Dr. Mona West | Profile

The Rev. Mona West was ordained in the Southern Baptist denomination in 1987 and transferred her ordination credentials to the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Churches (MCC) in 1992.  Mona earned her Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1987 and taught on the faculties of several colleges and universities from 1987-1992. 

She was the Academic Dean for Samaritan Institute for Religious Studies—the school that trained clergy for MCC-- from 1993 until 1997. In 1997, she joined the pastoral staff of Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas, where she served as an elected co-pastor of that 3,000 member glbt congregation from February, 2003, until February, 2004.

She has published several articles in the area of queer biblical hermeneutics and has a book published by Pilgrim Press in 2000 titled, Take Back the Word: a Queer Reading of the Bible.  She is working with several editors to publish a queer commentary on the whole Bible in 2008.

In 2002, she completed a certification program for Spiritual Formation through Columbia Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, and began serving as Minister of Spiritual Formation at Midway Hills Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Dallas in June of 2004. She and her life-mate, Deb Elder, make their home in the Oaklawn area of Dallas, where they enjoy their two dogs and three cats.

(This biographical statement provided by Mona West.)

Biography Date: July, 2004

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