Who am I?
I am passionate for God and Jesus. I am passionate for people. I am passionate about the wisdom of the Bible. I am passionate about healing and helping others find the pathway forward for their lives. I am passionate for the church, broken as it is. The perfect storm for me is when all of these converge, creating a living growing community where each participant has a sense of who they are in God and in the community, where each voice is important, and each voice contributes.
What do I do?
Finding Forward is my organization that facilitates my activities of life coaching, teaching, leading workshops on various topics, promoting my books, and speaking at events when someone wants to hear me.
I published a book with Intervarsity Press: Your Vocational Credo, Practical Steps to Discover Your Unique Purpose. It is an easy yet productive read on vocational discernment, you will like it :-). Click on the Author tab above left to order it.
I facilitate Women’s Theology Hub with a few partners. This is a forum where the problematic scriptures and stories that have been used to restrict women from ministry and leadership are exegeted, discussed and reframed.
With a few partners I facilitate Collaborate/Forge Portland. Collaborate/Forge is a cohort based organization that supports those who nurture non-traditional communities of faith, and business efforts intended to bless the City of Portland. We do workshops and have parties.
My most notorious public act was starting The Bridge Church (1998 to 2013, RIP) in Portland, Oregon with two other pastors. The Bridge was a church that loved the sub culture of Portland, X-Gen, and Millennials. The Bridge was known world round in it’s day as a refuge that provided safety and growth for those who did not fit in other contexts, but who loved Jesus with their whole hearts anyway and proved it by their giving hearts and their love for others.
I had the pleasure of co-creating Women’s Convergence with some dear friends. Convergence was an organization that supported women in Christian ministry, especially those who have not been accepted in patriarchal atmospheres. As you may have noticed, I delight to provide safe space for the misjudged and the disenfranchised.
Incidentals?
I have some degrees which, in the process of earning, have only proved to me how much I don’t know: Bachelors in Biblical Studies and Business, Masters in Exegetical Theology and a Doctorate of Ministry in Transformational Leadership. I sometimes teach at Universities.
I am married to the love of my life, Ken, who creates churches for those who live outdoors. Matthew, Wolfgang, Tirzah and Rebecca are my children and I am very proud of each one of them. And I cannot get enough of Penelope and Haley, who are my beautiful granddaughters. 🙂
Deborah Koehn Loyd 