The Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli
Denomination: United Methodist Church (UMC)
Organization: Foundry United Methodist Church, Washington, DC
Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli is a life-long United Methodist who is passionate about sharing the good news of God’s liberating love in Jesus Christ.
A native of Oklahoma, Ginger was raised in First United Methodist Church in Sapulpa, OK. She did her undergraduate work in Religious Studies at the United Methodist-affiliated Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. Following graduation, summa cum laude, she entered Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut, where she earned her Masters of Divinity in 1996.
In 2014, she became the first woman to serve as Senior Pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. Under her leadership, Foundry has revitalized its work for racial justice, becoming a founding member of the Sanctuary DMV movement, and creating the Sacred Resistance Ministry Team to respond to pressing current events.
Ginger has served diverse congregations across the Baltimore-Washington Conference and the New York Annual Conference. She has also been deeply involved in denominational movements such as Reconciling Ministries Network, Uniting Methodists, and UMCNext.
She is the author of Sacred Resistance: A Practical Guide to Christian Witness and Dissent (2018) and was a general editor and contributor to The CEB Women's Bible (2016).
Ginger enjoys gardening, poetry, travel, and is married to Dr. Anthony T. Gaines-Cirelli, a Catholic theologian who works for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They live in Washington, D.C., with their cat Fiona and Clumber Spaniel Daisy.
Day1 Weekly Programs by The Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli
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Love in Common - Episode #4154
Tuesday October 29, 2024
In Episode #4154, Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli from Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., shares a powerful message on the call to love in her sermon titled "Love in Common." Drawing from Mark 12:28-34, Rev. Gaines-Cirelli explores the importance of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. She reflects on how love can break down barriers and bridge the deep divides in today’s world. Tune in to discover how this message of love resonates in our current moment of polarization and disconnection.
Ginger Gaines-Cirelli: Everyone Is Searching
Tuesday February 02, 2021
The Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli wonders, what if we had a search engine to find God? And she discovers that our search begins in prayer with God and in service to others—simple but powerful wisdom.
Ginger Gaines-Cirelli: Increase Our Faith
Tuesday September 27, 2016
Ginger Gaines-Cirelli says Jesus' response to the disciples' cry for an increase in faith is to tell them about how effective faith even the size of a mustard seed can be. But even this small bit of real faith involves trust in God, and so is effectual only as long as it remains connected to the source of power--God.
Video by The Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli
Day1 Video Reflection: "More Than Enough" - Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli on 2 Kings 4:1-7
Friday October 28, 2016
In this Day1 Reflection Video, the Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli explores how God can provide all we need in life as she discusses the story of the woman in need whom the prophet Elisha helps (2 Kings 4:1-7). Ginger is senior pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, DC.