Rev. Erin Wathen will join Week of Compassion in January as the new Associate Director for Marketing and Communications. Erin has served as Senior Pastor of Saint Andrew Christian Church in Olathe, KS, since 2013, and is the current Moderator of the Christian Church of the Greater Kansas City Region. Prior to her ministry with Saint Andrew, Erin served at Foothills Christian Church in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the author of two books, the most recent of which was named by Publisher’s Weekly as one of the top 100 books of 2018. Executive Director Vy Nguyen notes that “Erin has a deep desire and passion to share the good news to the people we serve and to our church; she knows our local congregations extremely well and has a passion for the work that we do, both domestic and globally. The church and Week of Compassion will continue to benefit from her tremendous gifts.”
Erin shares, “ As a congregational pastor, I have always advocated for Week of Compassion as one of the most vital, life-giving, and world-changing ministries of the Church. I am so grateful for this opportunity to join the Week of Compassion team, and excited to share stories of the work that we do on behalf of Disciples all over the world.” Executive Director Nguyen adds “in the last few years, the need for the work of Week of Compassion and its partners has dramatically increased, as the number of disasters has increased, as immigration and refugee crises have accelerated, and as sustainable development becomes even more crucial. Through the generosity of many people, we are able to respond to these challenges. Erin will help us better share the impact that the church is having in so many of these places and how our church’s mission to serve the vulnerable is carried out through this ministry and to respond even more faithfully and effectively. I am looking forward to the gifts she will bring to this ministry.”
Erin is a graduate of Transylvania University and Lexington Theological Seminary, and has recently earned a post-graduate certification in Nonprofit Leadership from Rockhurst University. She is also a Bethany Fellow alumna and was the 2010 recipient of the Fred Craddock Award for Excellence in Preaching. A recognized voice in the wider faith community, Erin’s blog, “Irreverin,” is featured on the Patheos Interfaith Network, where she writes about the intersection of faith, culture and public discourse. Erin lives in Olathe with her husband, Jeremy, and their two children.
As the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Week of Compassion works with partners to alleviate suffering throughout the world.
Vision: A world where God’s people transform suffering into hope.
