United Methodist leader to speak in chapel

The Rev. Dr. Jill Sanders, a Northwestern College alumna who is field outreach minister for the East Central District of the United Methodist Church’s Iowa Annual Conference, will speak at the Northwestern College chapel service on Friday, Oct. 22, at 10:05 a.m. in Christ Chapel. The public is invited to attend.

Sanders, who will be speaking at Northwestern under the auspices of the Ronald R. Nelson Scholars and Artists in Residence Program, graduated from Northwestern in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in religion. She went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree and a doctorate in ministry from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Mich.

“Northwestern has graduated many gifted women in ministry,” says Chaplain Harlan Van Oort, “and the church has recognized it. Rev. Sanders is a successful alum who has done great work in ministry, and our students can learn a lot from her.”

Before beginning her current position in 2007, Sanders was the connectional field minister for the Cedar Rapids and Dubuque Districts. She was pastor of the Colesburg, Iowa, United Methodist Church from 1994 to 2000 and earlier served two Reformed churches. 

As a field outreach minister for the United Methodist Church, Sanders works with a superintendent and ministry team to facilitate effective ministry in her assigned district. She acts as a resource person for congregational development and vitalization in the district churches.