Terri Owens nominated
The General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) voted this evening to forward the name of Rev. Teresa (Terri) Hord Owens to the 2017 General Assembly as the nominee for General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). An MDiv alumna of the Disciples Divinity House and the University of Chicago Divinity School, she is currently dean of students at the Divinity School and Senior Minister of First Christian Church of Downers Grove, Illinois.
Terri Owens is a native of Terre Haute, Indiana, and a descendant of one of Indiana’s oldest African-American free settlements.She earned her bachelor’s degree in Government with a minor in Afro-American Studies from Harvard University. She began her professional career in the area of information technology, spending twenty-three years in the area of management consulting, data management, and data warehousing. She previously held senior management positions with IBM, Ernst & Young, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and SBC, consistently earning recognition for excellence and leadership. She was an active lay leader in drama and other ministries under the pastorate of Dr. T. Garrott Benjamin Jr at Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis, before accepting a call to ministry.
She earned the Master of Divinity degree at the University of Chicago Divinity School as a Disciples Divinity House Scholar. She was ordained at Light of the World Christian Church, wearing the robe of her paternal grandfather, the late Rev. Noel Hord. In August 2005, she was appointed Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Alongside her work at the Divinity School, Ms. Owens serves as Senior Minister of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Downers Grove, Illinois. She is the first person of color to serve as pastor of this predominantly white congregation. A small congregation with a large heart to serve and give, FCCDG’s ministry reaches to the homeless in DuPage County, as well as families with children in the surrounding area. The church hosts an annual Back-to-School Fair, serving nearly 800 people each year. Unity, liberty and love are the core values of this congregation that seeks to be the presence of Christ in the community. Under Rev. Owens’ leadership, FCCDG is now an open and affirming, anti-racism, pro-reconciliation congregation.
She was the preacher for the opening worship service at the 2015 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in July 2015, and is widely sought after as a preacher, speaker and workshop facilitator. Her ministry and intellectual interests include a theology of reconciliation, cultural intelligence, developing inclusive and multi-cultural congregations, and the mentoring of youth and young adults. She is married to Walter Owens Jr, with whom she will soon celebrate 30 years of marriage. They are the proud parents of an adult son, W. Mitchell Owens III. More here.