United Church of Christ Mental Health Network

Working to reduce stigma & promote the inclusion of people with mental illnesses/brain disorders.

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Board Members

We are a very committed group of volunteers, and we always welcome hearing from you. To start the WISE process for your congregation, click here or email us at wise@mhn-ucc.org.

Read the latest news from the UCC MHN board of directors

Current Mental Health Network Board of Directors & Officers

Bishop Allyson D. Nelson Abrams, DMin.
Chair
Bishop Allyson Abrams is the founder/pastor of Empowerment Liberation Cathedral (DC). She is the founder/president of Empowerment Justice Center & EJC Wellness Center. Her loving spirit and compassion for creation brought her to wellness for all. She is an entrepreneur. Dr. Abrams currently serves on the NSBA Leadership Council. She is the wife of Dr. Diana Williams and the mother of 3 college graduate children. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @Bishop Allyson Abrams
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Rev. Lisa LeSueur
Secretary

Rev. Lisa LeSueur is the Minister of Congregational and Staff Care at Coral Gables United Church of Christ, and she recently graduated with a Master's in Divinity. She has been a member of the UCC MHN Board of Directors for three years and is a frequent contributor to the MHN blog.  She lives in Coral Gables, Florida, with her spouse and their two children. Lisa is the MHN's leader for the Genesis Grant Project.

Rev. John Abel, MDiv MBA.
Treasurer

An ordained minister and clinical chaplain with specialized training and experience in the addiction recovery field, Jack, as he is called, lives in between Wernersville, Pennsylvania, and the Delaware seashore, combining his devotion to family in Delaware and his ministry with Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania. He has served on the MHN board for several years, passionately supporting local and wider church involvement in these areas of need.

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Kyle Michael Ingram, MSW.
Board Member at Large

Kyle (he/him) joined the UCC MHN board in 2020 and brings more than 7 years of experience working in public policy at the intersection of disability, social justice, and economic inequality.  He also serves on the WISE team for the Indiana-Kentucky Conference of the UCC. Kyle lives in central Indiana with his wife.

Rev. Megan Osborn Snell, MDiv.
Board Member at Large

Rev. Megan Osborn Snell (she/her/hers) is an ordained Pastor in the UCC and serves as Chaplain (Spiritual Advisor) at a Recovery Center in the Boston metro area. She holds an MDiv from Andover Newton Theological School. She is in the process of completing a DMin at Pacific School of Religion, focusing on mental health and the Christian church. (MHN Board of Directors since 2019).

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Dr. Vicki Kaye Harvey
WISE Team Member

Vicki is on her first term as a board member and a psychologist in Diamond Bar, California. She has developed a pre-WISE survey and connects with post-WISE churches. She speaks about her experience of suicide in her family, how to heal, and hold another through the trauma of a loved one in this life place. God's extravagance provided MHN as her vehicle of service.

Rev. Marty Kuchma
Board Member
Marty is Senior Pastor of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Westminster, Maryland. He holds a BA in psychology, MSW, M.Div., and D.Min. He is also Senior Adjunct Professor at Lancaster Theological Seminary and Adjunct Faculty and Field Education Consultant in the McDaniel College Social Work Department. He is involved in a wide range of community and wider church activities.
Rev. Kirk L. Moore
Board Member

Rev. Kirk L. Moore is a guitarist, vocalist, and a certified music practitioner, (CMP). He’s also the pastor of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Downers Grove, IL, and a member of the board of the UCC Mental Health Network. 

Therapeutic MusicSt. Pauls UCC
Averyn Payne, PhD.
Board Member

Averyn began their first year in Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School in fall 2020, the same time they joined the Board. Averyn is curious about the ways faith communities can be places of transformation and radical welcoming to those with mental health challenges and seeks to combine their experience as a counselor with their passion for God and justice.

Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, D.Min., MDiv, MSW
Ex-Officio / Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice

Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund serves as the Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice for the national setting of the United Church of Christ. She is the author of Blessed Are The Crazy: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness, Family and Church. She is also a former UCC MHN board member.

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Rev. Alan Johnson
Chair Emeritus

In 2009, Alan was asked to be the chair of the UCC Mental Illness Network and began the reformation of what has become the UCC Mental Health Network.  Since then, he had been the coordinator and then chair of the UCC MHN until 2020. Alan is a retired UCC clergy, a volunteer mental health advocate, and a church member, which developed the WISE program.

Cassidy Hall
Communications
Cassidy Hall (MA, MDiv, MTS) is an author, filmmaker, podcaster, and holds a Masters of Divinity, Masters of Theological Studies, and Masters in Counseling. Born and raised in Iowa, she now works at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Indianapolis where she is pursuing ordination in the UCC.
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Past Board Members

  • Rev. Dr. Rachael A. Keefe
  • Rev. Hannah Campbell Gustafson
  • R. Jeffrey Pollock
  • Karl Shallowhorn
  • Anne Weiher
  • Thomas Coates
  • Judy Johnson
  • Alison Bess
  • Rev. Carrie Bail
  • Devin Shmueli
  • Johari Sharp
  • Gabrielle Bychowski
  • Salome As-Salaam
  • Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund
  • Rev. Angela Whitenhill
  • Kerrie Hein
  • Rev. Amy Petré-Hill, J.D.
  • Rev. Shernell Edney Stilley
  • Ms. Robin Kempster, R.N.
  • Rev. Dr. Jan Remer-Osborn
  • Rev. Jon Gilbert Martinez

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Our Partners

  • The United Church of Christ
  • UCC Disabilities Ministries
  • Advocate Aurora Health – The Center for Faith and Community Health Transformation

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