Neichelle Guidry Jones ’10 M.Div., associate pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ and the founder of the shepreaches organization for young women, has been named one of Time magazine’s “12 New Faces of Black Leadership.”
“From the startups of Silicon Valley to the
streets of Ferguson, a new generation of black Americans is making a difference,” Time writes in the article lead-in. The magazine goes on to describe shepreaches as an online magazine that aims to support and inspire black millennial women in ministry.
Guidry Jones is the only faith leader on the list, which appears in the magazine’s January 16 issue.
“This and every recognition are the results of the efforts of a community far greater than myself,” Guidry Jones said. “I’ve been shaped by a great cloud of witnesses, including pastors, preachers, professors, mentors, friends, and, most important, my family. I’m grateful to the people who have journeyed with me, and for the ways that they have inspired and empowered me to do the work.”
Initially launched as an online magazine in 2012, shepreaches is now expanding its scope to operate as a virtual community and professional development organization that aspires to support African-American millennial women in ministry through theological reflection, fellowship, and liturgy curation.
In addition to her work with shepreaches and her pastoring at Trinity, Guidry Jones is pursuing her Ph.D. in liturgical studies at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.