Nancy Hawthorne Parker

Nancy Hawthorne Parker is an Elder in the United Methodist Church and has spent her ministry coming alongside people, congregations and institutions as they discover and grow into their calling.

She brings experience across university campuses, congregations and hospital settings to the role. She served as the Pastor and Director of the Vanderbilt Wesley Fellowship and the United Methodist-Affiliated Chaplain at Vanderbilt, building a ministry where students led and shaped an inclusive community that met each person where they were. She has also served as Pastor of Spiritual Formation at West End United Methodist Church, founded the Belmont Wesley Fellowship at Belmont University, led as Senior Pastor of Hillcrest United Methodist Church, and worked as a PRN Chaplain at TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center. This range of experience has shaped her desire to curate the kind of consistent, formative ministry experience and theological reflection that helps each student find the placement where they can thrive.

She’s trained in Discernment Circles through the Center for Courage & Renewal and is a certified BeADisciple.com instructor. She has led pilgrims from the Grand Canyon to the Camino de Santiago, and co-created the Divine Wisdom Festival, exploring theology through the arts.

A Florida native, Nancy holds a BA in Music from Florida State University and an MDiv from Vanderbilt, where she was a Cal Turner Jr. Leadership Fellow. She lives in Nashville with her husband Geoff and their son Liam, and is happiest on or near the water.