Rev. Dr. Anita Bradshaw Named Designated Term Associate Conference Minister

The Rev. Anita L. Bradshaw, Ph.D. will be assuming the role of Designated Term Associate Conference Minister on March 5, 2018. She has served as a parish pastor, an interim pastor and an interim denominational executive, as well as a consultant and professor. She is currently finishing as the Transitional Pastor at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka, MN through the Lutheran-Reformed agreement. She is ordained in the United Church of Christ and a member of Mayflower Community Congregational United Church of Christ in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Having previously served the Conference in the ACM role, Anita is no stranger to many in the Conference. She served as Interim ACM in 2013 – 2014, as Sabbatical ACM in 2013 for Rick Wagner, and as Sabbatical Association Minister for the Southern Association in 1999. She serves as a trainer for the Boundary training offerings for the Conference and has represented the Conference at the national setting of the UCC in several roles.

She is the author of Change and Conflict in Your Congregation (Even If You Hate Both) published by SkyLight Paths Publishing. She has also taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels at several different schools, including Yale University Divinity School, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, and Hartford Seminary.

She holds an M.Div. and an S.T.M. from Yale University in theology and a Ph.D. from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Her fields of study were systematic theology and congregational life and leadership.

In addition, Anita has been an activist and educator in urban and social justice ministries.  In 1999, she was awarded a Coffin-Forsberg Fellowship at Yale Divinity School in recognition of her work in those areas.  Aside from her professional interests, she is actively involved in the arts.  She was an incorporating board member of Opera Americana and has sung with One Voice Mixed Chorus, as well as serving on their Board of Directors.

If you are one of the churches in the Southern Minnesota area or one of the teams that Anita will be serving and you need to talk to someone before her March 5 start date, please contact Marita in the Conference Office (via email at maritak@uccmn.org or by calling 612-871-0359) and she will direct you to the appropriate staff person to help you.