Susan Leonard

Susan has served in pastoral ministry since 1990 with congregations of varying sizes, helping churches navigate seasons of growth, change, and transition. Her leadership is grounded in a deep love for the church and a desire to cultivate communities where people can grow in faith, discover their gifts, and flourish together. Susan’s gifts include worship leadership, communication, and helping people connect faith with the realities of everyday life. She especially enjoys the work of finding thoughtful, well-crafted words that help people see scripture, themselves, and the world with greater clarity and hope. Having served in mid-sized and larger churches, she has enjoyed developing healthy staff teams, strengthening collaborative leadership, and creating cultures where people and ministries can thrive. Susan’s calling includes a genuine curiosity and desire for continued growth, both personally and as a pastoral leader in an ever-changing world. She believes that authentic leadership creates space for people and communities to grow in faith in ways that are both deep and wide – and to become agents of transformation in God’s ongoing work of helping earth look more like heaven. Susan is available for presentations, serving as Faculty in the Lead Pastor Learning Community, and leadership coaching in the near future. Susan is currently in her ninth year as the senior pastor of Bethel United Methodist Church in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina.