Just the Facts, Ma’am*

(About Allyson, part 2)

I am an ordained minister in the United Church Christ. I grew up in the mostly white suburbs of Kansas City and Chicago during the 50s and 60s, and went to college and graduate school in a variety of places in the Midwest, and New England. I loved the Boston area, but my heart was always yearning for Colorado. My husband, son, and I finally moved there in the late 80s, and I can truly say I’ve found my soul’s home. We currently live on the colonized lands of the Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne, now called Denver, Colorado. We are fortunate that our son lives just a few miles down the road.

Currently retired (yay!), here’s what I’ve done professionally in the past:

• Co-pastor with my husband Peter at UCC churches in Iowa for 10 years (rural and small city)
• Christian Education Minister at Washington Park UCC (where I also did a stint as an “interim interim” minister)
• Executive Director of the Parish Resource Center of Colorado, a nationally-connected organization of consulting and resourcing for congregations
• Contract worker in the creation of a mentor program at a drop-in and resource center for LBGTQ youth in Denver
• Assistant Director (and eventually Director) of FaithTrek, a Lily-funded youth and theology program at the Iliff School of Theology,
• Deputy Director at Denver Urban Ministries (resources and assistance for low-income communities).
• Director of the Seniors Program, and Associate Pastor at the Denver Inner City Parish (a human-services nonprofit working wholistically with low-income individuals and families)

__________
* Falsely attributed to Jack Webb, of the TV show “Dragnet” He never actually said these words quite like this, but, hey, it’s a nice title, and I couldn’t think of anything else!