Carol McDonald
1999 Educator of the Year

"I have always loved the church. I am grateful to the Brimfield Methodist Church, Kent, Ohio, for calling me into leadership; to the American Baptists in Connecticut for naming me an educator and for nudging me into pastoral ministry; to the Presbyterian Church, Wabash, Indiana, for pushing me to claim what I believe; and to Northminster Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Indan for welcoming home a wandering governing body staff person. Thanks!"

One of Carol McDonald's special talents is her use of children's stories in worship and in other educational opportunities. When she was a senior, majoring in religion at Bethany College in West Virginia, Carol "devoured" a children's literature course designed for education majors. During her master of divinity work at Yale Divinity School, she and a friend did an independent study on children's literature.

Carol was raised as a Methodist, began her ministry as an American Baptist, and is now a Presbyterian minister. Among her mentors are educators Jeanne Wandersleban, Roland Kamm and Helen Petrill. In turn Carol has found a call to nurture education leaders and to be an advocate for them.

She is currently on the staff of the Lincoln Trails Synod, where her primary responsibilities are leadership development and nurture. She has been a resource person for meetings of the General Assembly, moderator of the Presbyterian Interim Ministry Certification Board, and a member of the Educators Certification Council.