New Leaders: Nicole Conard

Barely a teenager, Nicole Conard came home from a social gathering at Clemmons United Methodist Church in Clemmons, N.C., where seventh-graders like her had not mixed so well with eight-graders, and announced to her parents, "Well, when I'm a minister, this is not going to happen."

Although she already was very active in youth activities at Clemmons, it was the first time Conard verbalized her interest in someday becoming a minister.

Conard says her parents seemed to always be at church, and she even remembers taking naps on pews while they attended meetings. Growing up, she sang in the children's choir, regularly read scripture and gave testimonies in worship services, was a student leader in the youth group and taught youth Disciple Bible Study.

"Any time they needed a youth face on things, they always asked me," she recalls.

And she also remembers the nurturing she received from both church ministers and members as she made her way along her faith journey.

"If it weren't for the people who were part of the congregation and their receptivity and their love and care, I think I would be a very different person," says Conard, who believes nurturing is "just a part of the congregation's DNA" at Clemmons.

"I think people saw the gifts within me that God has given me, and they wanted me to be able to use them however that might be," she says. Pastors, youth counselors and special people in the church she calls her "mentors" were always supporting her by saying things like: "Yes, we're behind you," "What can we do?" "You're a special person" and "We want to take care of you."

Conard majored in religious studies and human services as an undergraduate at Elon University in Elon, N.C., then attended Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Now 28 years old, she was ordained earlier this year and serves as pastor of caring ministries at Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kan.