Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson

Co-Senior Pastor

Reverend Elder Dr. Nancy Wilson was elected to the position of Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) in 2005–2016, following the retirement of the Founder of MCC, Rev. Elder Troy Perry. She is the first woman to have served in that role since the founding of Metropolitan Community Churches in 1968. Rev. Nancy obtained her B.A. from Allegheny College, her M. Div. from St. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, and her D. Min. from Episcopal Divinity School in 2011. She also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from EDS in 2016.

She served as pastor of Church of the Trinity MCC in Sarasota, Florida, from 2001 to 2005 and was previously the pastor of MCC Los Angeles—now Founders MCC—from 1986 until 2001; the church founded by Rev. Troy Perry in 1968. Rev. Nancy joined MCC as Associate Pastor of MCC Boston in 1972 at 22 years of age. She served as Pastor of MCC Detroit from 1975 to 1979.

She served as the official delegate of MCC to the World Council of Churches General Assemblies in Canberra, Australia (1991); Harare, Zimbabwe (1998); and Porto Alegre, Brazil (2006).

Rev. Nancy is also an Associate Minister with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries in which Dr. Yvette Flunder serves as the Presiding Bishop.

In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Rev. Wilson to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Following President Obama’s re-election in 2013, Rev. Nancy gave a Scripture reading at the Inaugural Prayer Service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and was the first openly gay clergy member to participate.

In 2014, Rev. Nancy was named as one of the spokespeople for Blessed Tomorrow, a team of twenty-one top ecumenical and interfaith leaders to spearhead an effort to mobilize religious communities to address environmental concerns. Blessed Tomorrow emerged from EcoAmerica MomentUs, a group that invited Rev. Wilson to join in 2013 as they began to formalize their strategy to secure grassroots support through faith groups to work toward climate solutions in their congregations, communities, and homes.

In May 2014, Rev. Nancy was one of four honorees to be recognized by Intersections International for her humanitarian work in the area of social justice.

In honor of International Women’s Day in 2014, HuffPost selected Rev. Nancy  as one of 50 “powerful religious leaders…making change in the world.”

Rev. Nancy's published works include: I Love to tell the Story (2016, Books to Believe In); Outing the Bible: Queer Folks, God, Jesus, and the Christian Scriptures (LifeJourney Press); Outing the Church: 40 Years in the Queer Christian Movement (LifeJourney Press); Nossa Tribo: Gays, Deus, Jesus e a Bíblia (Metanoia); Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus and the Bible (Alamo Press); with Fr. Malcolm Boyd, Amazing Grace. Rev. Wilson’s prayers and poems are included in Race and Prayer, edited by Malcolm Boyd and Chester Talton (Morehouse Press).

Rev. Nancy is frequently published in Huffington Post, and has been interviewed by various local, national, and international news agencies about matters related to the LGBTQI community and social justice issues. Rev. Nancy has spoken at colleges, national, and international conferences on the topics of eradicating human trafficking, a queer response to climate change, global LGBTQI human rights, religion and social change, and marriage equality.

Rev. Nancy is a popular preacher and speaker and was invited to preach at the Earl Lectures at Pacific School of Religion in 2002. She is also one of the founders of Trinity Charities, a nonprofit located in Sarasota, Florida, that provides support, education and intervention for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and for those in temporary crisis.

Rev. Nancy resides in Bradenton, Florida, USA, with her wife of 39 years, Dr. Paula Schoenwether.

Rev. Nancy currently serves as Co-Senior Pastor of SunCoast Cathedral MCC, in Venice, Florida.

revdrnancywilson@suncoastmcc.com
(941) 484-7068