Small Membership Church Ministry
___ Staffing/Human Resources
___ Strategic Planning
___ Training Volunteers
_ _ Urban Ministry
___ Youth Ministry
___ Administrative Leadership
___ Budget Preparation
___ Children’s Ministry
_ _ Communication (Written/Oral)
_X_ Community Service and Leadership
_ _ Congregational Communication
___ Congregational Home Visitation
___ Corporate Worship/Sacraments
___ Cross Cultural Collaboration/Cultural Proficiency
_ _ Defining Program Needs
___ Ecumenical and Interfaith Activities
_ _ Evangelism
___ Family Ministry
___ Fund Raising
_ _ Group Process Facilitation
_ _ Information Technology
_X_ Involvement in Mission Beyond Local Church
_X_ Leadership of Staff/Volunteers
___ Legal/Tax Matters
___ Management of Equipment Resources
___ Office Management
_ _ Organization /Administration
___ Parliamentary Expertise
_ _ PCUSA Polity/Constitutional Knowledge
___ Problem Solving/Decision Making
___ Public Relations
___ Scholarship/Publishing
_X_ Spiritual Development
___ Stewardship and Commitment Program
_X_ Teaching
___ Transitional/Interim Ministry
_X_ Young Adult Ministry
Sexual Misconduct Self Certification
_X_ I certify below that no civil, criminal, ecclesiastical complaint has ever been sustained or is pending against me for sexual misconduct; and I have never resigned or been terminated from a position for reasons related to sexual misconduct.
The information contained in my Personal Information Form on file with Church Leadership Connection is accurate to the best of my knowledge and may be verified by the calling and employing entity. I hereby authorize the entity to which my Personal Information Form is being sent to inquire concerning any civil or criminal records, or any judicial or proceeding involving me as a defendant, related to sexual misconduct. By means of this release I also authorize any previous employer, and any law enforcement agencies or judicial authorities or ecclesiastical governing bodies to release any and all requested relevant information related to sexual misconduct to the entity to which my Personal Information Form is being sent.
___X__ I have read this certification and release form and fully understand that the information obtained may be used to deny my employment or any other type of position from the employing entity. I also agree that I will hold harmless the employing or judicial authority or any other entity from any and all claims, liabilities, and causes of action for the legitimate release of any information related to sexual misconduct.
Evans McGowan 8/9/13
Work Experience: (Please include position title, city, state, church size, community type, and dates from/to or number of years.)
Resident Minister: First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, MI, 1600 members, urban, August 2011 – August 2013. I acted as an associate pastor who preached, taught, led worship, sat on various committees including Adult Education, Stewardship and Mission, and did baptisms, weddings & funerals.
Adult Ministries Intern: First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA, 2000 members, urban, August 2009 – June 2011. I functioned as the Young Adult Director for 20s and 30s, running a program serving 100+ people in their 20s and 30s including retreats, monthly worship, weekly small groups, pastoral care and electronic communications. I also taught Adult Education classes on Genesis, Philippians, and Colossians, as well as developed my own curriculum to explore faith, film, work and dating.
Site Developer/Coordinator: EQV Development, LLC. Charlotte, NC, October 2006 – June 2007. I researched zoning ordinances, negotiated leases and helped facilitate cell phone tower placements in the Southeast Region of the U.S. for various carriers (ATT, Verizon, Sprint, etc.).
Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Missionary: Nairobi, Kenya, various urban and rural communities, August 2005 – July 2006. I was the Development Correspondent for Church World Service (CWS), taking photos, writing articles and improving online material to explain and promote our work with various communities in East Africa.
Young Life Volunteer Leader: Greater Lake Norman Area, Charlotte, NC, 100 students, October 2001 – July 2005. I helped lead a weekly high school program, started at least two different bible studies, helped lead several trips to camp and met regularly with high schoolers.
Church Intern and Community Organizer: Church of the Pilgrims, Washington, DC, 150 members, urban, June – August 2004. I hosted outside groups at the church, participated in worship leading, and organized several actions with Washington Interfaith Network (WIN).
Youth Director Intern, Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Davidson, NC, 500 members, small town, May – August 2003. I organized a service day, facilitated bible studies and led middle schoolers on a week-long missions trip to Washington, D.C. to focus on issues of homelessness and urban poverty.
Christian Camp Counselor and Ropes Course Instructor: Alpine Camp for Boys, Mentone, AL, 300 kids, rural, May – August 2002. I counseled a cabin of 10 year old boys, led various ages through low and high ropes courses, and organized various fun activities.
Other Service to the Church:
2012-13: Pastors in Transition Workgroup, Detroit Presbytery
2012-13: Co-Leader of Washtenaw Mission Cluster, Detroit Presbytery
2008-09: Alumni Representative, San Francisco Theological Seminary
2007-09: Active Participant, First Presbyterian Church, San Rafael, CA
2003-05: Youth Leader, Davidson College Presbyterian Church, NC
2001: Youth Advisory Delegate to General Assembly, Louisville, KY
1998-2000: Design Team Member/Planner of The Dawn: Youth & Young Adult Millennium Event in Indianapolis, IN
ESSAYS
Church Characteristics:
The church I hope to serve is full of life, serving its community by sharing the love of God, the hope of Christ and the strength of the Spirit. It is a place where people feel like they belong before they need to believe. When someone describes this church, they think of the welcoming people before the particular place. The people exude welcome, joy and celebration, where both sorrows and triumphs can be shared and prayer for openly with one another. Worship of God and service to the community go hand-in-hand, connected by the theology, preaching, teaching and fellowship. Finally, no one is excluded based on race, age, gender or sexual orientation.
My Unique Gifts, Skills and Expertise:
Preaching is a central component of worship and connecting a community’s beliefs with communal action. I have preached more than 30 sermons and enjoy the art of crafting a message that engages the mind as well as the heart.
Pastoral Care is one of the greatest gifts we can share with one another. For the past two years I visited members weekly in the hospital and monthly in their homes. These visits are crucial to welcoming and feeling the healing presence of the Spirit. Some of my most meaningful moments in ministry come from pastoral care situations.
Mission embodies the bold and humble love of Christ to the world. Beyond serving as a missionary for one year in East Africa, I have helped organize and lead trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nicaragua and the Philippines, developing mutual mission partnerships in the process. I have led youth mission trips to Washington, DC and Immokalee, Florida, focusing on housing and other poverty issues. I have also gone on mission trips to Guatemala, Mexico and Canada. Local mission is just as important to me, and I currently work with our Local Missions Task Force to coordinate emergency housing, food distribution, work service days and more for the Ann Arbor and Detroit area. Serving the poor is serving the Christ, who is reflected in their faces and our hearts.
Youth keep us accountable to our beliefs and inspire us to dream new dreams. I have six years of experience planning and organizing youth programs, Sunday school classes, social events, missions trips and summer camps. I enjoy engaging and forming Christ-centered relationship with young people, as I continue to value the leaders who reached out to me when I was a youth.
Teaching in the church sharpens our minds while softening our hearts for service. I have several years of educational experience in each of the churches I have served, ranging in class sizes from 4 to 40 people and covering a wide array of topics, from Biblical books to theological and social issues. In 2011-12 I helped design and teach the Confirmation (8th grade) curriculum for one year. I’ve designed my own curriculum, including classes on Christian dating, Faith & Film, and Faith & Work.
Small Groups are the heartbeat of any church, forming a locus for learning, a family for fellowship and a springboard for group service. In 2009-11 I led a small group startup ministry, attended a small group conference and have experience in leading and organizing small groups from inception to sustainability.
Present call and accomplishments:
Recently I concluded my first call as a Resident Minister at the 1,800 member First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the edge of the central campus of the University of Michigan. This unique two-year opportunity has given me diverse and in-depth experiences in a variety of meaningful ministries. I have had the opportunity to teach many classes, from organizing and leading 8th Grade Confirmation to designing and teaching my own adult education classes. I have organized and co-led a youth mission trip to Florida and adult mission trips to Nicaragua and the Philippines. As part of the Local Mission committee, we reorganized local mission projects, recruited members and co-sponsored a Community Mobile Health Fair.
During our four weekly Sunday services, I prepared and led worship, preside of the Lord’s Table, and preach regularly. I have led baptism classes and baptized members of our congregation. I participated in various committees, including Mission, Stewardship, Finance, Adult Education and Congregational Life. I regularly visit people in the hospital and their homes. I have planned and led funeral and memorial services both at the church and in members’ homes. I meet with couples and am excited to officiate at my fourth wedding ceremony soon. Utlizing my technology skills, I worked with a team to redesign the church’s website and logo. Two Presbytery work groups received my attention: Kenya Mission Network and the Transition in Ministry Work Group (to help pastors adjust to new calls in the Detroit area).
Leadership Style:
I believe in leadership through relationship and service to others.
Relational: I like to get to know people and listen to their stories. Finding out more about different worldviews expands our minds and hearts as we seek together God’s love and compassion for us, others and creation. Listening comes before speaking, and I aim to be slow to judge and keen to understand. Rather than micromanage, I encourage adults to act like adults and to be centered in the love of Christ. Seeing God’s truth well up from within a person’s heart is a beautiful sight. I strive to be open and available whenever possible. I believe and practice engaging differences of opinion and potential conflict, believing that carefully addressing the issue is better than ignoring or remaining ignorant.
Service: Giving of my time and talents is the primary way I express my love and care for others. I work diligently on ministry projects and programs, wondering how we the church can reflect Christ’s faith, hope and love in the community. Faith without works is dead, so how is the church reaching out to the community and communicating its message? I do the legwork to make sure an event or ministry is successful, relying on prayer and participation from others. I have developed a better ability to identify others’ talents and share leadership responsibilities, delegating to those who most enjoy or are most adept at the task. I believe in taking large goals and breaking them down into more manageable small steps, taking time to recognize and celebrate achievements along the way.
What are the key theological issues currently facing the church and society, and how do they shape your ministry?
Responding compassionately when others are critical is a cornerstone of ministry that welcomes, disciples, takes risks, serves and manages resources well.
Welcoming: Who do we welcome to our community? We welcome all who seek Christ as the center of their lives. Participation should be the mark of community, with people given the opportunity to belong even before they believe.
Discipleship: How can we challenge and grow our faith in community? How are we sharing our faith intelligently and humbly with each other and the greater community? As iron sharpens iron, so should our mutual faith strengthen our trust and build our connection with each other and with God.
Risk: How can our facilities and traditions be a firm foundation to spring into the 21st century? Where are we being called to take risks that push our comfort levels experience the Spirit in new, revelatory ways? How might we witness to the community and learn from those around us how to be more loving and just?
How can we break open our structure and tradition to let God’s light shine anew, yet also learn from the past?
Service: How are we serving our community? The church exists for God and the world, not just itself. We should actively extend the message of God’s love in word and deed, with hands and feet, reaching out to those in need.
Resources: How does the church spend its financial resources and employ its members’ talents to further Christ’s mission in the world? How is a church’s budget serving the mission and vision of the Church Universal in bringing more people within God’s loving embrace, rather than just its particular community?
The ministry I hope to be a part of is shaped by the use of welcoming discipleship that takes risks in serving the community with a variety of resources.
Statement of Faith:
I believe in the one true Triune God – maker, redeemer and sustainer of the heavens and the earth, things seen and unseen – whose Spirit entirely filled one Jesus of Nazareth, so that He is rightfully called the Son of God. The gospel (good news) is that Jesus IS the Christ, the anointed one for whom all of creation has waited for; fully human and fully God. God is love, as particularly witnessed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This Spirit of Love continues to fill and shape the world, dwelling in the hearts of Christ-followers everywhere and enlivening their beings to bold action and prophetic proclamation in the name of God on behalf of the least, the lost and the left behind.
God reveals Godself in a myriad of ways. At the same time God remains a mystery, hidden from full view until we no longer see dimly in a mirror, but face to face. Only by faith alone am I able to know anything other than “I am” and “God is.” It is in the gift of faith that we are able to trust or believe anything or anyone at all. I believe we have lost our ability to trust – to trust God, to trust each other, to trust even ourselves. In our lack of trust, we close our hearts to God, neighbor and self rather than opening our hearts for God’s love to fill them until they overflow. Baptism reminds us that God reaches for us and claims us no matter where we are, and Communion is a reminder to trust the Holy Spirit in ourselves and each other.
I believe in the goodness of creation and the fallen nature of humanity and our society. Only by God’s grace alone are we able to do or say anything good at all. Through Christ, I have died, and continue to die daily, that now I no longer live, but Christ flourishes within me to pour out in thought, word and deed. Scripture is the basis of my knowledge of God, followed by our rich Reformed tradition and church history, the reason bestowed to me by God, and the stories we share of our own particular experience with the Holy.
In all these things, it is not good for us to be alone. In our relationship with God and our fellowship with others, God’s grace nurtures our nature into a new creation, unprecedented and unrecognizable save through the eyes of faith.
My hope rests in the resurrection of Christ and in the community of God’s people
welcoming all into God’s all-redeeming love. I am challenged daily to serve my neighbor and the stranger with the same love and integrity Christ has for me. My heart groans with all of creation for the day when all abide in peace, just relations and wholeness – the fullness of God’s shalom. Until that day, in the sustaining strength of the Spirit, I am committed to a more just, peaceful and humane world.
References available on request.
Presbytery Membership: Detroit Presbytery PC(USA); Ordained October 9, 2011
Formal Education:
- Master of Divinity, San Francisco Theological Seminary (2011)
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Davidson College (2005)
Continuing Education:
· Festival of Faith and Writing, Calvin College (2012)
· Lilly Endowment Transition into Ministry Conference (2012)
· Theology of Peace Conference (2012)
· Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program, Synod of the Covenant (2012)
· Kenya Mission Network Conference (2012)
· Stephen Ministry Training, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA (2011)
· Clinical Pastoral Education (1 Unit), San Francisco Theological Seminary (2011)
· Prepare/Enrich Program: Pre-Marriage and Marriage (2010)
Employment type I would consider: Either Full or Part Time
Community type I would consider: Any
Church size you would consider: Any
Geographic Choice: Anywhere in the United States
Ordained Ministry Experience: 2 years
Language Fluency: English
Compensation and Housing: $36,000+
Housing Options I would consider: Allowance or Manse
Positions I would consider (and whether or not I have experience):
Experience Position Type Experience Position Type
Yes No Yes No
__ X AP (Christian Education) __ X Campus Ministry
X __ AP (Youth) __ __ Chaplain
X __ AP (Other) X __ Pastoral Counselor
__ X AP (Young Adult) X __ Christian Educator
__ X Pastor (Solo) X __ Youth Director
__ X Pastor (Head of Staff) __ __ Administrator
__ __ Pastor (New Church) __ __ Church Business Admin.
__ __ Pastor (Redevelop) __ __ Executive/Director
__ X Pastor (Part-time) __ __ Minister of Music
__ __ Pastor (Yoked/Multiple) __ __ Director of Music
__ __ Pastor (Parish) __ X College/Seminary Faculty
__ X Pastor (Shared Ministry) __ X College/Seminary Staff
__ __ Pastor (Supply) __ X Mission Co-Worker
__ __ Executive Pastor __ __ General Assembly Staff
__ X Co-Pastor __ __ Presbytery Staff
__ X Designated Pastor __ __ Synod Program Staff
__ X Mission Pastor __ __ P/S Stated Clerk
__ X Interim Pastor __ __ P/S Executive
__ X Interim Associate Pastor __ __ P/S Exec/Leader
__ __ Interim Ministry Gov. Body __ __ Other
Equal Opportunity Employment:
Are you willing to serve in a church or institution composed mainly of persons of another race/ethnicity other than your own? Yes _X__ No ____
Are you willing to have your PIF matched to positions in order to broaden representation and help meet the church’s commitment to Equal Opportunity Employment? Yes _X__ No ____
Primary Skill Choices:
___ Administration of Programs
_X_ Adult Ministry
___ Building Renovation/Property Development
___ Choir Directing
___ Community Ministries
_ _ Conflict Management/Mediation Skills
_X_ Congregational Fellowship
___ Congregational Redevelopment/Revitalization
_ _ Counseling
_ _ Curriculum Building
___ Development of New Educational Experiences
___ Evaluation of Program and Staff
___ Facility Management
___ Financial Management
___ Governing Body Ministry
___ Hospital and Emergency Visitation
___ Instrumental Music
___ Leadership Development
___ Leading Music Ministry
___ Management of Building Usage
___ New Church Development
___ Older Adult Ministry
___ Organizational Leadership and Development
_X_ Pastoral Care
_X_ Preaching
___ Project Management
___ Rural Ministry
___ Small Membership Church Ministry
___ Staffing/Human Resources
___ Strategic Planning
___ Training Volunteers
_ _ Urban Ministry
___ Youth Ministry
___ Administrative Leadership
___ Budget Preparation
___ Children’s Ministry
_ _ Communication (Written/Oral)
_X_ Community Service and Leadership
_ _ Congregational Communication
___ Congregational Home Visitation
___ Corporate Worship/Sacraments
___ Cross Cultural Collaboration/Cultural Proficiency
_ _ Defining Program Needs
___ Ecumenical and Interfaith Activities
_ _ Evangelism
___ Family Ministry
___ Fund Raising
_ _ Group Process Facilitation
_ _ Information Technology
_X_ Involvement in Mission Beyond Local Church
_X_ Leadership of Staff/Volunteers
___ Legal/Tax Matters
___ Management of Equipment Resources
___ Office Management
_ _ Organization /Administration
___ Parliamentary Expertise
_ _ PCUSA Polity/Constitutional Knowledge
___ Problem Solving/Decision Making
___ Public Relations
___ Scholarship/Publishing
_X_ Spiritual Development
___ Stewardship and Commitment Program
_X_ Teaching
___ Transitional/Interim Ministry
_X_ Young Adult Ministry
Sexual Misconduct Self Certification
_X_ I certify below that no civil, criminal, ecclesiastical complaint has ever been sustained or is pending against me for sexual misconduct; and I have never resigned or been terminated from a position for reasons related to sexual misconduct.
The information contained in my Personal Information Form on file with Church Leadership Connection is accurate to the best of my knowledge and may be verified by the calling and employing entity. I hereby authorize the entity to which my Personal Information Form is being sent to inquire concerning any civil or criminal records, or any judicial or proceeding involving me as a defendant, related to sexual misconduct. By means of this release I also authorize any previous employer, and any law enforcement agencies or judicial authorities or ecclesiastical governing bodies to release any and all requested relevant information related to sexual misconduct to the entity to which my Personal Information Form is being sent.
___X__ I have read this certification and release form and fully understand that the information obtained may be used to deny my employment or any other type of position from the employing entity. I also agree that I will hold harmless the employing or judicial authority or any other entity from any and all claims, liabilities, and causes of action for the legitimate release of any information related to sexual misconduct.
Evans McGowan 8/9/13
Work Experience: (Please include position title, city, state, church size, community type, and dates from/to or number of years.)
Resident Minister: First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, MI, 1600 members, urban, August 2011 – August 2013. I acted as an associate pastor who preached, taught, led worship, sat on various committees including Adult Education, Stewardship and Mission, and did baptisms, weddings & funerals.
Adult Ministries Intern: First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA, 2000 members, urban, August 2009 – June 2011. I functioned as the Young Adult Director for 20s and 30s, running a program serving 100+ people in their 20s and 30s including retreats, monthly worship, weekly small groups, pastoral care and electronic communications. I also taught Adult Education classes on Genesis, Philippians, and Colossians, as well as developed my own curriculum to explore faith, film, work and dating.
Site Developer/Coordinator: EQV Development, LLC. Charlotte, NC, October 2006 – June 2007. I researched zoning ordinances, negotiated leases and helped facilitate cell phone tower placements in the Southeast Region of the U.S. for various carriers (ATT, Verizon, Sprint, etc.).
Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Missionary: Nairobi, Kenya, various urban and rural communities, August 2005 – July 2006. I was the Development Correspondent for Church World Service (CWS), taking photos, writing articles and improving online material to explain and promote our work with various communities in East Africa.
Young Life Volunteer Leader: Greater Lake Norman Area, Charlotte, NC, 100 students, October 2001 – July 2005. I helped lead a weekly high school program, started at least two different bible studies, helped lead several trips to camp and met regularly with high schoolers.
Church Intern and Community Organizer: Church of the Pilgrims, Washington, DC, 150 members, urban, June – August 2004. I hosted outside groups at the church, participated in worship leading, and organized several actions with Washington Interfaith Network (WIN).
Youth Director Intern, Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Davidson, NC, 500 members, small town, May – August 2003. I organized a service day, facilitated bible studies and led middle schoolers on a week-long missions trip to Washington, D.C. to focus on issues of homelessness and urban poverty.
Christian Camp Counselor and Ropes Course Instructor: Alpine Camp for Boys, Mentone, AL, 300 kids, rural, May – August 2002. I counseled a cabin of 10 year old boys, led various ages through low and high ropes courses, and organized various fun activities.
Other Service to the Church:
2012-13: Pastors in Transition Workgroup, Detroit Presbytery
2012-13: Co-Leader of Washtenaw Mission Cluster, Detroit Presbytery
2008-09: Alumni Representative, San Francisco Theological Seminary
2007-09: Active Participant, First Presbyterian Church, San Rafael, CA
2003-05: Youth Leader, Davidson College Presbyterian Church, NC
2001: Youth Advisory Delegate to General Assembly, Louisville, KY
1998-2000: Design Team Member/Planner of The Dawn: Youth & Young Adult Millennium Event in Indianapolis, IN
ESSAYS
Church Characteristics:
The church I hope to serve is full of life, serving its community by sharing the love of God, the hope of Christ and the strength of the Spirit. It is a place where people feel like they belong before they need to believe. When someone describes this church, they think of the welcoming people before the particular place. The people exude welcome, joy and celebration, where both sorrows and triumphs can be shared and prayer for openly with one another. Worship of God and service to the community go hand-in-hand, connected by the theology, preaching, teaching and fellowship. Finally, no one is excluded based on race, age, gender or sexual orientation.
My Unique Gifts, Skills and Expertise:
Preaching is a central component of worship and connecting a community’s beliefs with communal action. I have preached more than 30 sermons and enjoy the art of crafting a message that engages the mind as well as the heart.
Pastoral Care is one of the greatest gifts we can share with one another. For the past two years I visited members weekly in the hospital and monthly in their homes. These visits are crucial to welcoming and feeling the healing presence of the Spirit. Some of my most meaningful moments in ministry come from pastoral care situations.
Mission embodies the bold and humble love of Christ to the world. Beyond serving as a missionary for one year in East Africa, I have helped organize and lead trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nicaragua and the Philippines, developing mutual mission partnerships in the process. I have led youth mission trips to Washington, DC and Immokalee, Florida, focusing on housing and other poverty issues. I have also gone on mission trips to Guatemala, Mexico and Canada. Local mission is just as important to me, and I currently work with our Local Missions Task Force to coordinate emergency housing, food distribution, work service days and more for the Ann Arbor and Detroit area. Serving the poor is serving the Christ, who is reflected in their faces and our hearts.
Youth keep us accountable to our beliefs and inspire us to dream new dreams. I have six years of experience planning and organizing youth programs, Sunday school classes, social events, missions trips and summer camps. I enjoy engaging and forming Christ-centered relationship with young people, as I continue to value the leaders who reached out to me when I was a youth.
Teaching in the church sharpens our minds while softening our hearts for service. I have several years of educational experience in each of the churches I have served, ranging in class sizes from 4 to 40 people and covering a wide array of topics, from Biblical books to theological and social issues. In 2011-12 I helped design and teach the Confirmation (8th grade) curriculum for one year. I’ve designed my own curriculum, including classes on Christian dating, Faith & Film, and Faith & Work.
Small Groups are the heartbeat of any church, forming a locus for learning, a family for fellowship and a springboard for group service. In 2009-11 I led a small group startup ministry, attended a small group conference and have experience in leading and organizing small groups from inception to sustainability.
Present call and accomplishments:
Recently I concluded my first call as a Resident Minister at the 1,800 member First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the edge of the central campus of the University of Michigan. This unique two-year opportunity has given me diverse and in-depth experiences in a variety of meaningful ministries. I have had the opportunity to teach many classes, from organizing and leading 8th Grade Confirmation to designing and teaching my own adult education classes. I have organized and co-led a youth mission trip to Florida and adult mission trips to Nicaragua and the Philippines. As part of the Local Mission committee, we reorganized local mission projects, recruited members and co-sponsored a Community Mobile Health Fair.
During our four weekly Sunday services, I prepared and led worship, preside of the Lord’s Table, and preach regularly. I have led baptism classes and baptized members of our congregation. I participated in various committees, including Mission, Stewardship, Finance, Adult Education and Congregational Life. I regularly visit people in the hospital and their homes. I have planned and led funeral and memorial services both at the church and in members’ homes. I meet with couples and am excited to officiate at my fourth wedding ceremony soon. Utlizing my technology skills, I worked with a team to redesign the church’s website and logo. Two Presbytery work groups received my attention: Kenya Mission Network and the Transition in Ministry Work Group (to help pastors adjust to new calls in the Detroit area).
Leadership Style:
I believe in leadership through relationship and service to others.
Relational: I like to get to know people and listen to their stories. Finding out more about different worldviews expands our minds and hearts as we seek together God’s love and compassion for us, others and creation. Listening comes before speaking, and I aim to be slow to judge and keen to understand. Rather than micromanage, I encourage adults to act like adults and to be centered in the love of Christ. Seeing God’s truth well up from within a person’s heart is a beautiful sight. I strive to be open and available whenever possible. I believe and practice engaging differences of opinion and potential conflict, believing that carefully addressing the issue is better than ignoring or remaining ignorant.
Service: Giving of my time and talents is the primary way I express my love and care for others. I work diligently on ministry projects and programs, wondering how we the church can reflect Christ’s faith, hope and love in the community. Faith without works is dead, so how is the church reaching out to the community and communicating its message? I do the legwork to make sure an event or ministry is successful, relying on prayer and participation from others. I have developed a better ability to identify others’ talents and share leadership responsibilities, delegating to those who most enjoy or are most adept at the task. I believe in taking large goals and breaking them down into more manageable small steps, taking time to recognize and celebrate achievements along the way.
What are the key theological issues currently facing the church and society, and how do they shape your ministry?
Responding compassionately when others are critical is a cornerstone of ministry that welcomes, disciples, takes risks, serves and manages resources well.
Welcoming: Who do we welcome to our community? We welcome all who seek Christ as the center of their lives. Participation should be the mark of community, with people given the opportunity to belong even before they believe.
Discipleship: How can we challenge and grow our faith in community? How are we sharing our faith intelligently and humbly with each other and the greater community? As iron sharpens iron, so should our mutual faith strengthen our trust and build our connection with each other and with God.
Risk: How can our facilities and traditions be a firm foundation to spring into the 21st century? Where are we being called to take risks that push our comfort levels experience the Spirit in new, revelatory ways? How might we witness to the community and learn from those around us how to be more loving and just?
How can we break open our structure and tradition to let God’s light shine anew, yet also learn from the past?
Service: How are we serving our community? The church exists for God and the world, not just itself. We should actively extend the message of God’s love in word and deed, with hands and feet, reaching out to those in need.
Resources: How does the church spend its financial resources and employ its members’ talents to further Christ’s mission in the world? How is a church’s budget serving the mission and vision of the Church Universal in bringing more people within God’s loving embrace, rather than just its particular community?
The ministry I hope to be a part of is shaped by the use of welcoming discipleship that takes risks in serving the community with a variety of resources.
Statement of Faith:
I believe in the one true Triune God – maker, redeemer and sustainer of the heavens and the earth, things seen and unseen – whose Spirit entirely filled one Jesus of Nazareth, so that He is rightfully called the Son of God. The gospel (good news) is that Jesus IS the Christ, the anointed one for whom all of creation has waited for; fully human and fully God. God is love, as particularly witnessed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This Spirit of Love continues to fill and shape the world, dwelling in the hearts of Christ-followers everywhere and enlivening their beings to bold action and prophetic proclamation in the name of God on behalf of the least, the lost and the left behind.
God reveals Godself in a myriad of ways. At the same time God remains a mystery, hidden from full view until we no longer see dimly in a mirror, but face to face. Only by faith alone am I able to know anything other than “I am” and “God is.” It is in the gift of faith that we are able to trust or believe anything or anyone at all. I believe we have lost our ability to trust – to trust God, to trust each other, to trust even ourselves. In our lack of trust, we close our hearts to God, neighbor and self rather than opening our hearts for God’s love to fill them until they overflow. Baptism reminds us that God reaches for us and claims us no matter where we are, and Communion is a reminder to trust the Holy Spirit in ourselves and each other.
I believe in the goodness of creation and the fallen nature of humanity and our society. Only by God’s grace alone are we able to do or say anything good at all. Through Christ, I have died, and continue to die daily, that now I no longer live, but Christ flourishes within me to pour out in thought, word and deed. Scripture is the basis of my knowledge of God, followed by our rich Reformed tradition and church history, the reason bestowed to me by God, and the stories we share of our own particular experience with the Holy.
In all these things, it is not good for us to be alone. In our relationship with God and our fellowship with others, God’s grace nurtures our nature into a new creation, unprecedented and unrecognizable save through the eyes of faith.
My hope rests in the resurrection of Christ and in the community of God’s people
welcoming all into God’s all-redeeming love. I am challenged daily to serve my neighbor and the stranger with the same love and integrity Christ has for me. My heart groans with all of creation for the day when all abide in peace, just relations and wholeness – the fullness of God’s shalom. Until that day, in the sustaining strength of the Spirit, I am committed to a more just, peaceful and humane world.
References available on request.