Meet the Academic Council

Rev. Dr. Ruth E. Shaver, Academic Dean, is an Intentional Interim and Transitional Ministry Specialist in the United Church of Christ, serving congregations in the Southern New England Conference as Interim Pastor and Consultant. She is also the Moderator of the Old Colony Association. Rev. Dr. Shaver is a faculty member of the Interim Ministry Network and served as a member of the Manual on Local Church rollout team for the United Church of Christ. She is an alumna of the Sinai and Synapses Fellowship, 2017-2019 cohort. Rev. Dr. Shaver holds a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Soviet and East European Studies from Boston University's Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies (then in the College of Liberal Arts). She resides in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where she enjoys cooking, reading, and binge-watching science fiction television shows. 

The Rev. Dr. Vanessee Burns, an ordained Methodist Elder, serves Georgetown University as Resident Minister to graduate students and as Advisor for Spiritual Care. Retirement allows her to focus on Global Marketplace Ministry as Apostolic Leader of Kingdom First Ministries, balancing intellectual, spiritual, and mental well-being. She received a B.A. (University of Georgia); an M.Div. (Phillips School of Theology, Interdenominational Theological Center); and a D.Min. (Hood Theological Seminary). She has a Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy (North Central University) and is accepted into the Graduate Certificate Program in Adaptive and Innovative Leadership (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary).  She is a Certified Clinical Counselor (ACPE) and served as Prison prison chaplain at Perry Correctional Institute in South Carolina. Recently, she was selected by Georgia State University as a mentor in The Garden Initiative for Black Women’s Religious Activism. She has authored two books, 30 Days of Meditation and Let’s Talk About Tongues.

The Rev. Keith Stuart, former Senior Minister at Dover Congregational United Church of Christ, holds advanced degrees in homiletics and systematic theology. While pursuing his Ph.D, Stuart studied in South Africa, spending time with Alan Paton, author of Cry, the Beloved Country. It was there that Stuart’s theology of Jesus transformed. In Missouri and Ohio, Stuart led congregations to consider faith beyond literalism and to explore the freedom of theological metaphor as the interpretive lens. A contributor to numerous periodicals, Stuart published his first book, Letting Go of True Belief: A Spiritual Memoir of Two Friends Who Found a Different Understanding of God (2021). His second book, What Silence Will Not Bury, is a novel about the trauma of generational pain after the tragic lynching of a black man in 1937.  Stuart is married to Cynthia. They have two children, Laura and Joseph, and twin grandsons, Julian and Eli. 

The Rev. Dr. Kathy H. Wood, ordained in the United Church of Christ (UCC), serves as Senior Pastor of a Disciples of Christ church.  Kathy advocates for marginalized populations, serving on several boards. Meeting people where they are allows her to develop the trust and relationships needed to mentor people through their spiritual and educational adventures in the journey called life. Working as a hospital Chaplain allows Kathy to live her passion of wholistic health. She has decades of experience in ministry, higher education, and healthcare management, including positions in for-profit and non-profit healthcare organizations and a global information technology organization. Currently working towards a D.Min., Kathy also holds a PhD in Organization and Management. Kathy loves to travel internationally, especially with a spiritual and sacred focus. She raised four children and has a large extended family.

The Rev. Ginnie Ferrell joined PATHWAYS Advisory Council when it was a program of the Southeast Conference UCC. Beginning December 2017, Ginnie served on the initial PATHWAYS Board of Directors as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, and currently is a member of the PATHWAYS Academic Council. Ginnie is retired UCC clergy and long-time church educator serving churches in Maine and Georgia. Prior to ordained ministry, Ginnie earned a Master of Divinity (Bangor Theological Seminary), received degrees in Geology and Chemistry, worked as a field geologist and geophysics technician, studied with the GA Tech Sustainable Energy and Environmental Management Certificate Program, and gained certification as a Georgia Environmental Educator. She is a member of the Atlanta UCC Climate Hope Affiliate group. She is an active member of First Congregational Church UCC in Atlanta. Ginnie is married to Jack Raymer, who together have a little Scottie named Yevo. 

The Rev. Dr. Salome As-Salaam is a graduate of the Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. She completed a Clinical Pastoral Education residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at Emory University. She received her certification as a Pastoral Counselor from the College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy. Reverend As-Salaam held several ministerial positions, including: Senior Pastor for the First Church of North Miami Congregational UCC, Police Chaplain for the North Miami Police Department, and Trauma Chaplain for Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. She has served as the Executive Director for both the Richmond Peace Education Center and the Institute for Southern Studies, and as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Richmond. She currently serves as the Pastor of the Shalom Spiritual Center, a teaching ministry of the UCC. 

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The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth "Ebby" Arnold is the Scholar-in-Residence for The Candler Foundry at Emory’s Candler School of Theology and teaches in both The Candler Foundry’s courses in the community program and Candler’s M.Div. program. Her courses range from both the Old and New Testaments to preaching. She produces podcasts, webinars, and the new video series, “3 Minute Bible” on YouTube. Her research areas include the literary interpretation of scripture, humor, and emotion in the Bible, and the intersection of the church and the academy. In addition to teaching, Ebby is an ordained Cooperative Baptist Fellowship minister. She and her husband, Adam have three teenagers: Lilianna, Gabriel, and Noemi.

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The Rev. Dr. Julie Mavity Maddalena is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Ulrich Ethicist in Residence, and University Chaplain at Lakeland University in Plymouth, WI. Previously, she was the interim pastor at First Congregational of Georgetown, Massachusetts and before that served as School Minister and Director of Christian Education at the Brooks School, North Andover, MA. She completed a Ph.D. in Religious Ethics from Southern Methodist University. She also consults with churches, community groups, and schools doing cultural competency education around race, gender, sexuality, ability, and intersectionality. Julie lives with her spouse, Mike, and their two sons. They love spending time in the mountains and at the ocean.

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