Dear members and friends of Crossroads,
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ!
First, my heartfelt thanks to many of you for your warm welcome to Crossroads this past Sunday! I was somewhat surprised—and happily so—to realize how many of you I already know in one capacity or another. With some, I have swung a hammer in our shared work building houses for Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity’s Presbyterian Coalition. With others, I have served on Presbytery committees, commissions, and work groups over the years. With yet still more, our paths have crossed in various worship and community settings. There is, indeed, something about being part of a connectional church that helps create these kinds of relationships – and for that I am deeply grateful.
As I begin my work with you this month in this part-time transitional pastoral role, I thought you might like to know a bit about my story…
The church has always been an important part of my life. I grew up attending a Congregational church in Lincoln, Nebraska—where I felt a real sense of love and belonging. I was active in Sunday School and youth group, and enjoyed singing and touring with our high school choir. My faith continued to be fed and nurtured during my time at St. Olaf College. From there, my journey took me to the Chicago area, where I worked for the American Academy of Pediatrics—primarily in the field of medical publishing. It was a great way to cut my professional teeth, but I found that I longed for a closer connection with the people my work affected. While I considered several possible paths, I was starting to sense a call to ministry – and, in 1996, began work on my Master of Divinity degree at Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston. I loved seminary—the learning, the relationships, the opportunities to discover and develop new gifts.
My first call brought me to Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, where I had the privilege of serving as an associate pastor for 17 years prior to my retirement in 2019. I have remained active in ministry through a small practice in spiritual direction, meeting with individuals and groups to explore their spiritual lives and journeys, attending together to the movement of God’s spirit.
But that’s enough about me. I so look forward to becoming better acquainted with YOU in these next weeks and months! I trust you’ll bear with me as I begin to put names and faces together, and that you’ll share with me something of your stories as we engage in ministry together here at Crossroads.
Faithfully yours,
Jean Dow
