Clergy Engagement Specialist
Laura serves as Clergy Engagement Specialist for both the Clergy Health Initiative and the Religion and Social Change Lab. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Wesley Theological Seminary, Laura is a second career pastor who worked in the field of group health insurance prior to entering seminary. An ordained elder in the Western NC Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, she served churches of various sizes in urban, suburban, and rural settings for seventeen years prior to entering ministry beyond the local church. Prior to joining the team at Duke, she served with Life Around the Table, where she helped to design and lead creation-based Sabbath retreat experiences for ecumenical groups of clergy in North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. In her current role, Laura connects with UMC clergy and denominational leaders in North Carolina to offer support and evidence-based resources developed through our research in order to support their flourishing in life and ministry.