We are excited to announce Rev. Meredith Forssman as the new Editor for d365.org. The Kentucky native holds an impressive resume earning her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Samford University and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology. While at Candler, she participated as an exchange student in Germany translating academic lectures for the International Munich-Freising Conference on World Christianity. Most recently, Forssman served as the Ministries Assistant at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship where she produced newsletters and provided curriculum development support.
We asked our new editor some questions to help the d365 community get to know her!
When did you feel the call to ministry?
I first felt called to ministry as a teenager when I was nearing the end of high school and thinking about college already. I had a realization in church one Sunday that there was nothing more valuable I could do with my life than to serve God in ministry. This idea came as a surprise and a challenge, but I had such a strong sense of knowing it was true from that day on. Although the implications were fuzzy at the time, that was my first inkling of a call to ministry. Over the next years in college and then in theology school, I continued to discern — and continue to today — how I can best respond to 
God’s call through my vocation.
What experience has shaped your faith the most?
I can’t talk about my faith journey without talking about Passport! I’ve been a camper, a staffer, and a group leader at Passport. As a Passport staffer for four summers, my faith was stretched and blessed through encounters with diverse staff teams, hilarious and heartwarming Passportkids! campers, wise adult chaperones, and the national staff at Passport challenging and encouraging me along the way. After my first summer working at Passport in 2008, I was fully able to embrace and boldly claim my calling to ministry.
Other then d365, where do you go (physically, or spiritually) to find quiet with God?
I go to the monks! During theology school, I read a lot of books about monastic spirituality and spent time trying out different forms of spiritual discipline like praying the hours, the Prayer of Examen and contemplative prayer. In this kind of regular, disciplined prayer, we tune our eyes and ears to all the places God is present in our lives. Macrina Wiederkehr’s book, Seven Sacred Pauses, is a great guide if you are new to praying in this way and/or if you can only carve out a little bit of time.
What verse are you currently reflecting on?
One of my favorite passages is the 21st chapter of John. I’ve been reflecting on the exchange between Jesus and Peter (beginning in verse 15). Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” and Peter responds, “Yes!” Jesus’s answer to that is simple and issues a profound call: “Then feed my lambs. Care for my sheep.”
You recently moved to Germany. What has living in a new place taught you about yourself, God, etc?
My move to Germany was preceded by a lot of change. I graduated, got ordained and got married. And coming here involved giving up a lot: close contact with my friends and family, a professional network, job prospects in the USA. Stepping into the unknown requires trust — trusting the people we walk alongside and trusting God. This is a question that has been looming in front of me for a while as I have prepared to make the move: do I really trust that God provides? I’m learning that God is faithful. I’m learning to worry less. I’m learning to embrace the adventure.
What’s one thing people are surprised to find out about you?
I’m a vegetarian. Here in Bavaria, Germany, some people don’t even know what that means! 😉