Amanda is a church planter, spiritual pioneer, and relentless dreamer. She is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and serves as the Chief Instigator and Founding Pastor of RISE, a quirky young faith community in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Throughout the last two decades, Amanda has led in a variety of church cultures and contexts. Urban and rural, large and small, traditional and nontraditional—these settings have enabled her to discern and cultivate the God-given hope and possibility within a variety of people and places.
A native of Roanoke, Virginia, Amanda is a graduate of the University of Virginia. She received a graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology from James Madison University and received her Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. As a coach and consultant, she is regularly inspired by fellow innovators and edge walkers.
Amanda lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, two teenagers, and a dog that closely resembles a Muppet. She enjoys running long distances, planting an absurd amount of perennials, and exploring the world and its inhabitants, one cup of coffee at a time.