Deborah Hafner DeWinter , M.Div

I look back on my years at YDS with awe and deepest gratitude. It seems like a dream to have shared sacred space and time with the likes of Bonnie Kittel, Roland Bainton, Letty Russell, Harry Adams, Peter Hawkins, George Lindbeck, Abraham Malherbe, Henri Nouwen, Brevard Childs.....and so many other distinguished professors and mentors. I arrived thinking I would study theology and eventually join the communications staff for Lutheran World Relief or the World Council of Churches. "God writes straight in crooked lines..." (--Abraham Joshua Heschel) seems to have been the theme of my life and ministry. After interning at Our Savior's (ELCA) in East Boston at the height of the Cambodian crisis, I served with Global Missions in Hong Kong (1986-1990); then in various leadership roles at faith-based refugee resettlement programs in national and international settings (LIRS, CWS, UNHCR, FilmAid International -1991-2003). The next decade deepened my commitment to the ecumenical movement serving first as Program Executive for the United States, World Council of Churches (2003-2009) and then in Development for the National Council of Churches (2009-2012). For the past 7 years I have enjoyed being rooted in one community, Poughkeepsie, NY, serving as pastor of First Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA). I continue to be engaged in local ecumenical and interfaith ministries and serve on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County. The "crooked lines" of my faith journey led me from the ELCA to the UCC in 1996, so I serve at First Lutheran under the ecumenical Formula of Agreement, which is coming full circle in some ways. Retirement may be the next adventure - God only knows for sure!