Rev. Jess Chancey Fills in for “Into the Mystic” Podcast

Rev. Jess Chancey, a staff chaplain at Regions Hospital and a member of Mayflower UCC in Minneapolis, is temporarily taking the reins of “Into the Mystic,” a podcast authored and narrated by Rev. John Dorhauer, UCC general minister and president. Jess will be the author and voice of the weekly podcast while Dorhauer is on sabbatical through the end of 2021. The podcast offers personal reflections on life, faith, ministry, and society.

Listening to Jess’s first two episodes, it’s easy to hear their earlier training in opera in their beautiful precision and cadence. “I’ve always wanted to narrate a book or use my voice training in some way beyond preaching,” they say. When Dorhauer announced his sabbatical plans, Jess recorded a trial podcast, and an interim plan was hatched!

“John and I are both word nerds,” says Jess. “We have been sending each other challenge words or words that are at the top of our minds every week to work into sermons or podcasts.” The words “rest” and “grief” were Jess’s focus for the first two podcasts.

Originally from Atlanta, Jess earned an M.Div at Columbia Theological Seminary in Georgia and completed clinical pastoral education in Philadelphia. They were ordained in the UCC in 2018. Jess also co-chairs the UCC’s Disabilities Ministries board. Read more about them in this national UCC article.

© Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ | 2023