Her Story
About Sarah
Sarah Majors is a dedicated pastoral leader with over five years of experience in ministry, congregational leadership, and community building. She currently serves as Senior Pastor at Open Table United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she leads worship, pastoral care, and congregational development in a welcoming and inclusive community. She has been in this role for five years, having previously served at another church in North Carolina for two years following her Master of Divinity from Duke. Sarah was the first out queer woman ordained in the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. She is currently pursuing a doctoral program in creative and courageous church leadership focused on building more inclusive, community-based, and justice-oriented churches. Sarah is recognized as a compassionate and visionary spiritual leader deeply committed to fostering belonging and serving others with integrity. She is skilled in pastoral leadership, community engagement, and navigating the unique challenges of church administration and community hub development.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t let anyone steal your joy.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Decide what pieces of yourself you refuse to give up in order to do this work and never move on it. I decided what was non-negotiable for me to do this early on. I know who I am and what I refuse to change about myself. If that ultimately means I can't stay in this industry, I am okay with that. What I refuse to do is to make myself smaller or become a version of myself that I don't recognize.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
There’s an entire generation of people who have been harmed by the church and poor theology. So many people, particularly those who are minorities, have left church not because they lost their faith but because they were exiled or treated poorly by the people in the church. Undoing harm done, creating meaningful connection opportunities, not behaving in hypocritical ways, teaching better theology, and moving away from a financial model solely based in tithing is necessary for the church to continue to have a meaningful impact on the world.
On a more personal note, I started working as a Senior Pastor of a church at 27. People assume I’m not qualified for what I do even though I have all the degrees and am ordained. The church institutionally doesn’t treat female clergy as well as male clergy, doesn’t pay female clergy as well, and many still believe women don’t belong in leadership at all,
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value kindness, gentleness, and laughter. Kindness is an overused word and underrated trait to find in others. In a world that is so harsh, I often find myself praying to be brave enough to remain gentle. I believe in being silly and that there’s healing found in deep belly laughs.
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