Rachel MontgomertSwain

I am a pastor of a Baptist church and a bivocational minister, meaning I work and pastor at the same time. I work at Methodist Children's Home as a student support specialist, where I teach social-emotional learning and awareness to disadvantaged youth, children in CPS custody, and kids with behavioral problems or on the autism spectrum. I help them in the classroom and with behavioral situations. I'm also taking classes part-time at Baylor's Truett Theological Seminary, working on my doctorate. My goal is to eventually open up a transitional home for disadvantaged youth, mothers, and men and women just getting out of prison or jail. I want to leave the social setting and be a chaplain full-time, either at homes or hospitals. I already volunteer as a chaplain at our juvenile center. Before this, I worked for 17 years as an LVN at the VA Hospital in the geriatric unit, and I was also the assistant general manager of Hotel Waco. I became pastor after my uncle, who pastored our church for 57 years, passed away and the church voted me in. I'm actually the first Black woman nominated as senior pastor here in Waco. I love what I do because I can help people, comfort them in their time of need, and let them know that all knockdowns and setbacks are not final.