The Rev. Shannon Joshi, the new associate conference minister for the Northern Region, seems to have been born for the role. She’s an Eau Claire native and holds a degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She eventually found her way onto the staff of First Congregational UCC in Eau Claire. Ordained in 2024, she served as associate pastor at First Congregational joining the Conference staff. Just before joining the Conference staff on June 22, Shannon accompanied a high school group on an immersion trip to sites that played key roles in the Civil Rights movement. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Why did you feel called to judicatory work?
Serving on a fitness review team exposed me to judicatory work. The reviews I participated in were intense and in depth, and they developed my skills for judicatory work. I learned that I enjoyed helping people through difficult moments and helping groups of people think innovatively about change.
Talking about change in the church is challenging.
It excites me to work with congregations that engage in the uncomfortable work that involves change. My role at First Congregational put me in position to think constantly about where we are going, and I learned the importance of beginning to think now about where we’re going to be in 20 years.
Describe your leadership style.
My style is to walk alongside people through the hard times and joyous times, to be a resource without being heavy-handed, and to be a good listener Then you can help them organize themselves around how they want to proceed forward. I can’t do the job for them, but I can help get the bumps in the road out of the way.
Who in particular has shaped your approach to leadership?
Our senior pastor at First Congregational, Mark Pirazinni, for sure. He also encouraged and gave me the freedom to try many ways of living into being a leader – and showed me that how I show up as a leader may need to change based on the situation.
What has been the most eye-opening aspect of ministry?
Youth ministry – when we allow the youth a space to immerse themselves and show up in really tough places. Then, during the debrief afterward, I get out of the way and let them talk. They think and engage in ways most adults don’t give them credit for. This is the future of the faith, and we shouldn’t force them to wait until adulthood to step into leadership.
What advice would you give your younger self before pursuing ministry?
The advice would be to give myself grace, lean into mistakes and learn from them, then move forward. And to remember that my style of ministry is the right style as it is.