Rev. Jennifer Hall

June 21, 1967 - March 19, 2023

It is with deep sorrow and heartbreak that we announce the death of Rev. Jennifer Hall (they/them). Our hearts are broken and in grieving. We extend our love and condolences to their wife, Cyndi Wiley. We surround with love, care, and comfort Jennifer’s CPE cohort members and colleagues. Jennifer died by suicide on Sunday, March 19th.

Jennifer, known to others by Jenn, and still others by JC, served the communities they were engaged in with love, commitment, and passion. Jennifer graduated in 2007 from Eden Seminary and was ordained at MCC of Greater St. Louis, USA with Rev. Elder Rachelle Brown by Rev. Dr. Carol Trissell. Living in Des Moines, Iowa, they lived with their wife, serving most recently as an ACPE supervisor and Chaplain educator. Jennifer had a long career in chaplaincy and academia, living and breathing MCC values in many spaces as a lone voice. This was emphasized in 2014 as they were featured in the Greater Des Moines Diversity Magazine INclusion. The article entitled “Searching for Hope: Jennifer Hall’s Life Altering Faith Journey”’ They served on the 2022 General Conference Core Team challenging the team to think more about chaplaincy, access, and justice particularly those with disabilities and those economically disenfranchised. 

Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston reflects, "I worked with Rev. Jenn Hall on the General Conference 2022 Planning Team. They were creative, imaginative, funny and warm. They shared honestly about some of their struggles in life. I pray for them and for their wife Cyndi, and all who love Jenn at this time. Grief is complex and there are no easy answers when a person dies by suicide. We entrust them to the love of God, believing that God is love, and that love never dies."

Other colleagues in MCC remember Jenn this way: 

• Jennifer, Jenn, JC, are a few of the ways you asked me and others to name you. She and her, they and them, all reflect the beauty of your person before God. Today, I remember how you were the first MCC student at Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO. I started my seminary journey the semester right after you. Together we represented MCC walking in our own ways through the courses, worship at MCC of Greater St. Louis, internships, and the MCC retreat as students. We were ordained on the same day, July 15, 2007. You were a Chaplain, educator, and CPE supervisor. You loved your spouse Cyndi, enjoyed your pets and playing rugby. These are facts we say when you are not here to speak for yourself. As a colleague, you collaborated and challenged me in conversations on gender, orientation, identity and faith. You spoke your truth and that still matters. Your smile, laughter, and that twinkle in your eyes are what I think of today, even as the tears fall from the weight and harsh reality of your death. My friend, I pray you are free from your suffering and may God grant eternal rest, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. - Rev. Elder Rachelle Brown
• "Jenn always impressed and inspired me by their deep compassion for all people, especially those who are overlooked by many. Jenn had a ready smile, a warm presence, and a contagious laugh. I can still envision them sitting across my desk sharing their impression of their first semester in seminary at Eden. 'I feel like one of those old desks with many many little drawers. Now all those drawers have been pulled out and are scattered across the floor.' We laughed together and I shared my hope that she would begin to put those drawers back - maybe in different places - during her seminary years." - Rev. Dr. Carol Trissell 
• “I remember meeting JC at their Intensives in the Practice of Ministry in MCC in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They were at once both guarded and enthusiastic, skeptical and open. And in my experience over the years, they always excelled in holding the space between binarisms with grace, compassion, and a twinkle in their eye. I recall accompanying JC to their (what I believe was a first) tattoo, a thoughtful reclamation of the sacred body they were still learning to love. I can recall with clarity several times over the years when I saw JC -- with a gentle observation or question -- break open a collegial space and transform it into a space for deep connection and healing. JC's heart for CPE was evident, and they were so intentional and care-full in the teaching and learning environment they invited people into. And, JC commanded my respect particularly for the ways in which they held MCC accountable to our aspirational vision. Even when they were hurt or disappointed, they believed we could still be our best selves if we kept working together in a spirit of love and humility.” – Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos
• "JC's fingerprints were all over the last General Conference, pushing us to ensure there were multiple entry points for people of all abilities. They thought beyond the borders of inclusion to think about how to include people who have often invisible challenges like ADHD, those who might be triggered by hard topics, and those who are feeling isolated. Often, they would take their time deciding what to say, but always it was something good, important for us to consider or exciting to imagine. Their voice helped us to know it was the right choice to add a virtual component of General Conference much before it was obvious we would have to shift directions. Future conferences will be better because of the input they offered in meetings." - Rev. Lauren Bennett & Mike Haase 

Plans for a service have not yet been announced.