RCWMS is seeking applicants for the
Queer Divinity Students Thriving in the South
January–April 2024 Cohort
The Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South (RCWMS) is seeking applicants for Queer Divinity Students Thriving in the South, a four-month, virtual, peer-supported cohort led by an experienced facilitator.
We invite queer women and queer nonbinary folks who are in divinity school, seminary, or other institutions/processes of religious leadership education to apply for a virtual cohort. Participants will meet via Zoom 8 times between January and April 2024. We welcome queer women (cis and trans) and nonbinary applicants from all religious and spiritual traditions, and we are committed to gathering a racially and spiritually diverse cohort.
We recognize that the terms “queer,” “woman,” “nonbinary,” and “divinity student” are all imperfect. We will use these terms liberally and inclusively within the selection process, and we invite you to apply for the cohort even if these terms are not a perfect fit.
The deadline to apply for Queer Divinity Students Thriving in the South is
Monday, December 4th at 9:00 PM Eastern Time.
APPLY HERE
RCWMS is an intergenerational, interfaith organization that weaves together feminism, spirituality, and social justice through its programs in LGBTQ spirituality, women’s preaching, antiracism, issue advocacy, writing and art, conscious elderhood, spiritual practices, and more.
What is the purpose of Queer Divinity Students Thriving in the South?
The Need: Being a queer woman or nonbinary student in divinity school, seminary, or another religious leadership educational institution can be a lonely experience! Given the varying levels of support within educational institutions, religious communities, and spiritual settings, queer divinity students too often suffer from loneliness, discouragement, and burnout.
The Vision: To provide a space where queer divinity students can come together, with the support of a skilled facilitator, to create healthy collegial relationships and find new options for self-care, friendship, and mutual affirmation.
The Plan: A peer-supported cohort, led by an experienced facilitator, will gather twice per month (via Zoom) during the spring semester, January–April 2024. Gatherings may include programming such as Enneagram workshops, self and community care rituals, opportunities to speak with and learn from our elders, sharing of spiritual practices, etc.
The 2021, 2022, and 2023 Queer Clergy Thriving in the South cohorts were made possible in part by generous support from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.
Leaders — Rev. Dr. Shonda Jones & Chloe Griffin
We are thrilled to welcome Rev. Dr. Shonda Jones as the Facilitator for the 2024 cohort, and Chloe Griffin as the Program Manager.
Rev. Dr. Shonda Jones is is executive director of academic programs at the School of Professional Studies, Wake Forest University in Charlotte, NC and the Principal Investigator for The COMPASS Initiative® Faith Coordinating Center/Black Faith & HIV Initiative at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity.
Committed to building healthy communities and reducing health disparities, Dr. Jones’ interests include faith and health, the intersection of school choice and race, and her focus broadly examines intercultural practices that promote communal thriving with and among leaders and communities. She was an instrumental founding member of the African American Task Force for HIV/AIDS, a task force that formed a collaborative effort among service providers to render care in specific ways to impact the rising HIV infections in the African American community. With a primary focus on Black Faith and HIV/AIDS, Dr. Jones’ work affirms the inherent dignity and worth of all people, including peoples of African descent, women, young people, and LGBTQ+ individuals, as bearers of the divine image (Imago dei).
Dr. Jones is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), and trainer for intercultural communication. Jones earned a BA, Texas Christian University; MDiv, Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University; and Doctor of Education in Higher Education (Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology Studies) from the University of Alabama.
Chloe Griffin (she/they) is from Greensboro, North Carolina. She is a PhD student in the Religious Studies department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They also hold a BA in Philosophy and a History minor from UNC-CH and a Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity with a concentration in Interfaith Literacy and Leadership.
In addition to her studies, Chloe freelances in research and writing on topics ranging from power dynamics in worship spaces, HIV in Black communities in the American South, and gender-based justice efforts in Syria. Chloe believes in the healing powers of building community and living life authentically.
What does participation look like?
- Full commitment to attending the following Zoom meetings, on Wednesdays at 2:00 pm Eastern Time:
- January 10
- January 24
- February 7
- February 28
- March 13
- March 27
- April 17
- April 24
- Engaging in spiritual practices and other brief activities in between sessions
- Communicating regularly with the program director and facilitator
- Checking in between gatherings (via phone, Zoom, or in person for 15–30 minutes) with one of your peers, a fellow cohort participant
What can participants expect from RCWMS?
- A small stipend
- An experienced and intentional facilitator, Rev. Dr. Shonda Jones, to guide monthly gatherings
- A dedicated program manager, Chloe Griffin, to respond to the needs and dreams of the cohort
- Resources and readings sent via email
We’re seeking cohort applicants who are:
- Queer women (cis and trans) and queer nonbinary divinity students
- Interested in connecting with other queer divinity students and contributing within a virtual community
- Available to attend the scheduled gatherings from January–April 2024
- Willing to engage with brief readings, writing exercises, and/or spiritual practices in between gatherings
- Committed to maintaining confidentiality in regard to the identities and experiences of those in the cohort
- Priority will be given to applicants who are from the South, enrolled in school in the South, or connected to the South in a meaningful way
*We recognize that the terms “queer,” “woman,” “nonbinary,” “divinity student” are all imperfect. We will use these terms liberally and inclusively within the selection process, and we invite you to apply for the cohort even if these terms are not a perfect fit.
APPLY HERE
Next Steps: We will update you by Monday, December 18th regarding the status of your application. If you have questions about Queer Divinity Students Thriving in the South or the application process, please contact Rachel Sauls at rachel@rcwms.org.
RCWMS is committed to fostering the leadership of people of color, Native people, immigrants and refugees, low-income people, LGBTQ+ and trans* people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual and/or domestic violence, and people living in the many intersections of these experiences. We strongly encourage people from these communities to apply and will not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, socioeconomic class, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, sex, religion, disability status, citizenship status, age, veteran status, or national origin.
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