Rev. Monique Crain Spells has been called by Disciples Home Missions to the position of Vice President for Mission, Advocacy, and Programs. With this promotion, Rev. Crain Spells will have organizational management responsibility for overseeing key areas of DHM’s programmatic work. As DHM is restructured and transformed to better meet the needs of today’s church, she will continue to be a pivotal part of ensuring the relevance and effectiveness of DHM’s ministries. As Vice President, she will be a member of DHM’s leadership team and work with the President and CEO to fulfill the strategic objectives of the ministry and advance the mission of DHM. She will also maintain her role as merger staff with the National Convocation and continue to have responsibility for Christian Education/Faith Formation and promoting the vitality of Black Disciples.
Rev. Crain Spells is a pastoral strategist and an educator who has held many positions of leadership in the church, as well as in community and corporate settings. Previously, she served in administrative leadership roles at both Christian Theological Seminary and Brite Divinity School, where she accompanied learners in vocational discernment and contributed to the successful advancement of each school’s missions. She also has experience as a development consultant, a program design specialist, and is an accomplished writer. In her time at DHM, she has been a critical part of promoting collaborative and impactful ministry, as DHM coalesces into a more integrated and cohesive organization seeking to serve the wider church in all its expressions. She is a highly sought-after public speaker and facilitator who understands the church and is fully committed to faithful ministry. In this new role, she will help lead, develop, and support DHM’s program staff, as they: do the work of mission on behalf of the church; engage in the work of justice and advocacy; and carry out innovative programming that resources and strengthens churches and regions.
A native of Indianapolis, Rev. Crain Spells, is a graduate of Purdue University, where she majored in Communications and Public Relations. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary and is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is currently a D.Min candidate at Lexington Theological Seminary and a member of the Duke Divinity Foundation of Christian Leadership community. She resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her 6-year-old son, Niles.
