The Rev. Dr. Lauren Jones Mayfield (she/her) serves Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary as interim director of Field Education in Kentucky. Before returning to her home state of Kentucky, Lauren served as worship director at Riverside Church in New York City and held pastoral leadership positions in Baptist, Mennonite and United Church of Christ churches. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, Lauren completed her Doctor of Ministry degree, with distinction, at the Pacific School of Religion, where she focused her research and ministry on social justice and transformation. As part of her doctoral project, she created liturgy for the communal work of advocacy, considered the role of faith in the public square, and led Highland Baptist Church’s (Louisville, Kentucky) innovative Anti-Racism Team and Reparations Task Force as associate pastor of Care and Justice. During her tenure at Highland Baptist, the church voted to darken the image of Jesus in one of the sanctuary’s stained-glass windows and began paying reparations to local Black organizations. Lauren finds ongoing nourishment at the local, independent bookstore, by celebrating the art of Georgia O’Keeffe, and in wondering about the compassionate mystery of the Divine at work in the world.
