Michelle is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She dreams of a world where all people know their inherent worth and value as children of God and recognize that same value and worth in others. She believes that God is much bigger than any man-made religious box and follows Jesus as one who taught us to break open the boxes where we try to keep God. Michelle believes that working for peace and justice are the vocation of every Christian and has a passion for helping people live into that vocation.
Lisa has been serving Ekklesia since 2013. She handles tasks supporting Michelle and the students who come through our ministry. Lisa enjoys connecting with students, partnering with them as we commit to justice and equity for all, and celebrating the students as they achieve their goals.
Ekklesia Student Staff
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Elliot is a Senior, studying Communications with a focus on Social Justice and Activism, and minoring in Disability Studies. They plan to get a master's degree and become a librarian, while continuing to write and do community activism. They currently work in the Multicultural Resource Center at MSU, serve on the LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Advisory Board, and are the president of Bears Better Together. They hope to continue fighting to make the world universally accessible to those who are often excluded and silenced.
James is a senior Digital TV & Film Production major who enjoys painting, baking, and sharing diverse narratives through filmmaking. He enjoys working with others to make campus a more inclusive place one day at a time. A long-time goal includes becoming a cinematographer with an indie film company and then using that platform to celebrate intersectional identities and address social justice issues.
Cyan is a freshman majoring in Communications and minoring in Diversity Studies and hopes to get a Library Science degree. They are working to develop their activism skills. Max loves to do arts and crafts, painting being their favorite. He hopes to accomplish this year making people of different faiths feel welcomed and appreciated in Ekklesia and the Ekklesia community, where there is space to talk about religious and spiritual differences and have them celebrated.
UMHE Board Members
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Orion Peterson, Co-President, Alumni, St. Louis, MO
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Tona Rowett, Co-President, Alumni, Moyock, NC
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Samantha Nichols, Vice-President, Leigh, NE
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Liz Pace, Secretary, Alumni, St. Charles, MO
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Tyler Hendrix, Treasurer, Aurora CO
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David Rauch, Local Church, Billings, MO
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Rev. Jenn Simmons, Local Church, Springfield, MO
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Gary Tebbenkamp, Local Church, Springfield, MO
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Father David Kendrick, Local Church, Springfield, MO