Kristen Glover ’10

During Glover's time at McMurry, she discovered hidden passions for community, values, and friendship which lead her from pursuing a career in Nursing, to Ministry. In this spotlight, we explore how Glover utilizes her passions to help the communities she connects with unite and grow.

During Glover's time at McMurry, she initially planned to pursue nursing with the goal of doing medical missions, however, she quickly realized her strengths lay elsewhere-particularly in her religion classes and Dr. Mark Water's Servant Leadership course. With guidance from McMurry Chaplain Rev. Tim Kennedy '99, Glover began exploring youth ministry, which eventually led to a position at St. John's UMC in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where her call to ministry deepened. She majored in Psychology and minored in Religion, maintaining a strong connection to the church by singing at a local United Methodist Church and interning as a youth minister in Sweetwater, Texas. Her studies in Psychology equipped her with essential skills in mental health, communication, and leadership, all of which have been invaluable as she prepares to be commissioned as a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church. Throughout these experiences, Glover's passion for people and leadership flourished, laying the foundation for her future in ministry.

After McMurry, Glover pursued a Certificate in Youth Ministry through the United Methodist Church, which gave her a taste of seminary-level classes and the confidence to pursue her Master of Divinity, which she completed in December 2023 at Brite Divinity School. After serving for two years at St. John's UMC, she joined First UMC in Paris, Texas, where she worked as a youth minister for eight years and launched a Teen Center for the nonprofit City Square Paris. Glover's leadership continued to grow as she became the senior pastor at Ector UMC during her supervised ministry year in the seminary. Now, she is stepping into her new role as the senior pastor of First UMC Gordon and Cedar Springs UMC as a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church, where her passion for serving people continues to shine.

Glover is passionate about ministry and community, finding the most joy in walking alongside her faith community as they grow in grace together. She feels privileged to be part of others' spiritual journeys and loves witnessing how God works through people to make the world a better place. While in Ector, she led a small congregation through a period of healing and renewal after the pandemic, guiding them to embrace new initiatives like "The Good Neighbor Experiment" and the creation of a community prayer garden. Glover has been deeply inspired by the congregation's creativity and dedication to being the light of Christ in their community, and she is honored to support their growth in faithfulness to their mission.

Glover credits her college internships and the guidance of her professors for helping her discern her path into ministry. She encourages those interested in ministry to volunteer at a church, non-profit, or hospital and to seek mentorship from trusted pastors. Glover emphasizes the importance of asking for help and getting involved with the people actively doing the work you're passionate about.