Dr. Averyn Payne | Pastor

Dr. Averyn Payne’s unique gifts and passionate energy for our community shine through during their time as our Summer sabbatical pastor. They identify as a Black, nonbinary, disabled, millennial with a passion for community and use the pronouns, they/them/theirs. Their identities help them to recognize and live into a liberational theology that seeks to make church and worship something that is not only accessible but affirming to all.

They see worship is a chance for us to connect not only as individuals weaving threads of community together, but to also connect with the mystery of the Divine both inside and beyond ourselves. Their approach to leading worship is fairly embodied; they sense what is the mood or experiences of those in the room, and honor how Spirit privileges all beings and all of creation in being able to experience and worship.

They hold experience crafting original liturgy, as well as finding ways to breathe life and newness into traditional liturgical parts of Christian worship. They enjoy bringing spiritual care and liturgical moments to unexpected places, whether they be protests or festivals. They believe that the church needs to open itself up to creative approaches to ministry in order to be relevant and survive against the currents of fear, separation, and a conservative grip on traditionalism that chokes out innovation. They decided to go back to seminary during the pandemic, after their first career as a psychologist. Those skills as a therapist have been beyond useful as they lead small groups, provide spiritual care, and seek to lead worship in trauma-informed ways.