Our Community

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We are a Christ-centered congregation, that seeks to do justice, work for peace, and build an inclusive community. We are holy boundary pushers, reflecting Jesus’ love for all, compassion for the hurting, and advocacy for the oppressed. Being ready to listen and willing to act are essential parts of who we are. You will find us walking in CROP Walk, waving flags at Pride, praying together in contemplative circles, serving meals at Urban Ministry’s community kitchen, discussing books about intersections of justice, knitting prayer shawls, walking with formerly incarcerated individuals, serving communion to all, putting in solar panels, tutoring and mentoring bilingual students, going tubing en masse, grabbing brunch, and singing, always singing.

Pilgrim’s Leadership

Pilgrim UCC is a community of God’s beloved people, drawn together from diverse religious traditions. From our diversity comes our richness and strength.

In keeping with our own heritage and polity, and that of our denomination—the United Church of Christ—Pilgrim UCC is a congregational church, governed by the will of the community through elected boards that establish and supervise our policies and programs. This democratic process ensures that Pilgrim’s ministry and witness remain vital and relevant to our congregation and to the community in which we live and love.

Open and Affirming covenant

healing racism Covenant

Creation justice covenant

Our Boards & Ministry partners

Pilgrim’s Staff

Rev. Melinda Keenan Wood

Senior Pastor |she/her/ella | revwood@gmail.com

Zoom Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11:30am. Send an e-mail to set up a time.

Welcome! I am so glad you are checking Pilgrim out. Let me share a little about me. I am ordained in the Disciples of Christ tradition, (2000), a denomination that shares communion with the United Church of Christ. I was called to serve with Pilgrim, after a two year transition and search process, beginning our ministry together in September, 2017.

Prior to coming to Pilgrim, I served a Disciples of Christ congregation in Orlando, FL for fifteen years, ultimately helping my former congregation negotiate a settlement for its campus through eminent domain with the county in 2017. As I moved with the congregation through this painful four year process, I felt God’s call of leave-taking so that my former congregation could open itself to resurrection and new creation.

I have also served as the Minister in Residence for Chicago Theological Seminary and the Florida Center for Theological Studies. I graduated from University of Chicago with a Master of Divinity degree in 2000. I currently serve as a trustee for Disciple Divinity House, University of Chicago and served as President of its Alumni Council.

Prior to entering ministry, I worked for many years in corporate, government, nonprofit arenas, in Washington DC and Chicago. The concentration of my work, prior to accepting my call to ministry, was in international public policy through the Agency for International Development and World Vision. I hold a MBA from Loyola University, Chicago and a BA (French and Spanish) from Indiana University.

I pray my entire journey shapes and informs our ministry together.

Hannah Hansard

Office Administrator |she/her

Hannah is delighted to join us as Pilgrim Office Administrator. She joined our congregation in 2019, coming to us from Bethany UCC in Montpelier, Vermont, where she served as Communications Coordinator. Hannah is an avid jigsaw puzzler, writer, and theatre lover. She also greatly enjoys visiting Durham parks and playgrounds with her young son, hoping to one day tick them all off the list!

Gabriel Chapman

Nursery |they/them

Gabriel is a natural resources student at NCSU who recently came to Pilgrim's nursery team through a mutual connection. His other interests are gardening and like Leo, he is passionate about caring for and keeping of animals, and has a home full of hamsters and mice!

Leo Street

Nursery |he/they/them

Leo is a 20 year old student at Wake Tech. After graduating they hope to work in the field of environmental education. They are excited to be joining the nursery team and to get to know Pilgrim! He likes video games, science, and his menagerie of pets. Currently he has cats, dogs, lizards, and fish!

Felix Flanders

Director of Christian Education/Formation | she/her/ella | fflanders.pucc@gmail.com

Zoom Office Hours: By appointment (happily). Send an e-mail and then click this link.

Hello there! I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington in Communication Studies.I have worked in the field of education for over 12 years working with everyone from preschoolers through adults.

I transitioned from Pilgrim member to Pilgrim staff as the Director of Christian Education and Formation just before the pandemic. It’s been a journey to say the least. I continue to be grateful to serve my congregation and community as we surf this strange world together. I see working for Pilgrim as a way to live out my passion to help create a more just, healthy, loving, and joyful world, to move towards the dream of God’s beloved kindom.

You can find me writing Sunday School lessons, meeting with our youth, planning projects with our boards, dorking out on progressive Christian children’s books, and visioning with Pastor Lindy. If I am not at church I’m probably playing with my preschooler, contra dancing, playing cooperative board games, sewing messy embroidery animals, or trying to get the family bulldog Nugget not to eat sticks. I would love to meet you and help you find your authentic place at Pilgrim!

Ali Carnes

Music Director|she/her

Ali Carnes first encountered Pilgrim through her friendship with our former music director Roman Testroet. They both sang together in the wonderful Durham local choir SONAM (Singers of New and Ancient Music). She is a graduate of Grinnell College and Duke University. Ali is now math teacher at Triangle Day School by day and an enthusiastic singer and musician on the weekends we are so glad to have her aboard as our new music director.

Kyle Ballantine

Accompanist |he/him

Hello Pilgrim! I am so excited to get to know you and become a part of this special community. I have been involved in church music since I started singing in children's choir, and have been enamored by the pipe organ since hearing one at a Christmas Eve service when I was in elementary school.

I have over twenty years experience as an organist, a decade of which has been as a full-time church musician. I received my Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where I studied with Todd Wilson. My church music experience includes serving at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC; First Baptist Church of Savannah, GA; and in an internship at Plymouth Church of Shaker Heights (UCC).

My organ repertoire is varied, drawing from formal-traditional music of the baroque, classical, romantic, and contemporary periods, as well as traditional and modern arrangements of hymns. My favorite aspect of playing the organ is leading congregational singing.

In terms of life beyond music, I began working with the North Carolina Bar Association in March 2022 as a Communities Manager. I live in Hillsborough with my partner John, who is an elementary music teacher, and works in the Wake County Public School System. In my free time, if I’m not playing the piano or organ, I’m probably watching or reading the current political news, window shopping for home decor items, enjoying musicals at DPAC, or walking the beautiful trails near our home.

Guadalupe Antunez Ortiz

Custodian |she/her/ella

Guadalupe came to Pilgrim through Durham's Cenplex company. She loves reading, cooking, and being there for her family.