News

On behalf of the Pastoral Residency Committee, we are excited to introduce our next Pastoral Resident,  Megan Strouse.  We know you will feel the instant connection we experienced to their authentic caring and eagerness to learn. Megan will be worshipping with us on June 11th when you can meet them in person. 

Megan Strouse’s Bio:

Megan Strouse (she/they) has always had a natural sense of curiosity and a passion for learning about people and their stories; this interest led her to pursue two undergraduate degrees from Ithaca College: Documentary Studies & Production and Anthropology. Megan is a recent summa cum laude graduate from Boston University School of Theology. During her studies, she worked as the Intern for Discipleship and Outreach at Plymouth Congregational Church in Belmont, the BU STH Religion and Conflict Transformation Program, and was a project assistant for a Trauma Responsive Congregations grant from the Lilly Endowment. Prior to her time at BU, she completed a graduate certificate in Interfaith Dialogue from Hartford International University for Religion and Peace while in the International Peacemaking Program.

All of this informs the way Megan approaches life and ministry. Listening and engaging with peoples’ narratives, biblical and otherwise, is a daily joy. Their entrance into ministry is lined with the fortitude of understanding that differences do not have to be a point of interpersonal departure; rather, by honoring and understanding our differences, we can learn about, interact with, and experience the real and loving presence of God. They are a firm believer that all life is sacred and is to be honored in all of its various forms and iterations. She has a heartfelt faith and radical love for all of God’s creatures and creation. As a queer Christian with a rich and varied Christian history, Megan is committed to creating spaces in our faith communities that are marked by authentic hospitality; from facilitating small groups to leading worship, she hopes to build a sense of belonging where people feel welcomed, cherished, and affirmed.

Megan grew up in Simsbury, CT with her fraternal twin sister and mom. Although she was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, in later adolescence and college, she enjoyed the uncertainty, questioning, and rationalism of agnosticism and humanism. After she graduated and moved back home, she briefly worshipped at a local evangelical church. Dissatisfied with the conservative theology and eager to belong to an affirming community, Megan finally found a church home within the progressive, open-and-affirming United Church of Christ. In her limited spare time, she’s finding pleasure in the simple things: cross-stitching, enjoying time spent in nature, exercising, reading, listening to music, baking, cooking, and trying to perfect the art of Sabbath rest.