Rev. Muriel Burrows – Pastor
Louise Johnson – Director of Christian Education
Beverly Owens – Director of Music
Amy Shortt, Interim Organist
James Fowler – Seminary Intern
Phyllis Rich – Secretary
I was born and raised in Durban, South Africa on the Indian Ocean. I am of Zulu descent but, unfortunately was not taught to speak Zulu. I speak English and Afrikaans, the two "official" languages during the apartheid era. I was an elementary school teacher for almost ten years during which time I became a candidate for the ministry in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. It was during the political upheaval of the early 1980’s that it became "necessary" for me to leave the country. I arrived in the United States as a political exile in 1982.
I have held several interesting positions in the U.S., from nanny to decorator to pastoral assistant to administrative assistant among others - but always knew that I was ignoring God’s call to return to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Thus in 1992 I packed my daughter and all our stuff and with $500 in my pocket and blind faith that God is indeed Jehova Jirah, the God who provides, went to Austin Theological Seminary in Texas.
My first call was as associate pastor to a church in the beginnings of a redevelopment program in St. Louis, Missouri where I was ordained. My task was to do outreach ministry in a rapidly changing neighborhood from white to black in a church whose congregation was historically white middle class. My focus was on the children in the community. Using the adage that "kids go where kids are" I began a ministry called "Kids Klub," an after school program that included tutoring, arts and crafts, cooking, sewing, and games. When the program got too large for the few volunteers we enlisted the help of young Christians from the local university. With the help of the parish nurse the program expanded into parenting classes, health and hygiene, Girls Night Out, Boys Night Out, etc. I’m am pleased to report that, four years after I left, the programs are still alive and growing.
I came to Trinity in Baltimore, Maryland in 1999 as associate pastor and, when the senior pastor left, decided it was time to move on. However, I was invited to stay on as interim. I did the interim ministry training course and have been leading the congregation through the interim process of revisioning and redevelopment. It has been an exciting period but I know that the interim ministry is not my calling.
I believe that if a church is serious about discipleship and mission it needs to have an identity in and be open to the community it serves. At Trinity we opened the doors to after-school programs and computer classes for kids and older adults. We do health screening/blood pressure checks once a month, as well as regular food and clothing banks.
I am an avid reader and my taste in literature is eclectic - science fiction, fantasy, history, poetry and essays. I enjoy cooking, entertaining, arts and crafts and writing. I am currently working on the first draft of a book tentatively titled, "The Story of a Life" or "What Was I Thinking!"
I am the proud parent of a young woman, Thembisa Amy, (20) who is serving
in the United States Marine Corp and soon to be deployed to Iraq. Thembisa
is a Zulu word and means "Promise." We are owned by a supremely
snooty cat named Lynx and a ditzy dog named Angel. One hoped that since
the cat raised the dog that the dog would have a semblance of dignity
and decorum, but alas, she seems to be trapped between her German shepherd
and Chow-chow genes and doesn’t really know what she is supposed
to be. I sympathize.