How Long at John Wesley Church? My family and I have been attending John Wesley since we moved to Indianapolis in 2014. I became the executive pastor in 2019 and was appointed to John Wesley as the lead pastor in July 2020.
Family I met my husband, Jeff, when we were both students in a Shakespeare class at Greenville College (now Greenville University), and we've been married for more than 20 years. After working as a journalist in the Chicago area, he now serves as the executive editor of Light + Life Magazine. Our son, Drew, is an incredibly compassionate kid who loves visiting the Indianapolis Zoo and the Children's Museum, and playing video games (especially Super Mario Bros. and Minecraft). As an only child, he enjoys any opportunity to connect with other kids. Our family enjoys spending time together hiking at Eagle Creek and surrounding parks, traveling to new places, and exploring the Indianapolis area.
Past Ministries Most recently, I served as the church relations director for International Child Care Ministries. Prior to moving to Indianapolis, I volunteered as a Bible quiz coach, co-led a youth group, and led Bible studies.
Before God called me into full-time ministry, I served as a licensed clinical professional counselor at a psychiatric hospital in the Chicago area. This allowed me the opportunity to provide marriage and family counseling in addition to addressing individual treatment needs.
Why John Wesley? I love the church. As Paul explains in Ephesians 3:7-12, the church is designed to fulfill the purpose of God. His greatness is demonstrated through the assembly of people who are devoted to Christ, who love people, both inside and outside the church, and who share the gospel message. John Wesley genuinely aspires to be that church--the church that demonstrates the transformational grace and good news of Christ to a hurting world. We seek to intentionally embrace and reflect the multicultural and multigenerational diversity of the Kingdom. We strive to represent the perfect love of Christ even in our imperfections.
Favorite Quotes
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has given us in the One he loves." (Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV)
"I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11 NIV) "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." --Corrie Ten Boom
"We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice. We are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself." --Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"I still believe that standing up for the truth of God is the greatest thing in the world. This is the end of life. The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may." --Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pastorjen@johnwesleyfmc.org
