My journey to here

What brought you to BFJN?

 I have been asked this question, in some form or another, many times over the years and I always feel like my answer is inadequate or does not really capture the journey. And really most people are probably not interested in a five-to-ten-minute unpacking of the ecclesial, vocational and theological journey that led me to this organization. But truth be told I don’t know how to briefly capture all the ways the Lord guided me here and the ways he has continued to lead me to do the work of growing the organization and myself in how we understand and respond to the call of Jesus to love our neighbor.

This is our first Micah experience - volunteering with Family table on the south shore! (2016)

And so here is a little bit of my story about how I came to work at BFJN.

The summer of 2014 was an especially hot one . . . just kidding, we won’t be quite that narrative.

From my first year - this is the Mass delegation at an IJM advocacy event! (2015)

 But it was that summer that my best friend Christa reached out to me about a job posting she had seen. I wasn’t working at the time. About a year earlier I had closed the immigration law practice I had run with two amazing colleagues. It made sense for us to move on at the time and as I had two young girls I thought I would take a minute and be a full-time Mom. In the fall of 2014 my younger daughter would start kindergarten and so I thought it was a good time to re-enter the work force. I planned to do so as an attorney. Law was the only thing I had ever done or wanted to do since my teen years. But Christa’s job posting looking for an executive director for a Christian organization I had not heard of – The Boston Faith & Justice Network was intriguing.

Christa and I were co-directors of BFJN for the first few years

As I learned a little about the job and the org I got really excited.  However, I wasn’t sure I could run a non-profit, although I had managed several immigration practices this was definitely different. But I was all in on the mission and vision of BFJN! When I met the board, I was so impressed by their passion and knowledge and their connection to the work. I wanted to be part of what they were building!

I remember how excited I was after the meeting. I knew even if I didn’t get this job I wanted to explore this organization and find ways to connect to what they were doing! Turns out the Lord had plans for me to be very connected to them from then on! I started September 15, 2014 and it has been an adventure and a blessing!

Our first Winter Walk - it was cold and also wow those glasses big!

 I often tell people that I would have said leading BFJN was my dream job if I had known before I got it that such jobs existed. As a lawyer working on behalf of immigrants to obtain and maintain legal status and become citizens, I had the privilege of doing work I loved that really helped people. At BFJN the work and the help look different but carries the same import and urgency for me. In addition, it allows me to bring my faith and work in faith communities in ways no other job had before.

Our first uncomfortable conversation where we examined racism on both an inter=personal and systemic level. This series owed eventually lead us to launch our podcast - Let's Talk Faith & Justice

 We have gone through a lot of changes since then, but I am so thankful I have the opportunity to be part of this organization and the community that surrounds us. Particularly in the challenging times we are in now, being part of a movement to bring about justice and live generously because our Christian faith calls us to this has been such a gift. This work and our community is truly sustaining me!