Rev. Dr. Christy Wood

I've been a chaplain for 11 years and became board certified 5 years ago. Throughout my career, I've worked predominantly in hospital settings, and I was at Ground Zero in Austin, Texas during the pandemic. A lot of my chaplaincy has been involved with women's health and maternal health - I know antepartum all the way to postpartum and NICU, and that's really been a huge part of my work. After the pandemic, I wanted to be able to experience people dying well, so I shifted to hospice for a period of time. But I missed the hospital and I missed having a team that you work with and see every day. I like working with a team, I like mentoring residents and interns, and getting to know your assigned units - it's just so much deeper and richer for me, personally. I recently moved to be with my fiance as we plan to get married, and I was just offered a contract to fill in for parental leave for one of the chaplains at Children's Health Hospital. My Doctor of Ministry actually focused on writing a resource for spiritual caregivers to be better spiritual companions to people with bipolar disorder. Mental health advocacy is my primary passion because of my own struggles with mental health. I'm also passionate about LGBTQ advocacy, particularly working in the church to let people know that there are progressive churches where you can do anything, be anything. It was a long journey - I was ordained 30 years after my initial call, having navigated barriers as a woman and LGBTQ person in ministry. I finally found my home in the United Church of Christ. What drives me is this belief that God calls us and gifts us to do things, and I just want people to know that they are loved, that they are unique, and that they have something to offer. I want them to feel seen and heard.