Ecumenical Fellows
The Ecumenical Fellows program, which held its first retreat in 2014, brings together emerging pastors and ministry leaders from across the Christian tradition for connection, reflection, and renewal. Rooted in shared learning and spiritual practice, the program supports young clergy as they navigate the challenges and joys of early ministry. The leadership team includes former Fellows who now mentor and accompany the next generation of church leaders.
Ecumenical Group Leadership
Steve Moore
Rev. Steve Moore serves as the Pastor of First Christian Church, Falls Church VA. Ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1996, Steve has served congregations in Ohio, Indiana, Washington DC, California and New York City. Raised in Baltimore, he has his undergraduate degree in Accounting from James Madison University and received his Master of Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN. Steve has a passion for preaching, worship, community, seeking to help others make the connection between faith and daily life.
Jason Reynolds
Rev. Jason C. Reynolds is a Bethany Fellow Alum and the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose, CA. Under his leadership Emmanuel has revitalize the ministry by redeveloping the worship service format, creating new ministry opportunities, engaging young families, significantly decreasing the church’s debt and successfully renovating the worship facility.
Reverend Jason C. Reynolds is very active in his surrounding community. Currently, he is a lead on the Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 Vaccination workgroup, a member of the Community Advisory Board to the Chief of Police in San Jose, a community trainer for the San Jose Police Department on procedural justice and a\founding member of an interfaith group of clergy and laypeople called Claiming the Beloved Community, an arm of People Acting in Community Together (PACT). He also is an Adjunct Professor at Evergreen Valley College in the Philosophy Department and a Senior Fellow of American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley.
Reverend Jason C. Reynolds earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Arts in Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has also received a certificate from the Executive Education Program at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
Reverend Jason is happily married to Poch'e (Po-Shay) Reynolds and they have two sons, Jadon (Jay-Den) Reynolds and Jason Reynolds II (affectionately called “Bubba”).
Melissa St. Clair
Rev. Melissa St. Clair serves as Senior Minister at Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Fort Collins, CO. She was ordained by the Penn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ in June 2008, after graduating with her M.Div. from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.
She served as an associate minister through the Lilly Endowment's Clergy Residency Program in Kansas City and as a solo pastor in southwest Missouri prior to saying yes to a call from God and the mountains to serve in Colorado. She is a Bethany Fellows alum and currently serves as Moderator Elect for the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She and her partner, Ben, live in Loveland in the home of their two lazy cats and two enthusiastic dogs.
Selena Wright
Rev. Selena has been serving and growing with the Kirk of Bonnie Brae United Church of Christ since 2014. A graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School, Selena believes ministry is about pushing, challenging, opening individuals, community and culture to acknowledge and live the reality that love is more powerful than hate or fear or even death. She sees her role as one who creates space for God's love, radical hospitality and justice to be revealed among us.
Melanie Harrell Delaney
Rev. Melanie Harrell Delaney serves as Co-Director/Pastor of Bethany Fellows after 10 years as the Lead Pastor of Good Shepherd Christian Church in Macedonia, Ohio. Melanie is a Bethany Fellows alum, and is grateful to be able to serve the Bethany Fellows which sustained and enriched not only her ministry, but the entire congregation as they grew.
Melanie holds a degree in Sociology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Divinity Degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, TN (where she is also a proud alum of the Disciples Divinity House.) She was ordained into the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 2009.
Melanie is married to Rev. Tyler Delaney (a chaplain for the Cleveland Clinic.) They have three young children, Olivia, Owen and Clayton, who keep them grounded and joyful.
Joan Bell-Haynes
Rev. Joan Bell-Haynes served as the Interim Regional Minister with the Georgia Region and previously as the Executive Regional Minister for the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada for more than six years. She is an alumna of the Disciples Divinity House/University of Chicago Divinity School. She holds a BA in Psychology and served for most of her career as Assistant Dean of Academics, College of Health Sciences at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA, before discerning her call to ordained ministry under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale, Ray of Hope Christian Church.
A native of Macon, GA, Rev. Bell-Haynes has served the Christian Church (DOC) as a servant-leader for more than 30 years in ministry. Her service has included: Co-Pastor, United Christian Parish, Reston, VA; associate minister at both University Christian Church, Hyattsville, MD and Community Christian Church, Kansas City, MO; Associate Regional Minister, Christian Church Capital Area Region, Washington, D.C.; First Vice Moderator of the General Assembly (2013-15) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Christian Education Director, Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, GA. She has served on the Boards of the Christian Church Foundation, National Convocation, and Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM).
Current Ecumenical Fellows
Ross Allen
Hannah Andres
Brent Bailey
Allison Bright
Beth Chiaravalle
Kelsey Cobbs
Alexa Dava
Malia Galindo
Andrew Harris
Brad Hindsley
Elizabeth Jorgenson
Laren McCormack
Julia Riley
Rachel Salmon (Parks)
Anthony Scott
Olivia See
Eli Seitz
Alexis Tardy
Christian Watkins
Landon Wilcox
Connor Williams
Brandon Wright
Ecumenical Alumni
Haley Asberry
Emelia Attridge
Lauren Bennett
Nate Brooks
Will Brown
Lauren Seganos Cohen
Danielle Cox
Tiffany Curtis
Twandiwe Dale-Ferguson
Nathan Dannison
Jen Daysa
Jimmy Gawne
Andrew Guthrie
Courtney Hickman
Rae Karim
Delesslyn Kennebrew
Karakay Kovaly
Mollie Landers-Hatt
Caleb Lines
Becca Lockwood
Alex McCauslin
Jane Moran
Larry Morris
Brian Nixon
Marissa Ortiz
Melissa Pace
Joey Pusateri
Jason Reynolds
Jen Riddle
Cody Robertson
Audrey Rodgers
CJ Rodriguez
Allison Ruari
Griffin Ryan
Zach Seitz
Cassie Sexton Riggs
Pedro Silva
Aerii Smith
Caitie Smith
Travis Smith McKee
Arthur Stewart
Katie Strednak-Singer
Sarah Strosahl-Kagi
Sandra Summers
Casey Tanguey
BJ Tapley
Andrew Taylor-Peck
Sarah Taylor-Peck
Ryan Thrasher
Louis Tillman
Jackie Twedell
Virginia White
Mark Winters
Isaac Varner
Jack Veatch