Living faithful: Called and Thriving

The Rev. Lucille “CeCee” Mills grew up in Greensboro, N.C. She completed her seminary studies at The Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Ordained on March 20, 2004, she served her first ten years of ministry in the Virginia Synod. Since then, Pastor Mills has served several congregations as an interim in the NC Synod while also serving as an Associate Program Director for African Descent Ministries in the ELCA Churchwide Offices for five years. Just recently she transitioned from serving as the Associate Director for Evangelical Mission to an Assistant to Bishop in the North Carolina Synod.

Desta (Ethiopian name meaning “deep joy”) is a lifelong Los Angeles area Lutheran. She accompanies people as a spiritual director and facilitator at the intersections of contemplative activism co-creating a new culture of ‘Beloved Community’ grounded in love, curious about each other to make meaning together where everybody is free. She has served for over 25 years in Lutheran outdoor ministry, congregational youth ministry, Southwest California Synod staff and Director of Congregational Relations at California Lutheran University. Currently serving as Director of Seminary Relations and Leadership Formation at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary Desta is married to an ELCA pastor with 3 kids.

Prairie Rose Seminole is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota. The Fort Berthold reservation is home to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arkara Nations. She formerly served as the ELCA American Indian Alaska Native Program Director and is currently Educator for the National Parks Conservation Association Indigenous Fellow, Northern Cheyenne, North Dakota. “I am where I am because other women helped me. For that reason, I’ll never stop helping other women.” motivates her in bringing attention to missing and murdered indigenous women.

The Rev. Mary M. Finklea lives in Florence with her husband, Wade, two cats and several fish. She is a graduate of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and served twelve years as the pastor of Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, Florence, SC. Her current call is part-time as the Community and Congregation Engagement Coordinator for SC Lutheran Retreat Centers. Her work in the community includes having served on the boards including Francis Marion University, Lighthouse Ministries and Lutheran Services Carolinas. She served as the former ecumenical representative of the SC Synod of the ELCA. Mary enjoys learning about traditions different from her own.