Religious Background: Roman Catholic

Education: Chicago Theological Seminary (M.Div)

“When I think of First Church, the word that comes to mind for me over and over is community. We live in such a fragmented and alienated world where it is difficult to encounter any another person face-to-face, let alone people from different backgrounds and life experiences. At First Church, this condition of isolation is upended. The community is present with each other in a way I think is rare, unique. Coming from the University of Chicago, I was prepared for ministry in theory—but in practice, working at First Church engendered in me the conviction that ministry is about the community, the communion, the church. For example, I lead a weekly young adult discussion and discernment group for nine months. No amount of theory could have prepared me for the relationships I formed in that setting, which forced me to shed any veneer of theoretical and knowledgeable security. This sense of security actually inhibited me from being the vulnerable and honest leader that these young adults needed. Since working at First, the face-to-face relationship has become my staring point, the fundamental core of my ministry. I do not think I would have this attitude without working at First—I would still be working from the larger system inward, as it were. But at First, it is literally impossible to do this.