Hello all,
For those I haven’t met yet, I’m Margie Peeler—a recent Duke Divinity School graduate and someone whose sense of the Divine has been meaningfully shaped by time spent tending to plants on small-scale farms and gardens. I’ve spent the last several years exploring how faith can take root in all kinds of places—from college campuses to farm fields to hospital rooms.
I’m thrilled to share some exciting news about the next chapter in my ministry journey. Beginning August 1, I stepped into a full-time Pastoral Residency—a unique, yearlong position shaped through a creative Spirit-filled partnership between Presbyterian Campus Ministry at UNC-Chapel Hill (PCM), the Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South (RCWMS), and Farm Church in Durham.
This role is designed to support vibrant ministry across multiple communities while also helping me continue to grow as a pastor. I’ll split my time working about 20 hours a week with PCM, walking alongside UNC students in their journeys of faith, doubt, and discovery, and about 20 hours a week shared between Farm Church and RCWMS, blending hands-on ministry in the garden, worship leadership, and community engagement with work that supports creative, inclusive, justice-seeking ministry.
The residency is as much about mentorship and formation as it is about the work itself. Leaders from all three organizations will help me reflect on my pastoral identity, hone my leadership skills, and integrate my passions for food, faith, and justice into every aspect of my ministry.
During my seminary years (like much of my life thus far) it has felt difficult to “pick a lane.” My interests pulled me into a wide range of work and study including work in campus ministry, environmental justice, and hospital chaplaincy. I’ve accompanied students as they healed from harmful theologies and rediscovered their belovedness. I’ve partnered with faith communities to address climate resilience in rural North Carolina. During my CPE internship, I was invited into some of life’s most vulnerable moments—learning to listen deeply, hold space without judgment, and trust in the Spirit’s presence in the midst of uncertainty.
This residency feels like the perfect convergence of my experiences and hopes for ministry. It brings together three communities that I love and that already know me well:
● PCM, where I previously served as a seminary intern, fostering relationships with students who remind me daily that faith and doubt can dance together.
● Farm Church, where I’ve served on the council and in the garden, experiencing firsthand how growing and sharing food can be a form of worship and justice. If you’d like to join us for gardening and/or worship, we gather 9-11am on Sundays in the garden on the corner of Watts and Green street in Trinity Park, or feel free to wander the garden anytime.
● RCWMS, where I’ve participated in cohorts that celebrate and equip women and gender-expansive people for leadership in the church and beyond.
What excites me most is the cross-pollination this role makes possible. The stories and gifts from one community can enrich the others. The theological curiosity of students can energize Farm Church’s garden ministry. The creative vision of RCWMS can inspire new ways of engaging justice on campus. The rooted, embodied spirituality of the garden can speak to those in the midst of academic or vocational discernment.
I’m deeply grateful for the collaboration and generosity that made this position possible. Each organization is contributing financially and committing to the shared work of mentoring me during this year. It’s a model that I hope can inspire other ministries to think creatively about supporting emerging pastors.
This residency is not just about my growth—it’s about strengthening the communities I serve and helping them flourish together. My hope is that, a year from now, we’ll be able to say we tended something beautiful together: relationships deepened, ministries strengthened, and God’s love made visible in fresh, abundant ways.
Thank you for your encouragement, prayers, and partnership in this journey. I can’t wait to see what grows.
With gratitude,
Margie Peeler
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