We recently announced that Dr. Jennifer Schroeder is joining the Siburt Institute team as the new Summit director. She brings with her a wealth of congregational ministry experience and a slew of gifts that make her perfect for this role. I’ve gotten to know her through her Mosaic writing and her Doctor of Ministry studies at ACU, and she and I may or may not geek out about footnote formatting from time to time. For those of you who don’t already have the pleasure of knowing Jennifer, allow me to introduce my new teammate!

1. What’s something that excites you about working at ACU?

I would love to answer, “The Rosa’s Cafe that is less than a mile from campus,” but I imagine that might not be the most appropriate answer, even if it is a truthful one. In all sincerity, though, I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to explore the intersectionality of church ministry and academia in a more formalized setting in my work with the Siburt Institute and the Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry (DBMM). I have described it to people as the best of both worlds, and I truly mean that. I am also incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work with the amazing team that makes up the Siburt Institute as well as the DBMM faculty and staff. There is such an intentionality evident in the work that each person does individually and as a whole, and I am honored to join that endeavor.

2. What is something you’re looking forward to about directing ACU Summit?

Summit has played a part in some pretty transformational moments in my life as a minister. I still often reflect on the keynote address that Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis delivered a few years ago, and how that helped me articulate a perspective of what it means to intentionally walk alongside the marginalized in my own multicultural ministry context, and as a result, it shaped the work I began doing. I want to provide that same space for exploration, growth, inspiration, and spiritual formation in ministry for others. Thus, as the director of Summit, not only will I collaborate with a team to imagine what that might look like, but I’ll be able to put it into practice – to help define a pathway that leads ministers, lay leaders, and their churches closer to God for the sake of the kingdom.

3. Tell us a bit about your experiences as a children’s minister.

I have been blessed to work in children’s ministry for the past 17 years. In that time, I have had the opportunity to partner with some incredible churches where I have been asked to either build or rebuild the children’s ministry. This sort of endeavor is definitely not easy, but it has helped me become a better minister. During this time, I have also grown in my ability to lead a church through change while carefully listening for the story of who the church was, is, and hopes to be. The narrative of the children’s ministry, and by extension, the church, is a valuable part of the church’s understanding of their place within God’s story. At the same time, I have also been spiritually shaped by each and every child who has been a part of these ministries. As I often tell my college students and the adults who volunteer within the children’s ministry, the authenticity and inherent capacity of children as they approach God creates a space where both the young and old can genuinely receive the children’s impact on the kingdom of God in the present. And the opportunity to experience this firsthand for so many years has impacted my spiritual journey immeasurably. When a person asks why I didn’t pursue a different area of ministry early on, my response is that this is exactly where God knew I needed to be.

4. You’ve also held a leadership role within your church’s ministry staff. Could you tell us about that experience?

As my church continued to pursue movement toward a place of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the church leadership put a new structure in place where I took on an executive ministry role as the director of family ministry. In this opportunity, I have been able to step outside of a focused children’s ministry space into a leadership role where it is essential that I examine the structure of what we are doing operationally as a church and then more specifically within family ministry – all through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I’ve done this in collaboration with two other directors who lead different ministry areas. The significance of this structure is that not only are we able to work as a team where each member brings their unique gifts, experiences, and perspectives to the table; those are all heard and valued, but we also support, encourage, and even challenge each other as we endeavor to grow more fully into who God calls us to be as an inclusive and multicultural community of faith.

5. Could you tell us about your family?

I have an amazing family! My husband, Greg, is the most supportive spouse a person could ask for. He is an encourager who balances out my more hyper-focused personality. We have four children. Jack is our oldest, and he is about to turn 10. He is a compassionate person who is driven to do what is right in this world even if it isn’t the most accepted choice. His desire to help others inspires me daily. We also have 8-year-old triplets, Lillian, Harvey, and Matilda. They are three incredibly distinct personalities who might get irritated with each other at times but also fiercely support one another. Needless to say, our life is busy but fun. We laugh a lot and enjoy spending time together as a family, and while chaos often reigns supreme in our world, I wouldn’t change a thing.

6. What’s a leadership lesson you’ve learned recently?

To first and foremost be curious (i.e., ask questions). In a time when the level of stress that permeates a situation is generally higher, it is easy to operate out of a place of making assumptions, and in my experience, that is often problematic. However, if you approach a situation with curiosity, then it gives you a chance to gain clarity about it rather than rush to an interpretation that may or may not be accurate. Furthermore, that moment of pause, of asking questions and really listening to answers, doesn’t just impact your level of insight and understanding. It also communicates your desire to really hear the person or people involved, and communicates that you value them and affirm the validity of their perspective.

7. We know you have quite the expertise in music. Tell us about that.

I grew up as a classically trained musician. My parents were both music education majors at ACU and taught music in both public and private schools throughout Texas. Thus, I was constantly around music, and that ultimately had an impact on me. For some people, there are smells or sights that evoke memories or take one back to a specific time or place. For me, music does that. I can hear a specific chord, passage, or lyric within a work, and it carries with it a depth of meaning, because it connects to the very core of my being. I am drawn most to classical music (specifically the Classical and Romantic eras), and I probably always will be, but I also love exploring the brilliance that comes from the interplay of music and lyrics by composers and lyricists such as Lin-Manuel Miranda. I could wax poetic about the brilliance of Hamilton all day long. As an aside, I randomly break into song and dance and imagine the fun that could be if my life looked more like a musical.

8. What’s something we should know about you that might surprise us?

I am a champion whistler – not an “I have won an actual whistling award” type of champion, but I would like to believe that I could if there was such a thing. From the 1812 Overture to ‘N Sync’s greatest hits to the Andy Griffith Show theme song, if I know the song, then I can whistle it.