Today we’d like to introduce you to Rev. Katie O. Kilpatrick.
Rev. Katie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a young child, I attended St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, Maryland, with my family. I was always active in the Sunday school, choir, and as an acolyte. I was especially influenced by how active my parents were in the church. I always knew that the church was a comfortable place, since the community that it embodied helped to shape me as a person.
Despite my childhood in the church, I entered Elon University unsure of my vocational direction. As a member of the Division I Cross Country and Track program, I put everything that I had into running. During my first week at Elon, I broke my foot, became unable to practice or to compete. In the midst of this really difficult time, I felt God creating beauty out of the brokenness in my life. I ended up with the opportunity to coach at a local high school with students experiencing a variety of challenges and was given the opportunity to preach about these challenges at a local community church. As I looked out over the congregation while preaching, a new and exciting feeling came over me – a feeling that is somewhat difficult to describe. I immediately felt a huge desire to share this same joy that I had experienced with others. I wanted to serve others, and I wanted to share a message of love with those who were struggling. I soon changed my college majors to Human Services and Religious Studies, with very little idea the way my initial call to ministry would grow and change.
Throughout my time at Elon, I worked in various settings with those experiencing developmental disabilities, those facing abusive situations, and those navigating end of life issues. In seminary at Candler School of Theology at Emory, this passion for meeting those experiencing hardship continued. I felt a significant amount of growth through courses on liberation theology and soon began to view God’s call in an entirely new way. I felt called to address issues of social justice, strive for equality, and meet individuals in their greatest times of need. I began to pursue ordination in the United Church of Christ while completing internships at churches and in hospital settings. The largest critique I received at the start of my ordination process with the UCC related to the importance of determining a more specific path. I loved my work in the hospital, with non-profit, in church-planting, and about a million other areas.
At this time, one morning of running changed my life and helped me to determine my call and sense of self. Throughout college and seminary, I continued as a competitive runner and triathlete. My final internship of seminary combined my passions for social justice and endurance athletics. I served as a program intern with Back on My Feet, an organization that uses running to empower individuals experiencing homelessness. One morning, I was running in the dark with a man experiencing homelessness from Trinity House. After getting a bit lost, we had an extended running conversation as he told me about his life and asked me about my work in ministry. After sharing a little about myself, he responded, “It’s great that you’re coming out here and helping us, but if you really want to impact people like me, change the systems that put us here.” We immediately began to talk about education and teaching the next generation to make a change. It was this conversation, as shaped by God, the community, and my experience, that led me to pursue educational chaplaincy. I realized that serving as a chaplain with students, I have the opportunity to shape the next generation of compassionate leaders.
Through a series of interactions that ultimately led me to pursue a position at Woodward Academy, I came to work as a chaplain serving students and faculty of diverse religious backgrounds and experiences. I strongly believe in meeting everyone exactly where they are and ministering to them in that place. I do not believe in proselytizing or seeking to change people in any way. Rather, I believe in the importance of showing love and helping each person to be the best person they can be based on their individual identity. I hope to teach these same values of not only tolerance – but genuine love and acceptance – to my students each day.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As a young female, I have experienced some challenges in my journey based on gender. The initial church I was attending in college where I felt a call to ministry did not affirm females in ministry. The pastor clearly told me that as a result of my gender, my call was not for the pulpit or for ordination. I ultimately left that church and joined a fantastic Episcopal Church close to Elon (The Holy Comforter) and later pursued ordination in the United Church of Christ with the support of Kirkwood UCC in Atlanta. Even with the ability to shift to a more affirming denomination, this was a challenge that led to significant questions in my mind about identity and call. I spent many years researching and writing on Paul’s letters to understand Biblical interpretation around women in the church. Ultimately, I came to know that God loves, affirms, and calls everyone to meaningful work in our seemingly broken world.
I believe that God’s arms are wide open in love for individuals of every gender, race, religion, ability, and sexual orientation. God is love! I continue to struggle when people do not show that same love to one another. Particularly as I teach Comparative Religions in my role at Woodward, I have such an appreciation for the way different students worship God in beautiful ways. I always feel so blessed when I work with students of various traditions who truly show appreciation for one another, yet I struggle when I turn on the news and see hostility between individuals from different traditions. Sometimes, explaining my role as an interfaith chaplain to those outside of my community is challenging, because there is an assumption that those with such different beliefs will never find peace or that there is only one correct way to worship. In the face of these challenges, I simply do my best to show love to everyone I meet and to teach my students to appreciate the beautiful beliefs of everyone around them.
If I had to provide advice to young women in ministry or any leadership role, I would simply tell them that they are important, strong, and talented. You can do anything you put your mind to! I would also give the advice to spread that love and compassion to every person you meet, as we all have amazing gifts that can be used to make the world a better place!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Woodward Academy – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Today, I live out my passion for ministry, inclusivity, and compassion in an amazing interfaith setting. I currently serve as the Academy Chaplain at Woodward Academy. Woodward Academy is an independent school in Atlanta that prides itself on a deep respect for difference. At Woodward, this commitment to respect far exceeds tolerance. Instead, our mission is to deeply understand, empathize with, and embrace everyone around us.
As the Academy Chaplain, I have the opportunity to walk alongside students, faculty, families, and staff experience both joys and hardships. I also have the amazing opportunity to foster religious understanding throughout our entire school. Each school year, I work with a diverse group of student leaders from six different religious traditions. These students help me share about holidays and special practices beginning as early as Primary School and Lower School! As students grow, there are more and more opportunities to grow in faith and understanding. It is my hope that these early initiatives will help our younger students become excited about interfaith dialogue in preparation for Upper School, where they will have the chance to dive even deeper into religious life. Our older students have the opportunity to plan Interfaith Prayer Services, serve on interfaith leadership boards, and even attend the Interfaith Immersion Trip.
In addition to providing pastoral care and coordinating religious life, I also have the opportunity to teach Comparative Religions to our 12th grade students. For lack of a better word – this is a blast! Teaching this course is truly the highlight of my job. I view the course as a capstone to the entire religious life program, as students have the opportunity to engage in positive, ecumenical dialogue on a topic of their choice across various different religious traditions. This project-based course helps students gain knowledge of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Students select a topic of their choice at the beginning of the semester and carry this topic with each religion we study. At the end of the course, students create a final wiki project reflecting on their topic across various traditions. My hope is that students can walk out of Woodward not simply tolerating, but truly appreciating, the beautiful religious traditions of every single person.
Outside of ministry, I continue to find passion in endurance athletics. I am now a triathlete who finds great joy in all things related to swimming, biking, and running. I have been competitive in the sport for about 5 years now and will be competing in my 2nd Ironman Competition (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) in July 2018. I currently compete alongside my father and husband for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, as we seek to raise money and awareness for a type of cancer my mom is currently battling. I also find endurance athletics to be a great place for self-care! I completed my graduate research on the intersection between endurance athletics and spiritual health. Swimming, biking, and running helps me to reflect and simply quiets my mind. It is a space to simply “exist” and enjoy the beautiful creation around me.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I have been blessed to find many mentors throughout my work. For me, it is simply about reaching out and forming relationships. I actually meet virtually with chaplains from around the country each month, and we gather in person once a year through the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education. I think it is important to reach out to those in your field, as well as those excited to enter your field. Community and collaboration are key to being the best we can be!
Contact Info:
- Email: chaplain@woodward.edu
- Twitter: @WAChapK
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