Discovering Ministry:

I was raised as a Protestant Christian, but I did not take my faith very seriously until I became an adult. It was then that I realized I wanted to serve God—but how? I had gone to university, studied broadcasting and film, and worked in the industry, but found myself disillusioned. Meanwhile, while attending church, I was invited to participate in liturgical dance. It was here that I found myself dancing again. It wasn’t the same as my dance experience from college, but it reunited me with desire to dance. I began to participate in my church’s liturgical dance ministry. I even joined the prayer team. I was determined to serve God in the church.

Journey to Regent:

In 1996 I was participating in various church ministries and I felt God had called me to work in some capacity of full-time ministry. With the help of my home church, I raised funds to work as a short-term missionary for a church plant in England. My job was to assist the pastoral staff in care ministries and home groups. While I was in England, though, I was blessed with an opportunity to explore my passion for dance by participating in a dance piece sponsored by the London Arts Board and Croydon Community Library. It was through this experience and other dance opportunities that made me wonder: if I am called to full-time ministry, how does dance fit in? What does my “call” look like?

Upon returning to the States, I took a temporary job as an accounting assistant while I tried to discern what God had next for me. I felt full-time ministry was a calling, but I was struggling to reconcile my passion for dance and movement with “doing church ministry” on a full-time basis. I eventually realized that I would need some spiritual direction and theological training.

I chose Regent because I had heard of its excellent reputation for educating the laity. Little did I realize that my world would be turned upside down, and it would take several worthwhile years of studying at Regent to find myself right-side up.

Life after Regent:

During my time at Regent I met John, a kindred spirit who also wanted to serve God in full-time ministry. We eventually married and were blessed with a daughter. And while neither of us is employed by a church, we have discovered that we are exactly where God wants us. We serve God through our current work.

Most important lessons:

The secular and sacred are not so far apart! God is in the mundane and He is often found there. I realized there is no need to strive to find ways to serve God: everyday work and service to God can be the same thing.

In addition, studying biblical truths at Regent revolutionized my traditional thoughts of what it means to be a Christian and a dancer, in particular what it means to be a Christian woman and a leader. Women can be called to lead.

Three descriptions of Regent College:

1. Invigorating
2. Heart-wrenching
3. Intellectually stimulating

Best Regent memories:

My beloved Regent ladies’ prayer group, and the Lindy Hop/swing dance group.

Funniest Regent memory:

Being called on to improvise the role of Goliath during a chapel theatre performance.

Favourite Regent class:

Rikki Watts’s New Testament class

Favourite place to study:

Upstairs, overlooking the atrium.

Favourite thing about Vancouver:

Its incredible beauty: rain, mountains, trees, and ocean. It’s called God’s country for a reason!

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