Board Members

2020-2021 Board Members

Dr. Kathe Pfisterer Darr

Professor Katheryn Pfisterer Darr, a 1989 winner of Boston University’s prestigious Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching, has authored three books, essays and articles for essay collections and major scholarly journals, respectively, and educational materials for the United Methodist Publishing House. To date, her writings have focused especially on the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel. Her current research/writing project is a study of proverbs appearing in ancient Israel’s prophetic corpus. Professor Darr served on the Editorial Board for the New Interpreter’s Bible commentary series (Abingdon Press) and authored the commentary on Ezekiel for that series. She enjoys bringing biblical scholarship not only to her students, but also to pastors and their congregations.

Rev. Dr. Cristian De la Rosa

The Rev. Dr. Cristian De La Rosa received her PhD in Theology and Ethics from Chicago Theological Seminary where her dissertation focused on contextual dynamics of power and agency. Her areas of interest and scholarship include Mujerista Theology, cultural theory, Latin American Liberation Theology, and the Hispanic/Latino community and its religious history. She is invested in social justice making, religious leadership formation, and bridge building between the academy, the church and diverse communities. Dr. De La Rosa is a clergy member of the New England Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. She served as pastor of local congregations in Washington, DC, Dallas, TX, and Lincoln, NE. Before her appointment at Boston University she served as Director of Continuing Education and Course of Study School at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and with The Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH) as the National Director for Tertulias Pastorales, an ecumenical clergy initiative sponsored by the Lilly Foundation. She currently serves as the National Director for the Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy (HYLA), Administrative Co-convener for the National Association of UM Latina Clergy Women (ACLAMEN), as UM delegate with the National Council of Churches, and as a board Member for the Hispanic Summer Program (HSP).

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling is the episcopal servant and leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, the oldest and most diverse annual conference in The United Methodist Church. She is the first woman to lead this historic conference. Bishop Easterling was appointed to this office in September 2016, following her election to the episcopacy that July. She was ordained a Deacon in 1995 and an Elder in 1997, and was pastor of Union UMC in Boston’s historic South End, Pearl Street UMC in Brockton, Mass., and Old West Church, UM, in Boston. A strong proponent of education, Easterling received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a Law degree from Indiana University School of Law. She graduated summa cum laude in 2004 with a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology. Easterling has received numerous awards and recognitions, most recently receiving the 2017 Rainbow Push Trombone Award for Faith in Action, presented by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Bishop Susan Hassinger

The Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference elected Bishop Hassinger to the episcopacy in July 1996, and from 1996 until 2004 she served as the episcopal leader of the Boston Area. Since retiring in 2004, she has been bishop-in-residence and adjunct faculty at Boston University School of Theology, Boston, Massachusetts. Bishop Hassinger has also served as a director for the General Board of Global Ministries (1980-1988), the General Board of Discipleship (1992-1996 and 2000-2004) and Liaison between Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church and the 13 United Methodist schools of theology in the United States (September 2005 to present). She served as president of JUSTPEACE (2000-2004) and vice-chairperson of Anna Howard Shaw Center Board, Boston University School of Theology (2005-present).

Ms. Meghan Mantler

Rev. Dr. HiRho Park

Director of Continuing Formation for Ministry in The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church. Park oversees the continuing education and spiritual formation for clergy and provides support for United Methodist clergywomen, as well as racial and ethnic clergy in areas of theological education, enlistment, and research. She coordinates the Women of Color Scholarship Mentoring program and the Georgia Harkness Scholarship program. She relates to Boards of Ordained Ministry, clergywomen, racial and ethnic clergy, annual conferences, and seminaries. Park is an elder of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. She holds D. Min. from Wesley Theological Seminary and is ABD in Practical Theology, Boston University School of Theology.

Rev. Dr. Laurel Scott

Pastor/Scholar, The Rev. Dr. Laurel E. Scott “is on a mission from God” as the Blues Brothers poster hanging on the wall in her office proclaims. The mission as she sees it is to share the love of God by ministering to the needs of all God’s people – whatever the need. Born on the beautiful island of Barbados in the Caribbean, Laurel was educated there through Community College. After immigrating to the U.S over 40 years ago, Laurel added to her academic credentials at Brooklyn College, CUNY and New York University. A proud graduate of Boston University School of Theology, Rev. Scott’s dissertation on the treatment of immigrants by the church in the United States introduced a distinct ministry process into the discipline of Practical Theology – Integrative Multicultural Ministry. Rev. Scott’s call to ministry was gradual, as she served in lay leadership positions in several churches over the years; that call finally crystalizing when she was a member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Brooklyn. Prior to ordained ministry, Rev. Scott worked for the City of New York in middle management and executive positions in Social Services and Education. She is a preacher, educator, published author, experienced planner and accomplished public speaker. In the church, she has served as President of the National Association of Commissions on Equitable Compensation; Chair of the Commission on Religion and Race and Labor Justice Advocate in the New England Annual Conference; Chair of the Massachusetts Labor Guild and on the Board of Jobs for Justice Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Bible Society.