Leadership Council
The leadership council is the governing body of the community elected by the membership and dedicated to fulfilling the mission of Mary of Magdala. The Council shall be responsible for making and implementing decisions on behalf of the membership - from financial decisions to outreach ministries. A clergy representative who has been invited to serve the community by the Leadership Council shall exercise leadership with respect to matters of theology, spirituality and liturgy.
The governing document is its constitution, approved in April, 2013 along with a Covenant signed by each member. The Leadership Council meets seven times annually on the second Monday of the month to chart the course of the community. (February, April, May, June, September, November, and December.) Meetings are open to any community member who would like to attend.
We welcome all your questions and comments! marymagdalaFC@gmail.com
Laity and ordained.
Guided by the Spirit.Leading from the heart
Leadership Council Membership
David Cloyd - Co-Chair
I have been a member of Mary of Magdala since its inception and currently serve on the leadership council . I am now retired and have time to dedicate to the life and success of this community. I have previously had a medical practice here in Fort Collins.
I am also involved with the Family Housing Network and serve on the Social Justice Committee as well as The World Wisdom Project. I have many interests including photography. I feel that my experience can continue to contribute to Mary of Magdala.
Lisa Jones - Secretary
I want to Thank the community of Mary of Magdala for voting me on to the Leadership Council. I have been a part of the community since the planning stages and birth of our community I was drawn to the ECC because of its inclusive beliefs and yet allowing me to still practice the ritual of the and Catholic Mass and traditions I was raised in. The growth of our church is amazing and I want to be a part of that. I love the joint partnership we have ventured into with the 301 Faith Partners showing our ability to be part of a multi-spiritual community. I currently also am a member of ISAAC ,Interfaith Solidarity and Accompaniment Coalition , the 301 Faith Partners Immigration Task Force and a member of the MoM Social Justice Committee. I am looking forward to working with the leadership council and the community of Mary of Magadala in our spiritual growth
Lisa Jones
Sandra Life
I was born in northern MN and am a cradle Catholic. Being a Good Shepherd Sister was my plan until I met Richard! This opened another dream: adopting. We gave birth to 2 & adopted 4. Our family is multi-cultural, multi-racial, & includes transgender, oh and multi political! (If anyone would like to talk about possibly adopting, Richard & I are available.)
From high school days I've been bothered by some of the tenets of the RCC and stuffed them in the back of my mind, but still they bothered me: only male, unmarried priests; birth control; having to be a member in good standing to receive Communion. In 2012 the ECC fulfilled all my ideas of a church that I wanted to be a part of. My hope is that we can introduce many other northern Coloradans who could feel accepted & happy in this community.
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Joan Chapman-Smith
Reaching a crossroad on my spiritual path and not sure which way to go, I felt a bit like a wanderer. I would like to say I searched to find the right church community to belong to; however, it would be more accurate to say I was lucky and blessed because Mary of Magdala found me. A friend called to tell me about a new Ecumenical Catholic Communion starting in Fort Collins and invited me to mass. It only took one mass for me to feel like I had found a new spiritual community. Sitting among the people at that first mass I was overwhelmed with the feeling of love shown to one another just as modeled by Jesus. It is this all inclusive love and acceptance that helped me to make the decision to call Mary of Magdala home.
At Mary of Magdala I have been part of the audio/tech ministry and currently I am the chairperson for the hospitality ministry, a linen washer, and a Eucharistic minister. As a new member of the leadership council, it is an honor to continue the work of all those who have been on the council in the past and to be part of helping Mary of Magdala grow as a spiritual community
Michael Six - Co-Chair
The genuine welcome and inclusiveness of the people of Mary of Magdala drew me into the Ecumenical Catholic Communion. The opportunity to serve and grow in my spiritual journey has invited me to become part of the leadership at Mary of Magdala. I have spent most of my career in education and healthcare. Currently, I serve as the director of patient experience and physician development for a healthcare system. At Mary of Magdala, I have had the opportunity to join the liturgy community and serve as a lector. It is my hope that, as part of the leadership council, I can give back to the community to help support the growth and sustainability of the welcoming spirit of the ECC and of the people of Mary of Magdala.
Mother Rosean Amaral, Co-Pastor
The radical welcome and true hospitality spelled out in the ECC Constitution first drew me to Mary of Magdala. I served on the steering committee during our discernment period which led to joining the ECC. I am a lector, member of the Foot Washers and the Adult Education ministry, and an ordained priest with the Ecumenical Catholic Communion. Thanks to the open arms of the community, I am free to join my "YES!" to the many faithful who have come before me! My gratitude to all of you!
Reverend Jane Reina, Co-Pastor
Jane says she is still touched by the Mary of Magdala Community. As a member for the last four years she says: “As soon I walked into Mary of Magdala for Mass, I could feel the prayerfulness of the community and that they ‘walked the talk.’ I had recently moved from New Jersey and was looking for a Catholic Community that was open, inclusive, and lived the Gospel. Mary of Magdala welcomed me, and more. I also wanted a church that was part of something larger, and Mary of Magdala is part of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion. I am home in an independent church that is connected to other independent churches in the catholic tradition, one that invites everyone to the Table of Christ.
Carol Persons
As a member of Mary of Magdala Community I humbly accepted the invitation to serve the remaining time of Rain’s elected position on the Leadership Council.
After my teaching career retirement I slowly, steadily searched for what I called My Spiritual Community. Open, welcoming, supporting, and growing-these the necessary spiritual and social viewpoints and practices, a simple horizontal elected management, and priests and deacons from us who love, teach, and inspire us. I consider myself blessed to have found these qualities already established in MoM, ECC. I will strive to support these values.
In teaching I often worked with teams as we searched for better ways to reach and teach students. I can participate with our elected Leadership Council to serve our community.
“With the heart and mind of Christ, we transform the world.”
Baily Livengood
Ever since I was a kid, and for as long as I can remember, I have been attending mass at Mary of Magdala. Every time I go to church, I am welcomed by its kind, and overwhelmingly affectionate community. I am currently attending Rocky Mountain High School, and have hopes of becoming a financial advisor when I grow up. This was one of the leading reasons I chose to apply for the leadership council--as a learning experience for me, and a way to connect with my community more. I am very grateful for this opportunity that has arisen for me to be on the leadership council, and look forwards to seeing the future of the church.
