Hannah Turner
Minister for Youth, Young Adults, and Emerging Ministries
Meet Hannah
She/Her
Hannah grew up just South of the Bay Area in Morgan Hill and moved to Texas in 2019 to finish up Seminary with some in-the-field work and to be with her partner, Bailey. After enduring what was three too many Texas summers and one freeze…she is happy to be where it stays 70 year around.
Hannah looks for any excuse to go on a drive with her three dogs especially if it involves hikes, the beach, and Broadway show tunes. Both Bailey and Hannah enjoy the strategic board game nights or competitive video gaming.
Hannah has a BA in Business Administration from Vanguard University of Southern California in Costa Mesa. Following graduation in 2017, Hannah felt called to enter into vocational ministry and began her Seminary journey. She graduated in 2020 with her Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. Business and entrepreneurship will always be in Hannah’s toolbox and finds that those tools have a significant place in the church today. Hannah thoroughly enjoys discussions about theology and church history and welcomes challenging thoughts. She also enjoys grabbing a glass of various delicious beverages with another person to learn about their story and see how God is engaging with them.
Hannah’s church background is predominately in the Evangelical church. She has sensed that many of the young adults today are seeking a space to be truly themselves and to find healing from the evangelical americanized church. It is her hope to communicate to those young people with significant negative and exclusive experiences, that the Church and most of all, Jesus - was never meant to be presented in such ways.
When Hannah found her first UCC church in Dallas, it was an instant connection! She found it to be a denomination that was especially interested in its community and congregants. She has always found youth and young adults to be an integral part of the church community. Creating spaces for young people to be themselves without fear of judgment is where Hannah finds her call and passion. According to Hannah: “When we can find a place to be truly, wholly, and authentically ourselves we truly bear the image of God.”