Meet an innoFaither: Abi Foerster
Meet Rev. Abi Foerster, Pastor of Community of Faith United Methodist Church in Herndon, VA. Shaped by her faith and own experiences as a child, and then as minister and parent, Pastor Abi brings an expansive ethic of inclusion to her work. Deeply committed to young people, she is currently launching a new initiative to engage young people across faith lines to develop their own capacities as inclusive leaders.
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? How does your tradition and/or spiritual practice inspire or influence you as an innovator?
I am Christian and an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, with roots in the Episcopal Church. My experience as a child adopted from foster care into a family of privilege in Arlington, VA, that was also committed to racial reconciliation and political activism during the 1970s meant that I often found myself at the intersectionality of many community groups and belief systems. My faith as a child and now as an adult has always been a grounding framework for working through challenging questions and situations without easy answers. The stories of faith reflected in the Bible have led me to discover inspiration from people like Moses, Ruth, and Jesus who have modeled the ability to navigate challenging intersections with grace, dignity, and tenacity to work together to create a better world. Twenty-five years ago, I co-founded a Christian youth mission organization that I walked away from when the Global Methodist Church launched as a separate denomination from the United Methodist Church over a dispute about the full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. Although this split was heartbreaking, it led me to dream new dreams inspired by my faith and belief that God sets a place at the table for all of us.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently developing a pilot youth program called Bridge Builders in tandem with Rev. Drew Ensz who serves as the campus pastor for ARISE at George Mason University (GMU). Through funding made possible by a grant, Bridge Builders will offer two separate week-long summer service projects for middle and high school youth from different faith traditions across Northern Virginia (NOVA). Youth will come together at GMU and leverage the new interfaith center on campus to create meaningful community. During the day, youth will serve together throughout NOVA at various projects to alleviate suffering, and then in the morning and at night we will use that time to learn more about one another, our faith, and where we can create lasting common ground. As we equip youth to be leaders, they will take the skills learned during this week-long experience and bring them forward to bless others in all future endeavors. Through this pilot program, our hope is to transform lives by building bridges between youth from different faith backgrounds as they serve together, develop interpersonal skills, and seek to model peace and civility across diversity.
What can we find you doing when you’re not working?
In my time off, I can be found at the movies, gardening, or spending time with my family and friends volunteering together or watching any sporting event my husband, Lacy, has scouted out for us to see.
What is piquing your curiosity these days?
The connection between food insecurity and affordable housing in Fairfax County, one of the wealthiest communities in our country. Over the past year, the congregation where I serve has been exploring creating affordable housing on the church’s excess / unused land. This idea grew out of the church’s commitment to the 50,000 neighbors who receive food annually from our food pantry, a program that has served the community for more than twenty-five years. I continue to wrestle with these questions: Why are so many neighbors food-insecure? Why are we facing a crisis around affordable housing in our community? How might people of faith from various backgrounds work together to address these critical needs? I believe we can find answers if we’re willing to innovate and collaborate.
What is something you’d like help on?
Identifying interfaith partners in NOVA who would welcome youth to attend services and learn more about their faith tradition.
What is something you can offer others in the innoFaith network?
In addition to my education as a pastor, I also hold a Master of Education from GMU in curriculum and instruction for diverse young learners. I have experience with starting two preschools in Fairfax County and managing several other large, faith-based daycare centers (150 children/25 staff). I’m happy to help other faith communities explore best practices or offer continuing education for staff. Also, as a parent of a transgender child with autism and a board member of the Arc of Greater Prince William, I have personal experience around identifying resources and advocating for individuals with IEPs and developmental challenges.
You can find Abi on LinkedIn and at Bridge Builders NOVA.
Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people. Find the full series at www.innofaith.org/meet-an-innofaither.