Author
Kelly Ryan
Missioner for discipleship, Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
The Rev. Deacon Kelly Ryan is missioner for discipleship in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Prior to that, she worked to strengthen the communication capacity of Lilly Endowment grantees in religion through the Evaluation and Communications Project at the Indianapolis Center for Congregations. From 2020 through June 2023, she facilitated a learning community of grantees as the director of the Thriving Congregations Coordination Program.
Prior to that, she spent 12 years as senior director of communications for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, overseeing its online learning resource Faith & Leadership, after working as a communications strategist and newspaper reporter.
Since ordination as a vocational deacon in 2024, she has served as deacon and children’s minister at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Durham, North Carolina. Ryan holds a Master of Divinity degree, a certificate in Christian education and an MA in Christian practice from Duke Divinity School, as well as a BA in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
A learning resource for Christian leaders and their
