About Rev. Tina
Thank you for visiting my website! Below is a little more about me personally, you can also read about my faith journey and call to ministry. Feel free to email me with any comments or questions. May the light of Christ shine on you and through you this day!
~Rev. Tina
If I had to describe myself in two words it would be energetic and passionate. I love being outside and hanging out with my friends and family (particularly my three nieces and two nephews!). Surfing is one of my favorite activities, it is just simply good for my soul. I also enjoy running which I am able to make more time for up here in New England. As for ministry there are many areas of passion for me all revolving around the scripture from Matthew 22:36-39 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The heart of my calling and passion is Love. As Jesus spoke in Matthew, I am called to love God and love my neighbor as myself. I strive to center my life on love.
Through this love, my passion for caring for others has shined through. Since I was a child, I have always felt called to help other people. As my little sister stated, “I am not surprised you are called to ministry because you have always put others before yourself.” This passion of caring for other people continues to grow as I have worked with marginalized populations.
The elderly is the first population of people with whom I fell in love. In our culture, we do not give the time or respect to our elders that some other cultures do. The elderly are not often thought of as a marginalized population, and like all groups there is a spectrum, yet I have witnessed how the elderly are overlooked and forgotten. I am passionate about “seeing” this population of God’s people.
My passion for the elderly has shined brightly through my time as a ministry intern at Brooksby Village, a retirement and skilled nursing facility. Today, I have a painting hanging by my desk by one of the residents. Prior to being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the artist was an extremely talented painter. Once the Parkinson’s took a hold of her body, she was unable to paint the way she had before. My supervisor recognized that art was this woman’s spiritual practice and wanted to bring some of that joy back to her. So, we found a way for her to paint again. It had been years since she picked up a brush and, because of her disease, she was no longer able to make straight lines and precise movements. Instead of using paint brushes, we found color crayons. Together, holding her hand in my own, I would place a crayon in her hand and then wrap her fingers around the utensil. Then we would dip the crayon into the water and then onto the paper. Ever so slightly I would let go of her hand and she would begin to draw. Once she was finished with that color she would lean her head back slightly and smile. I would ask, what do you think? Another color maybe? She would respond with her limited words, because by then Parkinson’s had also taken some of her mind and vocabulary. We would continue picking another color and adding to the latest masterpiece. I could see the joy on her face as we painted and her husband’s joy was more than words could say.
Additionally, in non-formal settings, I am always noticing the elderly. While out a run, my wife and I always say hello to older people as we run by. Taking a moment to stop and speak to the elderly allows them to know I see them and God sees them.
Another marginalized population I have become very passionate about is the incarcerated. I have had the pleasure of getting to know one gentleman in the Massachusetts prison system. My heart breaks for him and the injustices of the prison system. While I do not condone what some of the individuals who are in prison have done, I also realize how our society has created a criminal system which profits from incarceration and dehumanizes people who are incarcerated. We are all God’s people and I feel called to love those neighbors and to work to change our systems to help those who cannot help themselves.
As shown by my background, I also have a great passion for health and wellness. Looking back, I now see my personal training clients as my first parishioners. Individuals came to me looking for help. Many came to lose weight, to get stronger, or to look better. Many of them did not realize they were also searching for something greater than physical health. My approach as a personal trainer was one of compassion and treating the whole person. I told every client that our time together was time for him/her to feel good and that I was not the type of trainer who would yell at him/her and demean him/her. I would continually say we get enough of the negative in our daily lives and this was a place to help them and make them feel good.
Once I recognized my call to ministry and began seminary, I decided to close my personal training business. It was a tough decision and even harder to tell my clients that I would be closing up shop. After telling one of my clients who was a non-practicing Jewish man that I was closing to continue my ministry education he replied, “no wonder this was always more than just a good workout.” He and I, like so many of my clients, would discuss faith, spirituality, and other aspects of his mental health while he worked out. What he said to me affirmed that I had reached my goal in providing a place which focused on the health of the whole person, not just the physical.
My grandmother, Grandma, instilled my passion for education in me. She expected all of her grandchildren to earn a graduate degree, just as her father in the 1930s expected his three daughters and one son to earn a college education. Grandma was an amazing woman who graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1932. She went on to become a school teacher and was a couple of credits short of earning her Master’s degree. I remember, as an elementary school student, sitting with her at the kitchen table doing homework with her when she would come down for a visit. Every summer when I visited her in Nashville, she would also be the one encouraging me to do my summer reading. Having dyslexia made reading and schoolwork more of a challenge for me but she knew I was bright and could succeed academically. Looking back, I think she is the one who gave me the passion for learning and the confidence to work hard in school and earn three Master’s degrees.
This passion for education extends beyond my own learning. I also enjoy teaching others. I first discovered this passion helping my little sister learn how to play sports. She was my shadow as a child. Everything I did she also wanted to do. I taught her how to shoot a basketball, swing a bat and catch a ball. Later, I went on to coach field hockey at the high school and collegiate level. I loved teaching the athletes and watching them succeed.
The love for coaching easily translated into personal training as well as teaching college courses. I have been so fortunate to have had the experiences teaching in the parish, classroom, and on the playing field. These experiences have formed me as a minister and enable me to carry this passion of teaching into ministry.
As a minister, I am continually looking for ways to teach the congregation. From my own background, I understand that we all learn differently and I am committed to teaching in a variety of ways. One more traditional way has been through Bible studies. While at First Church in Ipswich I started an adult Bible study series during Advent. Each week the number of people who participated grew, and after the series was complete the group asked that we do another series. There is a thirst among many adults for more scripture and education and I am excited to bring the living water to help quench that thirst.
One way in which communities can be diverse is being an Open and Affirming congregation. To me, Open and Affirming goes beyond sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. It is about living through Christ’s love and accepting every person just as they are: rich or poor, young and old, abled or disabled bodied, mental fragile or strong etc. I am passionate about showing and living out God’s love and grace to all people.
Children are my newest population segment about whom I am passionate. I attribute this largely to my two nieces and two nephews. I have fallen in love with children of congregations because of these four little loves. I hope, through my ministry and my life that my nieces and nephews will be able to see and grow in Christian faith. I also have enjoyed leading youth group retreats. It is fascinating to watch the youth group lead themselves and take on varying roles. For example, we took the middle school youth of First Church in Ipswich on a retreat to the mountains in New Hampshire. There, we went hiking, held worship, and grew closer as a group. While we were hiking a few of the kids did not think they would be able to make it to the top of the mountain. Watching the other kids rally around them and help their friends up was inspirational. Then, later that evening when they were preparing the worship service and talking with one another, the kids were able to name God in that moment. Being a part of that experience and seeing them realize where the Holy Spirit was touching their lives was awesome.
The theme that runs through my passions is God’s love in our relationships with one another. “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them” (1 John 4:16).
FAITH JOURNEY
Growing up in a patriarchal faith tradition, I never imagined leading worship or being a spiritual caregiver. The thought had simply never crossed my mind because in the tradition in which I grew up, women were not allowed to be leaders. My spiritual heritage grew out of a very rigid belief system which did not allow for change or challenging the system. My theological roots emerged from the southern tradition of the Church of Christ. The Church of Christ, unlike the United Church of Christ, has a literal, fundamentalist theology and understanding of the Bible. As a young person, I accepted this theology because it was all I knew. I was baptized into the faith of Lordship of Jesus Christ and all of my sins were washed away; all except for one.
It was during the summer before my sophomore year in high school that I became more self-aware and began listening to my body; I discovered I had same-sex attractions. From the teachings of my church I believed this attraction to be wrong and sinful. This was the one sin which was not washed away. I was scared and fearful of God, so I told no one about these feelings. Instead, I turned to my "Teen Study Bible" to reinforce the belief that these feelings were sinful. I remember that Bible's side column "bubble" explaining that homosexuality was a sin. At that time, sin for me was a "list" of things which were wrong or bad behavior.
Afraid and upset, I read my Bible and prayed for God to take this "sin" away. I prayed for years and tried to convince myself I was not gay. As Carter Heyward writes, "Christ became for me, during my teen years, a disembodied heavenly man to deliver mefrom my own body.”1 Years later, my mother would tell me that she was "sorry that being gay was the sin I had to carry."
During college, I had gay teammates who were good people, and even Christian. These friends made me begin to question my view on homosexuality as a sin. I still believed, though, that as long as you loved Jesus and believed in him then your sins would be forgiven. I held this reassurance that my friends could still reach salvation even though they were sinning. Throughout college I still did not tell a soul I was gay. I was closeted and trying not to be gay. My theology limited my perspective and interpretation of scripture, which led me into a sea of torture. The self-hatred I felt and the internal wrestling was (and is) all too common among southern gay and lesbian Christians. Unfortunately, many LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) individuals turn away from God and faith. It was not until I met my future wife, Tracy, that I finally listened to my body and soul and accepted my feelings.
Shortly after I began dating Tracy we moved from Norfolk, Virginia to Nashville, Tennessee. This geographical move provided the separation from my family that I needed to further discover who I was. When we first arrived I continued attending the Church of Christ. For the first six months or more I remained extremely closeted. No one knew about my relationship with Tracy. We were just "friends". Eventually, we found a United Church of Christ (UCC) in Nashville which was Open and Affirming. That church was 99.9% gay and lesbian. It provided a safe haven for those in the deep Bible Belt. Overnight, I went from hiding at church to being accepted in a faith community.
Being a part of this church was a surreal experience. Previously, I attended church as a closeted, hiding Christian lesbian. At this new church I could be open, honest and true to myself as a gay woman. This was the first time I experienced an accepting faith community. I no longer had to wear my "Sunday best" and play the part, but I could be in community with the person I loved.
That Open and Affirming Church (UCC) in Nashville brought me out of hiding and opened the door to a new theology and a new way of becoming a Christian. Once Tracy and I moved to Salem, Massachusetts we found a new community which was not just a safe haven but provided compassion and demonstrated Christ's love for me. I wish the transition to a more liberal theology was as easy as unpacking my suit case, but it took years of work, guided by Reverend Laura Biddle. Through Pastoral Care sessions and Bible studies, she helped me see that I am created in God's image and that I am enough. I found a deeper understanding of God where I was no longer sinful, broken, or damned. As my spirituality grew in the UCC, so did my role within the community, including a variety of roles from the Chair of the Deacons to the Financial Secretary. Little did I know, my call to ordained ministry was beginning to grow. I could not get enough of serving others. One Sunday I had the opportunity to preach and lead worship. To my surprise, I felt at home in this role, yet it still took another few years for me to answer my call to ministry.
Throughout my life I have felt the call to help others and I searched for many years in my professional career to fulfill that call. I felt rewarded in my previous career as a personal trainer, yet something was still missing. Then, one day I was talking with the Reverend Laura Biddle and mentioned the lack of fulfillment I felt from work. As we talked, she said, "I think you are called to ministry". When she said that, I paused and thought what? Pondering to myself: I do talk to all my clients about my faith and often their faiths, but am I really called to ministry? Looking back, I see that my call to help others was grounded in faith and the need to share God's love and light. Going to seminary had never crossed my mind. Even though we had a female minister, my childhood and adolescent faith taught me that women were not allowed to be church leaders. Instead, as a teen and young adult I had aspirations of being a coach, doctor, lawyer, teacher, but never a minister.
One of my strongest moments of revelation was when I remembered my mother's reason for my name, Christina. She wanted one of her children to have the word "Christ" in her name. When I remembered her reason for my name, a feeling of pure joy and excitement filled my soul. I felt a warm energy run through my body and it was then that I knew for sure God was –and is– calling me to ministry.
~Rev. Tina
If I had to describe myself in two words it would be energetic and passionate. I love being outside and hanging out with my friends and family (particularly my three nieces and two nephews!). Surfing is one of my favorite activities, it is just simply good for my soul. I also enjoy running which I am able to make more time for up here in New England. As for ministry there are many areas of passion for me all revolving around the scripture from Matthew 22:36-39 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The heart of my calling and passion is Love. As Jesus spoke in Matthew, I am called to love God and love my neighbor as myself. I strive to center my life on love.
Through this love, my passion for caring for others has shined through. Since I was a child, I have always felt called to help other people. As my little sister stated, “I am not surprised you are called to ministry because you have always put others before yourself.” This passion of caring for other people continues to grow as I have worked with marginalized populations.
The elderly is the first population of people with whom I fell in love. In our culture, we do not give the time or respect to our elders that some other cultures do. The elderly are not often thought of as a marginalized population, and like all groups there is a spectrum, yet I have witnessed how the elderly are overlooked and forgotten. I am passionate about “seeing” this population of God’s people.
My passion for the elderly has shined brightly through my time as a ministry intern at Brooksby Village, a retirement and skilled nursing facility. Today, I have a painting hanging by my desk by one of the residents. Prior to being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the artist was an extremely talented painter. Once the Parkinson’s took a hold of her body, she was unable to paint the way she had before. My supervisor recognized that art was this woman’s spiritual practice and wanted to bring some of that joy back to her. So, we found a way for her to paint again. It had been years since she picked up a brush and, because of her disease, she was no longer able to make straight lines and precise movements. Instead of using paint brushes, we found color crayons. Together, holding her hand in my own, I would place a crayon in her hand and then wrap her fingers around the utensil. Then we would dip the crayon into the water and then onto the paper. Ever so slightly I would let go of her hand and she would begin to draw. Once she was finished with that color she would lean her head back slightly and smile. I would ask, what do you think? Another color maybe? She would respond with her limited words, because by then Parkinson’s had also taken some of her mind and vocabulary. We would continue picking another color and adding to the latest masterpiece. I could see the joy on her face as we painted and her husband’s joy was more than words could say.
Additionally, in non-formal settings, I am always noticing the elderly. While out a run, my wife and I always say hello to older people as we run by. Taking a moment to stop and speak to the elderly allows them to know I see them and God sees them.
Another marginalized population I have become very passionate about is the incarcerated. I have had the pleasure of getting to know one gentleman in the Massachusetts prison system. My heart breaks for him and the injustices of the prison system. While I do not condone what some of the individuals who are in prison have done, I also realize how our society has created a criminal system which profits from incarceration and dehumanizes people who are incarcerated. We are all God’s people and I feel called to love those neighbors and to work to change our systems to help those who cannot help themselves.
As shown by my background, I also have a great passion for health and wellness. Looking back, I now see my personal training clients as my first parishioners. Individuals came to me looking for help. Many came to lose weight, to get stronger, or to look better. Many of them did not realize they were also searching for something greater than physical health. My approach as a personal trainer was one of compassion and treating the whole person. I told every client that our time together was time for him/her to feel good and that I was not the type of trainer who would yell at him/her and demean him/her. I would continually say we get enough of the negative in our daily lives and this was a place to help them and make them feel good.
Once I recognized my call to ministry and began seminary, I decided to close my personal training business. It was a tough decision and even harder to tell my clients that I would be closing up shop. After telling one of my clients who was a non-practicing Jewish man that I was closing to continue my ministry education he replied, “no wonder this was always more than just a good workout.” He and I, like so many of my clients, would discuss faith, spirituality, and other aspects of his mental health while he worked out. What he said to me affirmed that I had reached my goal in providing a place which focused on the health of the whole person, not just the physical.
My grandmother, Grandma, instilled my passion for education in me. She expected all of her grandchildren to earn a graduate degree, just as her father in the 1930s expected his three daughters and one son to earn a college education. Grandma was an amazing woman who graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1932. She went on to become a school teacher and was a couple of credits short of earning her Master’s degree. I remember, as an elementary school student, sitting with her at the kitchen table doing homework with her when she would come down for a visit. Every summer when I visited her in Nashville, she would also be the one encouraging me to do my summer reading. Having dyslexia made reading and schoolwork more of a challenge for me but she knew I was bright and could succeed academically. Looking back, I think she is the one who gave me the passion for learning and the confidence to work hard in school and earn three Master’s degrees.
This passion for education extends beyond my own learning. I also enjoy teaching others. I first discovered this passion helping my little sister learn how to play sports. She was my shadow as a child. Everything I did she also wanted to do. I taught her how to shoot a basketball, swing a bat and catch a ball. Later, I went on to coach field hockey at the high school and collegiate level. I loved teaching the athletes and watching them succeed.
The love for coaching easily translated into personal training as well as teaching college courses. I have been so fortunate to have had the experiences teaching in the parish, classroom, and on the playing field. These experiences have formed me as a minister and enable me to carry this passion of teaching into ministry.
As a minister, I am continually looking for ways to teach the congregation. From my own background, I understand that we all learn differently and I am committed to teaching in a variety of ways. One more traditional way has been through Bible studies. While at First Church in Ipswich I started an adult Bible study series during Advent. Each week the number of people who participated grew, and after the series was complete the group asked that we do another series. There is a thirst among many adults for more scripture and education and I am excited to bring the living water to help quench that thirst.
One way in which communities can be diverse is being an Open and Affirming congregation. To me, Open and Affirming goes beyond sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. It is about living through Christ’s love and accepting every person just as they are: rich or poor, young and old, abled or disabled bodied, mental fragile or strong etc. I am passionate about showing and living out God’s love and grace to all people.
Children are my newest population segment about whom I am passionate. I attribute this largely to my two nieces and two nephews. I have fallen in love with children of congregations because of these four little loves. I hope, through my ministry and my life that my nieces and nephews will be able to see and grow in Christian faith. I also have enjoyed leading youth group retreats. It is fascinating to watch the youth group lead themselves and take on varying roles. For example, we took the middle school youth of First Church in Ipswich on a retreat to the mountains in New Hampshire. There, we went hiking, held worship, and grew closer as a group. While we were hiking a few of the kids did not think they would be able to make it to the top of the mountain. Watching the other kids rally around them and help their friends up was inspirational. Then, later that evening when they were preparing the worship service and talking with one another, the kids were able to name God in that moment. Being a part of that experience and seeing them realize where the Holy Spirit was touching their lives was awesome.
The theme that runs through my passions is God’s love in our relationships with one another. “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them” (1 John 4:16).
FAITH JOURNEY
Growing up in a patriarchal faith tradition, I never imagined leading worship or being a spiritual caregiver. The thought had simply never crossed my mind because in the tradition in which I grew up, women were not allowed to be leaders. My spiritual heritage grew out of a very rigid belief system which did not allow for change or challenging the system. My theological roots emerged from the southern tradition of the Church of Christ. The Church of Christ, unlike the United Church of Christ, has a literal, fundamentalist theology and understanding of the Bible. As a young person, I accepted this theology because it was all I knew. I was baptized into the faith of Lordship of Jesus Christ and all of my sins were washed away; all except for one.
It was during the summer before my sophomore year in high school that I became more self-aware and began listening to my body; I discovered I had same-sex attractions. From the teachings of my church I believed this attraction to be wrong and sinful. This was the one sin which was not washed away. I was scared and fearful of God, so I told no one about these feelings. Instead, I turned to my "Teen Study Bible" to reinforce the belief that these feelings were sinful. I remember that Bible's side column "bubble" explaining that homosexuality was a sin. At that time, sin for me was a "list" of things which were wrong or bad behavior.
Afraid and upset, I read my Bible and prayed for God to take this "sin" away. I prayed for years and tried to convince myself I was not gay. As Carter Heyward writes, "Christ became for me, during my teen years, a disembodied heavenly man to deliver mefrom my own body.”1 Years later, my mother would tell me that she was "sorry that being gay was the sin I had to carry."
During college, I had gay teammates who were good people, and even Christian. These friends made me begin to question my view on homosexuality as a sin. I still believed, though, that as long as you loved Jesus and believed in him then your sins would be forgiven. I held this reassurance that my friends could still reach salvation even though they were sinning. Throughout college I still did not tell a soul I was gay. I was closeted and trying not to be gay. My theology limited my perspective and interpretation of scripture, which led me into a sea of torture. The self-hatred I felt and the internal wrestling was (and is) all too common among southern gay and lesbian Christians. Unfortunately, many LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) individuals turn away from God and faith. It was not until I met my future wife, Tracy, that I finally listened to my body and soul and accepted my feelings.
Shortly after I began dating Tracy we moved from Norfolk, Virginia to Nashville, Tennessee. This geographical move provided the separation from my family that I needed to further discover who I was. When we first arrived I continued attending the Church of Christ. For the first six months or more I remained extremely closeted. No one knew about my relationship with Tracy. We were just "friends". Eventually, we found a United Church of Christ (UCC) in Nashville which was Open and Affirming. That church was 99.9% gay and lesbian. It provided a safe haven for those in the deep Bible Belt. Overnight, I went from hiding at church to being accepted in a faith community.
Being a part of this church was a surreal experience. Previously, I attended church as a closeted, hiding Christian lesbian. At this new church I could be open, honest and true to myself as a gay woman. This was the first time I experienced an accepting faith community. I no longer had to wear my "Sunday best" and play the part, but I could be in community with the person I loved.
That Open and Affirming Church (UCC) in Nashville brought me out of hiding and opened the door to a new theology and a new way of becoming a Christian. Once Tracy and I moved to Salem, Massachusetts we found a new community which was not just a safe haven but provided compassion and demonstrated Christ's love for me. I wish the transition to a more liberal theology was as easy as unpacking my suit case, but it took years of work, guided by Reverend Laura Biddle. Through Pastoral Care sessions and Bible studies, she helped me see that I am created in God's image and that I am enough. I found a deeper understanding of God where I was no longer sinful, broken, or damned. As my spirituality grew in the UCC, so did my role within the community, including a variety of roles from the Chair of the Deacons to the Financial Secretary. Little did I know, my call to ordained ministry was beginning to grow. I could not get enough of serving others. One Sunday I had the opportunity to preach and lead worship. To my surprise, I felt at home in this role, yet it still took another few years for me to answer my call to ministry.
Throughout my life I have felt the call to help others and I searched for many years in my professional career to fulfill that call. I felt rewarded in my previous career as a personal trainer, yet something was still missing. Then, one day I was talking with the Reverend Laura Biddle and mentioned the lack of fulfillment I felt from work. As we talked, she said, "I think you are called to ministry". When she said that, I paused and thought what? Pondering to myself: I do talk to all my clients about my faith and often their faiths, but am I really called to ministry? Looking back, I see that my call to help others was grounded in faith and the need to share God's love and light. Going to seminary had never crossed my mind. Even though we had a female minister, my childhood and adolescent faith taught me that women were not allowed to be church leaders. Instead, as a teen and young adult I had aspirations of being a coach, doctor, lawyer, teacher, but never a minister.
One of my strongest moments of revelation was when I remembered my mother's reason for my name, Christina. She wanted one of her children to have the word "Christ" in her name. When I remembered her reason for my name, a feeling of pure joy and excitement filled my soul. I felt a warm energy run through my body and it was then that I knew for sure God was –and is– calling me to ministry.
- Carter Heyward, Saving Jesus from those who are Right (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1999) 28.
