Baptized in the Methodist church, ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),
and holding standing in the United Church of Christ USA, Ana is deeply committed to ecumenism
and Christian unity.
In July 2008, Walter John Boris, our minister of 14 years, was called to serve as Conference Minister of the Central Pacific Conference. We parted ways on the best of terms and wish Walter John joy and success in his journey ahead!
In accordance with best practices and the conventions of our Pacific Northwest Conference, rather than rushing to call a new settled minister, our church has intentionally entered into an Interim time; a time to re-identify ourselves, consider our strengths and goals, and prepare for selecting and calling our next minister with care and consideration.
We began by searching for an interim minister, someone to care for our congregation and help us through the period between settled pastors; to heal wounds, reflect and reveal our strengths and follies, and help us focus on what needs to be done in preparation for the new start ahead.
This Interim Time is very special. In his book "A Change of Pastors," Loren Mead calls this "an extraordinary pregnant moment at which change can happen." Kirkland Congregational Church United Church of Christ was amazingly fortunate to find not one, but two pastors to help us seize and savor this extraordinary moment; Ana and Tod Gobledale.
Baptized in the Methodist church, ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),
and holding standing in the United Church of Christ USA, Ana is deeply committed to ecumenism
and Christian unity.
Ana, and her husband Tod, spent twelve years in South Africa and Zimbabwe serving Global Ministries (the mission board of the Christian Church and the United Church of Christ USA) seconded to the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa. Her book, The Learning Spirit: Lessons from South Africa (published by Chalice Press USA), includes numerous reflections from her Africa years.
From 2003 to December 2007, Tod and Ana, seconded by Global Ministries, served at Churches of Christ Theological College, Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia, as chaplains and lecturers in practical ministry and preaching. They returned to the USA in 2008 for 6 months of missionary deputation throughout the country.
Ana is the mother of two children, Thandiwe and Mandla.
She was one of the first female resident scholars at the Disciples Divinity House in Chicago and received a doctorate in education at Northern Illinois University.
She writes for several publications including a regular column "Women in International Mission" for Common Lot, the women’s magazine of the United Church of Christ USA.
Tod grew up in Virginia. He spent a year in Israel with his family 1970-71. He attended Bates
College (Maine USA), graduated with a B.A. in History in 1976. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer
in Senegal, West Africa from 1976-1978. He attended Chicago Theological Seminary 1980-1983 and
graduated with a Masters of Divinity Degree.
From 1984-1991 Tod and his wife, Ana, served the church in rural South Africa, through Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ. They lived illegally in a Zulu community and were finally evicted from South Africa in 1991.
They served a United Church of Christ congregation in Franklin, New Hampshire USA, from 1991 until 1994 when they returned to southern Africa to again work for the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, this time in Plumtree, Zimbabwe, until May of 2000 when they returned to the United States.
From 2000 to 2003, Tod served in interim ministries in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. From 2003-2007 Tod and Ana served as chaplains and lecturers in practical ministry and preaching at Churches of Christ Theological College, again seconded by Global Ministries. Returning to the USA, they spent the first six months of 2008 on missionary deputation for Global Ministries throughout the USA.
Tod has an interest in experiencing other cultures and living in other countries, hence his International ministry serving in South Africa from 1984 – 1991 and in Zimbabwe from 1995 – 2000. He has a passion for the local parish, especially smaller rural congregations, and feels called to help equip people to serve in those settings. His understanding of who Jesus is leads him to reach out to marginalized people and take stands on issues of social justice.
They have two children, Thandiwe (daughter-- at school in Chicago, Illinois) and Mandla (son – Junior at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California).
