Cindy’s origin story began simply: volunteering for a youth mission trip. While there, she found herself ministering in ways she had never anticipated, speaking words of comfort to a struggling teenager that she recognized "were surely from God." That single trip transformed her into a volunteer youth leader, and soon after, a licensed local pastor.

Seeking to be properly equipped for this profound new responsibility, Cindy found her way to Palmer Seminary. At Palmer, Cindy discovered that her understanding of God aligned perfectly with the United Methodist Church. The faculty challenged and nurtured her, but one professor altered the trajectory of her career: Dr. Tim Pretz.

Moved by his class on ministry to addicted persons and their families, Cindy made a bold pivot. She left her position as a maternity nurse to spend three and a half years working specifically with pregnant women struggling with addiction. Today, Cindy is back at Palmer pursuing her Doctor of Ministry (DMin), focusing her project on creating support and Christian education programs for the families of those battling addiction.

Cindy’s ministry is deeply rooted in shared human experience. She preaches from a place of vulnerability, acknowledging her own ongoing struggles. Her ability to minister to pregnant teens and families facing addiction stems from her own lived experiences.

"I am living proof that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."

Currently serving as both a pastor and a nurse, Cindy actively looks for ways to seamlessly meld her two careers to care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of her community. Her dual-vocation approach allows her to:

• Minister to dying patients in the hospital.
• Administer flu shots and host health fairs at the churches where she preaches.
• Serve on the bereavement team at Riddle Hospital, offering care and prayer to parents suffering from infant loss.

To Cindy, these are not competing demands. "I believe God has blessed me with two callings… but one job: to assist in the overall well-being of those whom God loves."

In her current pastoral appointment, Cindy leads a small, elderly congregation. Recently, she had to guide them through a challenging, but necessary, restructuring of their church governance. Lacking the able bodies to fill traditional committee roles, they redesigned their administrative board to be highly efficient, encouraging all members to step up and participate in ways that suited their capacities.

When the church faced a bleak season, Cindy held an open meeting to share the reality of their situation. Rather than despairing, the congregation was galvanized. Brainstorming ways to save their church helped them recognize how God had continually been working through their church family, leaving them encouraged that God's presence remains steadfast.

For Cindy, "family" extends far beyond biological ties. Her support network encompasses her church family, fellow pastors, and her DMin cohort and professors. This broad, beautiful community provides the advice, critique, and encouragement she needs to thrive.

When asked about equipping the next generation of ministers, Cindy emphasizes the power of shared experience. She frequently leans on older generations for sound advice and believes current leaders must do the same for incoming clergy. "While the times are a-changing, our God remains steadfast… and if we can love these young folks on God’s behalf, God will see them through."

As she reflects on her educational journey, Cindy offers a candid, grounding piece of advice for current seminary students who might be feeling the pressure of perfection:

"I have always gotten caught up with my GPA, putting unnecessary pressure on myself to excel. But I have learned that grades don’t make the minister, and God doesn’t care about grades. If a person is doing the work that God calls them to, and doing it with love for God and for God’s people, that’s what brings blessing… and that’s what we should focus on."