Mona West

Rev Dr Mona West (born 2 October 1955) is an American feminist theologian and pastor. She was ordained in the Southern Baptist Church in 1987 (a denomination that no longer ordains women) and transferred her credentials to the Metropolitan Community Church in 1992.

Academic History

She earned a Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1987 and taught on the faculties of several colleges and universities from 1987-1992.

From 2001-2004 she served as a member of the National Advisory Board for the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California.

In 2002, West completed a certification program for Spiritual Formation through Columbia Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia.

Professional Ministry

She served as co-Pastor of the Cathedral of Hope from February 2003 until February 2004 in Dallas serving with Senior Pastor Rev. Michael S. Piazza who was elected in 1987. West left shortly after helping to lead the congregation to dissafiliate from the Metropolitan Community Church. Thereafter she served as Minister of Spiritual Formation at Midway Hills Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Dallas from June of 2004 until she was elected to serve as Pastor of Church of the Trinity MCC in Sarasota, Florida in May 2005 as successor to Rev Elder Nancy Wilson when she was elected Moderator of the denomination. She relocated to Florida with her spouse Deb Elder in August 2005.

Professional Experience

West's professional experience includes:

• 2005-present Pastor, Church of the Trinity MCC, Sarasota, Florida
• 2004-2005, Minister of Spiritual Formation, Midway Hills Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, Dallas, TX
• 1997-2004, Associate Pastor, Cathedral of Hope, Dallas, TX (served the last year as co-pastor)
• 1992-1997, Academic Dean, Samaritan Institute for Religious Studies, Dallas, TX
• 1988-1992, Assistant Professor of Religion, Anderson College, Anderson, SC
• 1987-1988, Assistant Professor of Religion, Austin College, Sherman, TX
• 1986-1987, Adjunct Professor of Religion, Southern Seminary, Louisville, KY

Published works

She has an active interest in Queer Theology and feminist theology. Her published works include:

• Take Back the Word: A Queer Reading of the Bible, Pilgrim Press, 2000. Co-edited with Bob Goss.
• “The Raising of Lazarus: A Lesbian Coming Out Story,” A Feminist Companion to John, Vol. 2, Amy Jill Levine, ed., Sheffield Academic Press, 2003.
• “The Gift of Voice, The Gift of Tears: A Queer Reading of Lamentations in the Context of AIDS,” Queer Commentary and the Hebrew Bible, Ken Stone, ed., JSOT Supplement Series 334, Sheffield Academic Press, 2001.
• “Outsiders, Aliens and Boundary Crossers: A Queer Reading of the Book of Exodus,” Take Back the Word, Bob Goss and Mona West, eds., Pilgrim Press, 2000.
• “Reading the Bible as Queer Americans: Social Location and the Hebrew Scriptures,” Theology and Sexuality 10, March 1999, pp. 28-42.
• “The Book of Ruth: An Example of Procreative Strategies for Queers,” Our Families, Our Values: Snapshots of Queer Kinship, Robert E. Goss and Amy Adams Squire Strongheart, eds., The Harrington Park Press, Binghamton, NY, 1997.

External links

• Mona West webpage
• Mona West bio from Church of the Trinity MCC webpage

This article is based on a GNU FDL LGBT Wikia article: West Mona West

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