The Rev. Grace Imathiu

Denomination: United Methodist Church (UMC)
Organization: First United Methodist Church of Evanston

The Rev. Grace Imathiu is a United Methodist minister and internationally recognized preacher and Bible teacher. Born in Kenya and raised in Meru and Nairobi, she is an ordained elder in the Methodist Church in Kenya and has served congregations across Africa, the United States, and beyond. Her pastoral ministry includes appointments in Nkubu and Lavington (Kenya), Richland (Washington), Delaware (Ohio), Nashville (Tennessee), and Green Bay and Brown Deer (Wisconsin). She currently serves at First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois.

Rev. Imathiu is in frequent demand as a preacher, teacher, and conference leader throughout the global church. She has preached and led Bible studies at major gatherings such as the International Christian Youth Conference in Germany, the USA, and Ireland, and the National Christian Youth Conference in Australia. Her ministry has carried her across continents, with preaching and teaching engagements in Kenya, Togo, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, England, Ireland, and throughout the United States. She is especially beloved among youth and young adults, with a gift for connecting scripture to real-world struggles and hopes.

Her academic formation is equally global, with theological studies completed in Kenya, the United States, Israel, and England. Rev. Imathiu is the author of Words of Fire, Spirit of Grace, a collection of sermons that demonstrates her commitment to preaching that is both contextual and prophetic. She is widely recognized for her emphasis on radical hospitality, inclusion, and prophetic imagination, themes that continue to shape her ministry and writing.

Rev. Imathiu is married to David Hay Jones, a renowned landscape and nature photographer and co-author of Journeying Through the Days (Upper Room, 2002). Together they have a son, Erik.