Starla Gooch

Starla Gooch is a PhD student in the Practical Theology track at Boston University School of Theology with a concentration in Pastoral Theology and Psychology. Starla’s primary research interests focus on the intersection of theology, spiritual formation, and attachment theory—particularly how pastoral leadership and care affects the attachment styles of parishioners in Pentecostal communities. Prior to attending BU, Starla received a B.A. in Christian Ministries and Biblical Literature from Indiana Wesleyan University, a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Intercultural Studies from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology from Duke Divinity School. As a practitioner, Starla has served as a pastor within both church and university contexts and most recently as a chaplain in hospice. Ordained with the Assemblies of God, a fellowship in which nearly 14% of credentialed ministers serve as missionaries either nationally or globally, Starla desires to extend her research in pastoral theology to missiological communities.