LeslieLeslie-Ann Drake started her ministry as a hospice chaplain but an encounter at the homeless center with Susan, a single mom with four children (a 4 year old, an 18 month old, and 5 month old twins), called her back into discernment. She soon found herself creating and replicating a successful mentoring program for elementary school children called Path to Hope. Now there are 17 locations offering children a place to gather in small groups, once a week,  to gain academic and social support, encouragement  to thrive in school, and opportunities to build self-confidence so that they can achieve their dreams.

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Lesley-Ann was born in England. While working for American Express Travel, she was asked to go to Atlanta for a two week work assignment. That was in 1980, and she is still here! During almost 20 success years with AmEx, she volunteered with the local chapter of the trade association, GAMPI. She was the recipient of the Hayward C. Cox Annual Volunteer Award in 1996 for her contributions to the organization.  In 1996 she became a full-time mother for her two daughters until she began working in the church office in 2001. She completed a semester of CPE while exploring a call to hospice chaplaincy but found those plans derailed by an encounter at a homeless shelter in 2010.

In 2011 she worked with a colleague to start Path To Shine® in Macon, and 2012 saw the beginning of Path To Shine® at San Benedicto Episcopal Church, which was at the time located in Smyrna, Georgia. Thanks to a grant from the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation, Lesley-Ann  completed the LEAD program where she learned additional skills to successfully lead a non-profit organization.

Ordained a permanent deacon in the Episcopal Church in 2011, Lesley-Ann is currently assigned to St. Patrick's in Dunwoody. She is an Associate at Green Bough House of Prayer. She is married to Bob and has 2 daughters. Lesley-Ann looks forward to sharing this effective and adaptable model for Path To Shine® with others, thus spreading the opportunities of inspiring more children to achieve hope-filled dreams.

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Deacons Talking on the Road to Emmaus is a web-based way for deacons to walk with each other and share their stories in hope of inspiring, supporting and renewing diaconal ministries. It is inspired by the story of Cleopas and another disciple who, after recounting all that they had experienced while walking on the road to Emmaus with a stranger, recognized Jesus in their midst (Luke 24:13-32). Jesus' presence led them to release their fear and grief, to return to Jerusalem to share their experience of the resurrected Christ with the gathered community, and to renew their ministry with confidence.

Now sponsored by Pathways for Baptismal Living at Bexley Seabury Seminary and the Association for Episcopal Deacons, these free, live, interactive web conferences occur monthly on the second Monday at 8:00 pm ET and feature deacons sharing stories from their ministries, exploring case studies, offering peer wisdom and feedback, and exchanging mutual support. The Reverend Connie Campbell-Pearson,  Deacon & Accompanist at St. James Episcopal church, Bozman and The Venerable Roxanne Klingensmith, Archdeacon for the Diocese of Montana, join Dr. Julie Lytle, Bexley Seabury Seminary's DIrector of Distributive and Lifelong Learning, in ihosting the webinar and in dentifying deacons to share their stories.  We hope you will join us for our upcoming conversations.

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• Oct 11, 2021 - The Power or We: Partnerships & COllaborations with Fatima Yakubu-Madus
  
  
• May 10, 2021 - Tiny Houses for People who are Homeless-Connie Campbell-Pearson
• April 12, 2021 - Sanctuary Ministry with Emily Austin
• March 8, 2021 - Family Systems with Nancy Ford
• Feb 8, 2021 - Supporting the Growing a Sheler and Social Services During a Pandemic with Barbra Geza
• Jan 11, 2021 - Church Planting with Denise LaVette
• Dec 14, 2020 - Walking with Immigrant Detainees with Bette Kauffman
• Nov 9, 2020 - Theological Education and Diaconal Formation with Maureen Hagan. 
• Oct 12, 2020 - Prisoners You Have Never Seen Before with Roxanne Klingensmith.  click here
• Sept 14, 2020 - Prayer, community, and Evangelism with Brenda Hofmann and Maureen Otwell. Go directly to last month's program by clicking here.

• May 21, 2020 - Fostering Reconciliation and Faith in the Public Policy Arena with Kathy Shannian
• May 11, 2020 - SPECIAL EDITION - Deacons' Responses to the Pandemic with Jan Grinnell and Connie Campbell-Pearson
• April 20, 2020 - SPECIAL EDITION - Deacons' Responses to the Pandemic with Jan Grinnell and Connie Campbell-Pearson
• April 16, 2020 - Dismantling Racism and the Beloved Community with Janet Tidwell
• April 6, 2020 - SPECIAL EDITION - Deacons' Responses to the Pandemic with Jan Grinnell and Connie Campbell-Pearson
• Mar 23, 2020 - - SPECIAL EDITION - Deacons' Responses to the Pandemic with Jan Grinnell and Connie Campbell-Pearson
• Dec 19, 2019 -  Responses to Oppression with Robin Hollis and Scott Deasy
• Nov 21, 2019 -  Food Scarcity with Phina Borgeson
• Oct 17, 2019 - Faith Behind and Beyond Walls with Ellen Adams

• May 5, 2019 - Rock Point's Pollinator Project with Jackie Arbuckle and Lucy Pellegrini
• Mar 21, 2019 - Ministry Along the Border (AZ) with Rodger Bobnew
• Feb 21, 2019 - Jerusalem PeaceBuilders with Jack Karn
• Nov 16, 2018 - AED and The Fund for the Diaconate with Lori Mills-Curran and Keith McCoy 
• Sept 20, 2018 - Post-General Convention with Stan Baker & Jan Grinnell

• May 18, 2018 - General Convention with Stan Baker & Jan Grinnell
• Apr 20, 2018 - The Episcopal Church and the Latino Community with Ema Rosaro-Nordalm
• Mar 15, 2018 - Dementia with Jerry Jacobs 
• Jan 18, 2018 - Tuberville Farm Coop with James Ballard and Ralph Perkins
• Dec 18, 2017 - Supporting Women Leaving Prison with Ellen Adams
• Nov 16, 2017 - The World is Our Mission - Regional Diaconal Ministry with Tom Mariconda
• Oct 19, 2017 - Refugee Resettlement with Grace Sawicki and Christine Cassels

• Apr 20, 2017 - Diaconal Ministry and Haiti with Leroy "Buck" Close
• Mar 16, 2017 - Talking About the End of Life with Lucy Pellegrini
• Feb 16, 2017 - The Hungry Soul Breakfast with Don Burr 
• Jan 19, 2017 - Foot Care Ministry with Bonnie Matthews 
• Dec 15, 2016 - Preaching with the Bible in One Hand and the Newspaper in the Other with The Rev Deacon Sudie Blanchard 
• Nov 17, 2016 - Rebirthing Campus Ministry with The Venerable Jan Grinnell  
• Oct 20, 2016 - Laundry Love with The Rev Deacon Jane Griesbach and the Rev Meredyth Ward 

• May 28, 2015 - Stan Baker Talking about General Convention
• Jan Grinnell Talking about the RI Center for Reconciliation