Aneesah Veatch

Reverend Mollie Landers Hatt Bethany Congregations Leader

Where are you in the world and who do you do life with?  I am based in Denver, Colorado and serve as the Associate Pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ. I do life with my husband Andrew, our two kids Eleanor and Leo, and two brindle dogs – Katahdin and Cobbie. Enneagram Number  One! – The Reformer Tell us about your Call to Ministry. My call has been ever-changing, yet always rooted in building beloved community. Outdoor Ministry shows up in every facet of my call, as do more embodied faith practices. I’m called to follow in the ways and teachings of Jesus, imperfectly with others, as we seek to co-create a little more of the Realm of God here and now. And, as an Enneagram One, hearing and preaching God’s unconditional love is foundational! Why Bethany Fellows? I found Bethany Fellows (and it found me!) at a crucial transition point in my life and ministry. It gave me spiritual grounding, community, practices, and an ever growing web of connection to accompany me in ministry and life. Can you share a retreat highlight? The joy and inspiration of the First Dolphin Collection during the first co-hort of Bethany Congregations. Favorite Ice-cream Flavor or Dessert? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Mint Chip Bless us with words of wisdom that sustain you.  All shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well – Julian of Norwich

“Where are you finding shelter in this season?”

With a collective deep breath, our Bethany Fellows spring retreats began with worship and time to give voice to this question and pray with and for each other. Each answer was unique, yet shared threads connected us – finding shelter in the work of tending to the soil and backyard garden; a sense of purpose in the struggle of ministry; in the compassionate presence of a beloved; laughter; a new puppy; shared grief; making music or dancing. A rhythm emerged among us, allowing us to hold depths of sorrow alongside the rush of joy. With vulnerability and authenticity, we name the truth that this is a difficult season in which to be a pastor or person in the world. And yet, we also name the ways God is still moving among us, bringing hope, joy, love, and healing.

In How Not to Be Afraid, Gareth Higgins writes, “a trustable story shelter has three elements: mentors, calling, and community. We need elders and mentors on the journey: folks who have traveled further on their paths than we have on ours. We need elders who can affirm our gifts, lovingly sandpaper our more unhelpful rough edges, offer a shoulder to cry on and clapping hands to celebrate us, and question us when we’re too much in love with our own propaganda. We need a sense of calling: clarity about the place we have in the world, the gift we have received and are invited to share, and work we are here to do for the sake of the common good. And we need a community of people: a group small enough to truly know us, constituted of people committed to the journey of spiritual maturity and service to the common good. In other words, we need a small merry band of folks dedicated to loving God, neighbor, and self.”  

This wisdom reminds me of Bethany Fellows and Bethany Congregations – communities shaped and sustained by the prayers of mentors and wise colleagues, reminding us of our call and impact even when we aren’t seeing it, a “merry band of folks” indeed. As Bethany Alumni know, these circles of prayerful friends are ministry-sustaining and life-saving. The challenge is finding and building this kind of community beyond Bethany. We have the model, the values, and the rhythm – how do we share it? How do we live it day-to-day? 

Let’s ask each other this question! If you’ll be in Memphis, TN for the General Assembly of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, please plan to join the Bethany Fellows Gathering on Sunday, July 13th from 3:30-5:30pm @ Wiseacre Brewery. As you (re)connect with Bethany friends from your “era” and meet new colleagues, We invite you to ask each other the Bethany check-in question: “where are you finding shelter in this season?” or the follow-up “how is the Bethany Way and rhythm sustaining you these days?” 

As our beloved mentor, Rev. Don Schutt often says, “the conversation is the prayer.” Amen!

~Reverend Melanie Harrell Delaney | Lead Director and Pastor