by Vy Nguyen
Caroline Hamilton-Arnold is a proud TCU graduate, having studied English, religion, and political science. She completed an M.Div. at Claremont School of Theology. Her greatest strengths are in preaching and teaching—equipping people to connect stories of faith to their lives and to translate their faith into action. She is recognized as a gifted writer and speaker and a creative and critical thinker.
As a lifelong Disciple, Caroline is familiar with all three expressions of our church. She has been active in Disciples congregations in the Southwest and Pacific Southwest regions, where she served on congregational and regional boards. Caroline has also been active serving on the General Board and Administrative Committee. In addition to her strong Disciples identity, Caroline has ties with our covenanted denomination, the United Church of Christ, having served a joint Disciples-UCC congregation in California and currently serving at Newtown Congregational Church, UCC.
Ministry in Newtown provided Caroline a deeper understanding of the lasting effects and complexities of trauma, having entered the community nearly two years after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Inspired and informed by her experience there, Caroline hopes to develop ways in which Week of Compassion can equip Disciples to prepare for and respond to gun violence tragedies.
Caroline looks forward to helping congregations connect to the ministry of Week of Compassion and collaborating with our ecumenical partners. Caroline is excited to serve the church and the world with Week of Compassion, and writes, “it is my conviction that we are called to partner with God in the ongoing work of creation, to speak a word of life into chaos—sometimes with a whisper and sometimes with a defiant shout.” Week of Compassion is one such voice in our world, and we are excited to welcome Caroline’s contributions to this ministry.
