The recipient of 91大神鈥檚 2025 Outstanding Young Alum Award, the Rev. Brittany 鈥淪mash鈥� Caine-Conley MDiv 鈥�14, will teach trauma and resilience studies at Eastern Mennonite Seminary this fall.

She will also teach at 91大神鈥檚 Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and work with the Seminary Extended grant in collaboration with Union Presbyterian Seminary and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Caine-Conley grew up in Harrisonburg and described returning to teach at 91大神 as 鈥渁 dream.鈥�

鈥�91大神 attends to the fact that students are whole people, and it鈥檚 a gift for me to be part of an institution that understands that and strives toward educating the whole person,鈥� she said. 鈥溾�here seems to be a concerted effort to prepare students to engage with what is really a complex and challenging society in ways that are both nuanced and hopeful.鈥�

The pastor, organizer, and leader in movement chaplaincy has extensive experience supporting communities through crisis, healing, and transformation. She was instrumental in founding and leading Congregate Charlottesville, which helped faith communities respond to collective trauma in the aftermath of white supremacist violence in 2017. In recognition of her work, she was honored by the National Council of Churches as a co-recipient of the President鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership.

She said her experiences in a class on racial healing and whiteness, taught by Dr. David Evans, while she was a seminary student, were especially formative.

鈥淭hat was where I began, for the first time in my life, to examine white supremacy culture and the limitations of certain types of allyship,鈥� Caine-Conley said. 鈥淚t was that foundation that allowed me to move into organizing toward a different orientation, one of embodying anti-racist solidarity.鈥�

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, said Caine-Conley brings a dynamic combination of academic scholarship, pastoral leadership, trauma-informed community care, and social justice engagement.

鈥淎s an alumna of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Rev. Caine-Conley remains deeply connected to our mission of peacebuilding and transformative education,鈥� Bixler said.

Caine-Conley is currently completing her PhD in religious studies from the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology, where her research explores the intersections of theology, identity, power, social transformation, and human experience. She served as adjunct faculty at Iliff, teaching courses on identity, power, vocation, and community engagement. Prior to doctoral studies, she gained valuable pastoral experience through church planting, worship ministry, and ministering with university students.

鈥淲e look forward to the pastoral wisdom, experience in faith community organizing, and compassionate leadership she will bring to our students and campus this fall,鈥� Bixler said.

Learn more about Eastern Mennonite Seminary at emu.edu/seminary.