Written by: Lynda Gittens on June 21, 2017

Told Her Way

In God’s good Kingdom, some people minister like trees, long-standing, rooted in a community. They embody words of Wendell Berry, “stay years if you would know… the genius of the place.” Others, however, are called to go. Katy is one of those pilgrims. A global nomad, Katy grew up as a fifth generation Colorado native, attended college and seminary and was ordained in Tennessee, met and married a guy from Pennsylvania, ministered for ten years and birthed a child in Kenya, served as a children’s pastor in a small church in Kentucky, and currently ministers to college students in a university library in Orange County, California, where she’s also the neighborhood engagement team leader for her local church. She is preparing to make another move this summer; this time to the heart of America, Indianapolis, and hoping to root long-term there. She and her husband, Kip, have two delightful boys, a college freshman and high school freshman.

Throughout her twenty-odd years of ministry, she searches for what makes each place unique, its heartbeat, stories, and people. As a pilgrim, she brings a wider view of the Kingdom of God to those who are rooted. When she moves into a new place—whether Kenya or Kentucky or California—she’s worked hard to learn the language and culture of the new place. She learned to love chai tea and farmers’ markets and sushi. She seeks to fit in and understand the good news of the Kingdom in whatever context she finds herself. But she also brings those contextual perspectives of the Kingdom to new places in her journey. Love of, and active engagement with, “the Other” has been a theme in her faith and ministry in new places.

Passions

Bread

Creation

Well-crafted words

Openness to the Other

The church being the Church

Thoughtful worship

Long conversations

Eating together

Collaboration

Refugees

Quirks

Shopping makes her tense, as does traffic. Bugs and snakes, however, do not.

She prefers finding creative ways to live the ethics of her faith within her community and world

The ideal day, for her, could be enjoyed in a few different ways:

• Walking through a windy rain storm with her husband
• Late night conversations and card games around a dinner table with a small group of friends
• Exploring a new place, including its food, smells, sounds, art, and history (preferably, again, with friends)

About the Author

Lynda Gittens