It’s exciting and meaningful to serve as VISITATION PASTOR for Macedonia Lutheran Church.
There are four powerful words which describe a way of “doing” ministry:
- ENGAGEMENT means we are called by God to be connected to God’s story through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We engage with his goodness and radical love and we reach out to one another.
- PARTICIPATION shows we are in this together and that as we gather and learn to share in ministry, we realize that each one of us has been given gifts from the Spirit and each person is a minister of the Gospel.
- LIBERATION is a way to describe the freedom we have to become fully human and at the same time honor the divine in ourselves and each other.
- COMPASSION is the over-arching quality which guides our thoughts and actions as we live out our faith and trust the Spirit to comfort, lead, confront and care for each other.
BIO From Pastor Suzanne:
- I have lived in six states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Maryland, Arkansas, Mississippi. But then had the good fortune to permanently land in North Carolina!
- 1978: Upon the encouragement of Evelyn Apple and the people of Macedonia, Sally Sloop and I organized “The Celebration Singers,” a choir of people with special needs. I remained with them until 2000.
- 1986 -90: Leading up to a decision to study for ministry, worked at Twin Lakes Retirement Community in Independent Living.
- 1990 – 97: Lived in Durham while studying for ministry at Duke Divinity School and working as “Minister to Children’s Program” at First Presbyterian Church. My Clinical Pastor Education was at Duke Hospital. While in Durham organized an ecumenical children’s choir: “Durham Children Singing for Peace.” Began leading Taize services in the area.
- 1998 – 2007: I was ordained a Presbyterian minister and served as solo pastor at Shiloh Presbyterian Church here in Burlington from 1998 – 2007.
- 2008-11: Global Mission called my husband Martin and me to serve in Jerusalem and the West Bank as YAGM (Young Adults in Global Mission.) Martin developed this program and helped train the coordinators who followed us.
- 2012 – Present: I returned to Bethlehem and volunteered in a L’Arche Community and returned to Burlington to become a Visitation Pastor at Macedonia. I feel honored to preach once a month and to help out with various activities such as Vacation Bible School and Yoga-Fitness.