Meet the Minister
Rev. Jennifer was born in Garden Grove, California and raised in Washington, D.C. (as her father was minister at the Church of the Holy City), Colorado and Southern California. Rev. Jennifer was married in 2008 at Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Spiritual Experience From Call to Ministry
Rev. Jennifer resided in Boston, Massachusetts after college, when she discerned her call to ministry. Rev. Jennifer planned to start her drive across country to make her home base Southern California on September 12, 2001. On the morning of September 11th she learned about the tragic events as they were unfolding in ‘live time.’
One of Rev. Jennifer’s life-long friends, Alicia Titus, died that day. Alicia was a flight attendant on United Flight 175, which was the second plane to crash into the World Trade Center. A memorial service was to be held for Alicia in Urbana, OH since she grew up in that area. This appeared to be a “coincidence,” but Rev. Jennifer strongly believes in Divine Providence which states that our lives are Divinely guided by God and angels.
As Rev. Jennifer drove through Pennsylvania, a monarch butterfly crossed her windshield each hour. It wasn’t until a couple years passed that she learned about Alicia’s love of butterflies. Rev. Jennifer made it to the memorial service for Alicia and is dedicated to keeping her friend’s goal of world peace alive.
Each year the congregation holds an annual memorial service on September 11th. We dedicate the collection from the service to the Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund at Urbana University.
Impressions of Rev. Jennifer Tafel
Swedenborgian ministers are the real deal: sincerely authentic—in a sort of "what you see is what you get" kind of way. Rev. Jennifer Tafel is no exception. A bonus is that she is approachable, immediately engaging, lively, cheerful, energetic, enthusiastic, serious about her work, and an innovative-thinking minister.
Rev. Jennifer is a pastor who knows the power of prayer and community. She will listen to your concerns in a seriously helpful way. If you have a problem she would be a safe one to tell. Rev. Jennifer is a healer and a deeply creative, intelligent, determined individual; and thankfully in today's world is able to think outside the box on just about anything—Church, problem solving, finding purpose in work or recreation.
Biography
Rev. Jennifer has a variety of educational experiences. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Urbana University (Ohio), majoring in Communications with a Theater minor. Urbana University was founded by the Swedenborgian Church—one of the more unique selling features of the university. She received a Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California and also a Certificate of Completion for Swedenborgian Studies in 2005. Rev. Jennifer was ordained in 2007 at Hope College in Holland, Michigan at our annual church convention. She chose to answer the call to ministry because of her love of the church and respect for the theology.
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