Episode 20
Goodness
1 Peter 3:13-22
Guest: Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia
In this episode, host Rev. Alex Patchin McNeill is joined by More Light Board member Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia as they discuss 1 Peter 3:13-22 through the lens of goodness.
Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is currently pastor at Hillsborough Presbyterian Church in Hillsborough, NJ. She earned her undergraduate degree at Rutgers University and M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary. Larissa’s ministry started with a pastoral residency program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. It was there that she learned and practiced the importance of active listening and reflection during moments of trauma and transition. She then moved to Chicago to serve as an associate pastor overseeing a Friday evening program for at risk LGBTQ youth as well as the young adult ministries of the church. Larissa has since served congregations throughout New Jersey as well as in Queens, NY and Greenwich, CT. She has also served as the Director of Church Relations at Princeton Theological Seminary and is a consultant with the Vandersall Collective.
Throughout her life and career, Larissa has been dedicated to racial and gender justice. She is interested in the ways that the church can faithfully live out its call to be a body that celebrates all of its members. This work brought her to denominational leadership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including serving as the Vice-Moderator to the 221st General Assembly, where she is able to challenge the current structures and assumptions of life together.