Where did you grow up?
I’m a child of the Pacific Northwest, born and raised in the Seattle area. I earned a B.A. in music from a small private Christian university in the suburbs and met my husband after grad school in Seattle, and left a big piece of my heart with my family who are all still in Washington. I’m playing the long game — planning to eventually beckon them all to the Midwest one way or another.
What brought you to Minneapolis and Grace-Trinity?
When I married a farm boy from Wisconsin, I had a feeling we’d eventually be drawn back to the Midwest. My husband, Elliot, and I married in 2020, and we moved to the Twin Cities two years ago. We’ve loved building our life here. While we hold deep affection for Seattle, we knew that our long-term goals like buying a home, raising a family and planning for our future, would be better served in the Midwest. I’m still recovering from the surprise of comparing home prices between Minneapolis and Seattle, and we are very happy to call the Twin Cities home!
My journey to Grace-Trinity was serendipitous. After graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary and serving as a pastor in Seattle for five years — much of it during Covid — I had planned to take some time off to discern my next vocational steps. The universe, however, had other plans. Grace-Trinity was searching for a pastor, and the more I got to know them, the more I realized that something really special was happening. Grace-Trinity has a history of being justice-oriented, community-focused and inclusive. That resonated deeply with me. It is a beautiful thing to lead a community where I don’t have to hide parts of myself, and where I can encourage others to live fully themselves. I’m grateful they called me to be their pastor!
What role do you think pastors and religious institutions should play in their communities?
For a long time, churches and religious institutions operated with a sense of cultural dominance and power, using these dynamics to influence their communities. Many of us have stories of pain and hurt from those times. Unfortunately, some churches still act as though they have the right to wield power and exert control over others.
I became a pastor to offer a different perspective. I believe that each person’s story is unique, beautiful, and always offers something valuable to teach us. The church should cultivate spaces where everyone sees their neighbor as a gift, not as liability or threat. At Grace-Trinity, we are building a community where people can bring their full selves without question — their wonderings, doubts, and everything in between. I’d love for you to join us on a Sunday morning at 10:30.
What kind of community outreach is Grace-Trinity wanting to do to help the community?
It’s easy for institutions, churches included, to operate from a scarcity mindset, holding resources close or imposing litmus tests based on belief or doctrine. Grace-Trinity’s vision is different. We believe that each person should be in the driver’s seat of their own spiritual journey, and that our resources are meant to serve the neighborhood, not just ourselves.
About four years ago, Grace-Trinity embarked on an ambitious construction project, transforming our main floor into a beautiful, open-concept common space and making other building improvements. If you’ve ever stopped by Isles Bun & Coffee for a puppy-dog tail and walked to the lake, you’ve likely noticed our big, tall windows looking into the Commons — even if you didn’t realize it was a church.
What motivated the focus on community and how was it manifested?
In dreaming about how to use this space post-COVID and after the BLM protests, we envision Grace-Trinity as a community hub for Uptown and East Isles. We want to play our part in revitalizing Uptown after the social upheaval of 2020, the disruption of Hennepin construction and ongoing safety concerns. Our goal is to foster connection, community and compassion in every way we can.
This includes partnering with non-profits to share our space, hosting local AA and NA groups, offering events like art shows (I’m especially excited about the Technicolor Truth art show on October 3), organizing food drives for Joyce Food Shelf, facilitating community conversations to build empathy for our unhoused neighbors and hosting meetings with local representatives to stay informed and take action. We also rent out our building for events, meetings and celebrations.
If anyone wants to grab coffee and dream about ways to collaborate, I’d love to connect!
