Co-Shapers of Kinship Plot
The co-shapers of Kinship Plot are people of Christian faith who care deeply about reimagining and embodying resonant relationships and are committed to bringing their various gifts, loves, passions, and expertise to the table. The board of directors has governing and fiduciary responsibility for the organization. The wisdom council provides encouragement, wisdom, and insight based on their particular knowledge and expertise. Additionally, we are building a global "kinship network" of people who co-shape this vision and action in diverse and compelling ways. We hope YOU will co-shape with us, too!
Rev. Stephanie and Rev. Dr. Wesley Vander Lugt
Co-Founders
Stephanie is the Executive Director of Kinship Plot, a minister, and a social-worker-in-training. Wes is Operations Director at Kinship Plot, a minister, and a professor at the intersection of theology and the arts. Together they are enthusiasts for community, reflection-on-action, transformation, beauty, gardening, and gathering eclectic groups of people around a table.
Kim Summerrow
Board Member / President
Head of Payable, Platform Transformation, at Wells Fargo in Charlotte. Builder of community, church leader, and social justice advocate.
Michael Gray
Board Member / Vice President
Head of engineering at Method in Charlotte. Bridge builder, conversation starter, and passionate about second chances.
Melanee Marshall
Board Member / Secretary
Founder and Chief Creative Liberator of Closet Creatives in Charlotte. Multi-passionate hyper-creative and educator.
Parker Esoda
Board Member / Treasurer
Freelance accountant for film and TV production and passionate about social justice and the church’s role in reconciliation with a focus on issues of human migration and asylum seekers.
Kerrie Stewart
Board Member
Social researcher in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at UNC Charlotte and NC Justice Center board member. Advocates for civic engagement and effectuate social and economic justice for Black women and girls.
Elizabeth Bridges
Board Member
Musician, worship leader at The Grove Church, youth mentor, avid hiker, certified Forest Therapy Guide. Passionate about family and friends, connecting humans and nature, meditative walks, fostering community, and contemplative practices.
Bethany Gunnink
Oddkin Unite Project Coordinator
Nature-lover, theology student. Passionate about co-creating and co-laboring with others and cultivating deep conversations and relationships.
Anna Robinson
Garden Intern / 2023
Student at Warren Wilson College in Swannana, NC, and passionate about creating community, the power of language, and the importance of ritual and rhythm.
Rev. Steve Smith
Wisdom Council
Spiritual director, former pastor, writer and founder of The Potter's Inn retreat center. Cultivator of companionship and soul care for global ministry leaders in North Carolina.
Dr. James Krohn
Wisdom Council
Theological educator, former pastor, founder-director of KRUX in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Enthusiast of learning, hospitality, and spiritual transformation.
Angelica Garnett
Wisdom Council
Educator, church leader, and immigration advocate in Charlotte. Passionate about radical welcome, equity, bridge-building, and immigration justice.
Dr. Daniel Gutierrez
Wisdom Council
Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, and an Associate Professor in Counseling and Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Passionate about kinship, contemplation, soulful living, and answering the yearnings deep inside.
Dr. Barbara Peacock
Wisdom Council
Author, spiritual director, teacher, and founder of Barbara L. Peacock Ministries in Charlotte. Passionate about soul care and the disciplines of prayer.
Rev. Helms Jarrell
Wisdom Council
Contemporary mixed media folk artist, collaborative change maker, minister, and non-profit leader in Charlotte, NC. Passionate about cultivating beloved community through practices of hospitality, creativity, and prayer.
Joel and Sarah Donohue
Wisdom Council
Geologists by training, lovers of all things outdoors, and the stewards of Waterfall Hollow Ranch in Tahlequah, OK, where they cultivate hops and honey, deep friendships, and a deliberate life of listening and observing.
Bob Gluck
Former Board Member
Director of Finance at Warehouse 242 in Charlotte, NC. Lover of numbers, music, and the spiritual kinship of the church.
Karen McNary
Former Board Member
Director of Global Cultural Engagement at Bible Study Fellowship International. Church leader, Bible teacher, and consultant for intercultural competency in Charlotte.