Doe Hoyer, who is pursuing an MDiv in Social Transformation, grew up southeast of the Twin Cities. Their grandfather was a Lutheran pastor. “I really had a strong love and resonance with him as a child,” Doe shares, but “as a queer child, I always felt like a misfit” at the family’s Lutheran church. It has taken some time, but since starting at United, Doe has found where their gifts can flourish and grow.
The Slow Road to Seminary
When Doe was 16, they experienced a “devastating loss” when a cousin tragically died. Retrospectively, they acknowledge there was a “missed opportunity for spiritual care there.” That trauma turned Doe away from religion and spirituality for many years.
After earning a BA in linguistics at Macalester College, Doe’s early jobs included teaching ESL to Latinx and Somali adults. Though teaching a colonizing language bothered Doe, they learned how challenging it is for immigrants to navigate American systems.
Meanwhile, through involvement with the local Reclaiming Pagan community, Doe found “a thread of earth-based spirituality” and “community singing.” They also made an important connection with United alum Colleen Cook* (’12), with whom they lived for six months. Not only did Colleen share stories about their time at United, they proved to be a “vocal encourager.”
During what they describe as a “seven-year discernment process,” Doe took on more leadership roles, learned how to be a community song leader, and had experiences that affirmed the spirituality in nature. Then, just a few weeks before Colleen passed away in 2019, they texted Doe: “Maybe you want to apply to United.”
Growing into an Organizer
“Reckoning with my Christian roots and learning more at United,” Doe asserts, “has allowed me to have so much more flexible thinking about Christianity.” They made strong connections with other students in their “incredible” formation class with Rev. Dr. John Lee (’19). Rev. Dr. Jessica Chapman Lape’s “amazing classes” have “yielded connections with inspiring chaplains,” and they treasure the feedback and encouragement from professors Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman, Rev. Dr. Gary Green, and Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis.
For the past year, Doe has also worked as an organizer and song leader for the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. The Coalition, co-founded by Sarah Augustine—a Pueblo (Tewa) descendant—“calls on the Christian Church to address the extinction, enslavement, and extraction done in the name of Christ on Indigenous lands.”
Doe’s local involvement with repair communities for Makoce Ikikcupi, the Dakota land recovery project, helped them get the job. Doe believes lessons learned in United’s social transformation and chaplaincy courses have strengthened their organizing abilities.
As Doe explains it, chaplaincy’s emphasis on remaining present and open with another helps temper the social transformation push for action and systemic change. Moving between these skill sets helps Doe forge deeper and longer-lasting relationships with other activist organizers.
Following the Spirit
“I could not be doing this work,” Doe attests, “without the learning and reflective experiences I have had through United.” They now encourage others to check out the seminary. “We need people who are going to engage robustly with their own spirituality, what it means to bring that to others in this world,” and how that can play out in meaningful service.
* Deceased