Rev. Brent Ross

Rev. Brent Ross is an ordained pastor in the Cal-Pac Conference of the United Methodist Church. He has master’s degrees from both Vanderbilt University and Garrett Evangelical Seminary where he focused on postmodern homiletics and ministry in theologically progressive/economically underserved communities. His ministry and leadership are guided by the idea of Sacred Ordinary, a ministry focus which engages in the work of seeing signs of God’s glory in the ordinary by blurring the line between terms like “church” and “world” and taking seriously the call of a local church to a local neighborhood. In 2012, he was moved to Normal Heights UMC, a church on the verge of closure. Under his guidance, the church has grown from 15 people to well over 250 and has become a vital presence in the neighborhood known for its activism, social services and central location in the community. He is a frequent speaker at several conferences both local and national including key presentations at both UMC LEAD and The Cultivate Conference. He hopes to always serve vital and justice-oriented communities with an activist spirit until he one day retires to raise mushrooms for local French restaurants.