Welcoming CNP’s Second Covenant Fellows Cohort
CNP Welcomes Second Covenant Fellows Cohort
The Covenant Network of Presbyterians is thrilled to welcome the second cohort of Covenant Fellows, ten emerging PC(USA) leaders who will begin a nine-month program this September. After a successful inaugural year, CNP is expanding the program to welcome a larger cohort of pastors, seminary students and recent graduates.
Through monthly virtual seminars, mentorship from experienced advocates, local advocacy projects and supportive community, CNP looks forward to supporting these leaders in helping the church live more fully into its calling of welcome and inclusion for all God's people. The program opens with a retreat where participants will deepen relationships and strengthen their commitment to this vital work.
Nat Aikman (she/they) is a recent M.Div graduate from Vanderbilt Divinity School. As a lifelong Presbyterian, and a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, Nat is excited to join the Covenant Network Fellowship to make professional connections within the PCUSA and work towards a more inclusive, more loving church.
Brooke Brundige (she/her) is the Director of Children & Family Ministry at Village Presbyterian Church, where our buildings are filled with the energy, laughter, and wonder of children every day of the week. I'm a mom of four, a newly minted empty nester, and a first-time camper owner embracing this new season of life and adventure. When I'm not at church, you'll likely find me chasing mountain views, live music, and outdoor adventures—preferably with the people I love. I'm a big fan of humans in all their wonderful variety and committed to creating spaces where everyone feels genuinely welcomed, included, valued, and at home. I believe life is a team sport, and community is strongest when everyone has a place to belong, connect, and grow.
John Curran (he/him) was born and raised in the Disciples of Christ tradition, which is the denomination both of his parents were ordained in as pastors. After graduating from college, he moved to Durham, NC and worked as a community engagement coordinator at a federally qualified health center. It was during this time that John started attending a Presbyterian church and felt the call to ministry. After a few twists and turns in his journey, he graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in May 2026. John is deeply passionate about expanding the Church's extravagant welcome and creating safe and affirming worshipping communities, where all of God's kindom are treated with care, dignity, and respect. He is thrilled to be starting a pastoral residency at First Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor, MI. In his free time, John enjoys writing and reading at a local coffee shop, hiking, kayaking, running, listening to live music, and trying new restaurants.
Leah Lucas Egure (she/her) serves as Director of Faith Formation at Northridge Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas. She earned a degree in Ministry from Hardin-Simmons University and a Master of Divinity from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining Northridge, Leah served in a variety of ministry and nonprofit leadership roles, including Youth and Young Adult Intern at Wilshire Baptist Church, Chaplain Resident at Parkland Hospital, and Executive Director of Together for Hope Louisiana, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing poverty and supporting community development in underserved communities. Leah is passionate about creating welcoming environments where people of all ages and backgrounds feel valued, supported, and encouraged to explore their faith. Her work focuses particularly on helping children and youth ask meaningful questions, develop a sense of belonging, and discover ways to live out their faith in everyday life. Outside of ministry, Leah enjoys planning events, reading, and spending time with her husband, Alex, and their dog, Cash.
Ryan MacLean (he/him) graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2024 with an M.Div and a Master of Arts in Christian Education and Formation. Currently, Ryan serves as the Youth Program Manager at Zephyr Point, a PC(USA) camp and conference center on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He is also a Candidate for ordination in the PC(USA). Ryan feels called to work at the intersection of faith and the outdoors, exploring topics of biodiversity, neurodiversity, and extending a welcome for all to enjoy and belong to the community of Creation, particularly to those who have been historically excluded from such spaces. Ryan currently lives into this call by creating a welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ young adults to explore leadership, belonging, and spirituality as summer staff and interns, and by helping to oversee and run kin·dom camp, a week-long overnight camp that creates a safe and celebratory space for LGBTQIA+ youth. Ryan looks forward to learning alongside his fellow cohort members as they explore how to widen and deepen the Church's welcome to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Kelsey Martin (she/her) is in the first year of her first call as the solo-pastor of Celebration of Life Presbyterian Church, a majority Queer church located in Mesa, AZ. She identifies as queer herself and as a Nuevomexicana. Her varied denominational background has clarified and shaped the work she feels uniquely called to: fostering wide spaces for the Queer community, allies, Presby-interested folk, and all others who have felt they don't quite fit into categories society has created for them. Before being a pastor, she worked as a farmer. She currently dabbles in many hobbies, depending on the changing tides.
Sarah Mayer (they/she) is the pastor of Beloved Community Parish—the joint worshipping community of Linwood United and Covenant Presbyterian Churches— in KCMO. They're passionate about sharing God's liberative message in creative and accessible ways both in person and on social media.
Amanda Samuel (she/he/they) is a Pastoral Associate for Community Life at City Church San Francisco. She has a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, with concentrations in Public Theology and Theology, Women, and Gender. They like reading, running, basketball, queer media, putting on a good fit, and small delights. Amanda will rarely pass up a sweet treat and loves any reason to gather people together.
Audrey Thorne (she/her) serves as the Associate Pastor for Children and Family Ministries at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. She spent the last two years serving as a Lake Fellow Resident in Parish Ministry at Second. Prior to that, she received her MATS and MDiv degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary. She experienced the call to pastoral ministry while serving as the Directory for Youth and Children's Ministries at Tokyo Union Church, an ecumenical church In Tokyo, Japan. The diversity, openness, and love of that community nurtured her call and inspired her faith in what the church can be when the table is broad and all are truly welcome. She hopes to be a witness to our God who delights in our wild and wonderful humanity and calls every child of God Beloved!
Kristofer Zimmitti (he/him/his) is a candidate for ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a scholar of religion and history who works in both colleges and congregations. As an aspiring pastor, Kristofer is passionate about preaching, education and formation in congregational spaces, engaging harm and hurt with those healing from difficult church experiences, cultivating deep and good approaches to scripture and sexuality, fostering fellowship and community in congregations, and ecumenical work and partnerships. As a scholar, Kristofer has written on the histories of religion, empire, science, and the reception of ancient and sacred texts. He is the author of two books, one a history of literalism and the other a religious biography of J.R.R. Tolkien.