Storytelling and Storylistening

Throughout 2022, we will have guests from a variety of religious backgrounds. Sunday, Jan. 9, Rev. Dalene Vasbinder, an ordained Disciples of Christ minister, joins us to share some of her wisdom from across her years of service. Dalene’s life in ministry spans from early social justice work through parish ministry and into chaplaincy.

Dalene’s abbreviated bio: Dalene grew up in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indiana. After receiving her B.A. from Hanover College, she spent most of her 20s in non-profit and justice ministries, including two years of human rights work in El Salvador. She returned to the U.S. in 1988, completed her Minister of Divinity degree at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA, and was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1991. From 1991 until 2018, Dalene served as a pastor to local Disciples congregations. The first 18 years were in two congregations in the Seattle area where her husband, Ken McCullough, is from. During those years, Ken and Dalene’s two children were born. In 2009, Dalene and family returned to this part of the country to be closer to her aging parents.

She was senior pastor at a Disciples congregation in Lexington until December of 2018. During this time, she also served on the board of the Interfaith Alliance of the Bluegrass. Deciding it was time for another form of ministry, in 2019 Dalene completed a chaplain residency at University Hospital in Louisville. In March 2020, she joined the chaplaincy team at Baptist Health Hospital, Lexington, where she continues to serve as an interfaith Chaplain today.

Leave a Reply