Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft began her tenure as Interim Associate Pastor (Youth) on Wednesday, October 12. We are excited to have Amanda as part of the ministry team at Broadway and know that she will make a great impact on the lives of our youth! Please make sure to welcome Amanda when you see her around Broadway. Below is a letter from Amanda.

Hello! I am thrilled to begin working as the Interim Associate Pastor for Youth at Broadway Baptist Church. For the past 10 years, I have been living and working in New York City -- so pardon me if I mistake my minivan for a taxi. I moved to Louisville almost two months ago in search of more than a 750 sq ft apartment where, along with my husband Graham, we could raise our family (Zane, 2 1/2, Levi 2 1/2, Skyler 7 mos).

I grew up in Georgetown, Ky., went to college at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., and seminary at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Richmond in Virginia. I worked for almost five years at Metro Baptist Church in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan before moving across denominations and across the island to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church where I most recently served as the Director of Outreach Ministries. I bring back to Kentucky an enriched understanding of the diversity of God, a deep passion for equality, and a wide acceptance of all people (oh, and some pretty snooty thoughts on coffee, thai food, and parks).

I believe young people provide the vibrancy vital to keep Church thriving, and believe deeply in creating space for thoughtful reflection, meaningful service, and Christ-centered community. I look forward to getting to know each of you, especially the middle and high school students who call Broadway home, and to seeing how I will be enriched, challenged and changed in this new season in Louisville.

~Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft