Candidate 17 Profile

Section A. Background Information

10. Year of Ordination

2008

11. Denomination of Ordination

United Church of Christ

12. If not RCA, what classes or supervising body from the ordaining denomination recognizes your ordination?

United Church of Christ

13. Present denomination

United Church of Christ

14. Present classis or judicatory

United Church of Christ

15. If you are not now a member of the Reformed Church in America, can you, in good conscience, agree with the doctrine, discipline and government of the RCA?

Yes.

16. Do you support the mission and division of the Reformed Church in America?

Yes.

17. Citizen of what country? If not USA, do you have permit to live and work in the USA?

USA

18. Previous Experience

19. Formal Education

20. Continuing Education

21. Languages (list any languages, other than English, in which you can preach or converse fluently)

Section B. Reflection

1. Describe your strengths, the best of who you are, and what you bring in service to the church.

I have come to understand my gifts and strengths in ministry to be centered around deep listening, creativity and vision, and a heart for justice. I always strive to listen more than I speak, to truly see and hear people, their struggles and joys, and where the Spirit is at work in their lives. I bring an ability to take the best of tradition and bring it into the service of the church in the contemporary world. And I strive to lead a congregation and community to stand for and struggle towards a more loving, just, and peaceful world that helps us glimpse the Kingdom of God.

2. Name two or three mentors who have significantly contributed to your ministry, and explain why these people are important to you.

Jim Hahn, my high school Bible and drama teacher, taught me to love the scriptures and gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone in ways that led me to consider ministry as a vocation. Rev. Dr. Dan De Leon, my Senior Pastor, mentored me during my seminary internship and has shown me how to push myself to be outspoken on issues of justice when I might feel reluctant. Rev. Dr. Steve Sprinkle, a seminary professor, gave me critical insight and support during my formation for ministry and my early years as a pastor, without which I would not have remained in ministry.

3. What caused you to enter ministry, and what are the core values that define your vision for ministry?

When I was a child, I watched "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" religiously. The comforting words and simple songs touched my soul in a way that I would only later come to fully appreciate. I remember him singing "it's you I like" to me through the television, and feeling a sense of profound wonder and loving acceptance. Later, I would come to understand the spiritual power and necessity of reminding people from the earliest moments of their lives that they are beloved children of God. In a very real sense, I could say that my call to ministry began there. That calling was nurtured in the community of the church, and through my life, I have come to know the presence of Love through the experiences of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, because they believed and knew that they were the hands and feet of Jesus in the world, loving neighbors as friends. My core values are centered in that vision: spirituality, compassion, justice, and courage

4. Explain the strategies or ideas that most excite you for helping a church to become and remain missional.

The Church in our time faces both great challenges and tremendous opportunities to serve the mission of God in the world. I believe that we are called to offer as many "doors" into the life of the church as possible--both traditional and alternative worship opportunities; faith formation that goes beyond Sunday morning; small groups that deepen spiritual growth and intimacy; making use of technology to reach people that might be unwilling or unable to enter our doors; and service that goes beyond charity to striving for justice in our communities and the wider world.

5. Name three of your most passionate hopes for the Church at large, and why they are significant to you.

My hopes for the Church center around a renewed spirituality, deep community, and faithfulness in the pursuit of justice. I believe that the world is craving connection: with God, with others, and with a vision of hope, peace, and compassion. The Church can offer a deep and meaningful engagement with the spiritual needs of our time--connecting people to Jesus Christ and giving them hope and joy. The Church can and should offer community that fosters real relationships with others and a support in good times and bad. And the Church is called to follow the Spirit in bringing justice, peace, and compassion in places of hatred, oppression, and fear.

6. Give an example of how you would theologically address an issue facing your contemporary world. Please be thorough enough to help the reader to understand your thought processes and your life commitments.

Our world has been coming face to face over the last several years with injustices--the persistence of racial discrimination, economic inequality, and healthcare disparities made all too clear during the Covid-19 pandemic. Movements for justice have arisen in response, and the Church has often been present in solidarity. I believe that Christians are called to be present with and struggle alongside those working for justice and equality--not out of political loyalty or social expectation, but born out of our deep theological commitment to the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached, incarnated, died, and was raised to inaugurate. We must be about the work of doing justice, loving mercy, and humbly walking with God, joining the struggle for liberation and taking the lead of those most oppressed--seeing in them the presence of Jesus.

7. What theologians, pastors, authors or other leaders have had the greatest influence upon your life and thought? (List up to 4 and explain.)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and thought has shaped me deeply with a vision of a community centered around the Crucified and Risen Christ, standing against the injustice and hate of the world with the power of the love of God. Martin Luther King, Jr. likewise has inspired me with a vision of an intellectually and morally powerful vision of the non-violent Kingdom of God breaking into a world of fear and oppression with the power of love. And Rev. Dr. Steve Sprinkle, a seminary professor and pastor, has shown me how to live a life of authenticity in ministry and boldness in public witness to inclusive love of God.

8. How do you hope someone influenced by your ministry would describe what s/he considers to be most important?

One of my parishioners, whom I mentored during her service as chair of the Spiritual Life Committee, shared that I made her feel valued and worthy, that I listened and truly saw her and her gifts. That is what I hope and strive to be for everyone with whom I serve, and what I consider the highest compliment I could receive in ministry.

9. Name at least one challenge for a pastor who accepts a Call to lead a church whose culture is other than his/her own.

I would see in this situation both a challenge and an opportunity: a challenge to learn to listen and allow the community to be who they are and who they have been called to be, and an opportunity to grow in faith, in ministry, and in community. I would want to take a posture of learning--bringing my skills and training in service to, rather than domination of, any community that I am called to serve.

10. Describe your vision and hopes for the Church over the next 5-10 years.

I hope and pray the the Church in the next decade would grow more deeply in relationship with the God as revealed in Jesus Christ, finding a renewed and vital spirituality that is joyful, compassionate, and transformative. At the same time, I hope that the Church will become more deeply committed to welcoming the stranger, making congregations safe for and inclusive of all people, and more present in the community as agents of justice and peace. I believe that these two imperatives go hand in hand, and are what we have been called to in this time and place.

11. If there is anything else you would like to add about yourself that you think would help a search team to better understand and consider you as their next pastor, please elaborate here.