The Rev. Susan Phillips says she is "grateful for my colleagues in the community and our collaborative partnerships."
Phillips, 57, pastor of Springfield's First Presbyterian Church, added, "I am so grateful for partners in town that are all focused on the health and welfare of the wider community."
Phillips, a native of Springfield, Missouri, became the first woman and 15th pastor to lead the 196-year-old church in 2017.
She has guided the 275-member downtown congregation as it welcomes full participation of LGBTQ people in its ministry, works with other groups to operate a food pantry, fights prejudice through the Springfield Coalition on Dismantling Racism, and financially supports Helping Hands of Springfield and the Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network.
The church is in the midst of a major remodeling project, costing approximately $7 million, that is expected to be completed in April 2025. The project is intended to make the building more accessible and available to the public and community organizations.
Phillips, the daughter of a mother who taught public-school students and a father who worked for the county health department in Missouri, sees her work inside the church and in the community as an extension of her Christian faith.
"Everything I learn from the Bible focuses on love and justice," Phillips said. "That is the religion of Jesus and the focus of His ministry."
Phillips said that "trusting in God's love for us" and "seeking justice for the rest of the world" motivates her and others from First Presbyterian, where Abraham Lincoln and his family worshiped, to make Springfield a better place.
"We truly believe every person is made in the image of God," she said.
Phillips recently was appointed to the 14-member Massey Commission, an all-volunteer group that is working in the wake of the July 6 police-involved shooting death of Sonya Massey to find ways of restoring trust in law enforcement and addressing the many social-justice issues connected to Massey's death.
"There's been so much trauma in the community since July, and before July as well," Phillips said.
