Global HOPE Team Announces New Minister for Volunteer Engagement

Rev. Kelly Burd Returns to UCC National Ministries as Minister for Volunteer Engagement

The Global HOPE team has announced the return of Rev. Kelly Burd to the National Ministries of the United Church of Christ, where she will serve as Minister for Volunteer Engagement. Burd, whose commitment to service began in childhood at Trinity UCC assembling disaster relief buckets, brings decades of experience in education, ministry, and volunteer coordination.

A graduate of Ohio University and Yale Divinity School, Burd has served in a wide range of roles across the church, including fifteen years as pastor of Dover UCC in Westlake and Pilgrim Congregational UCC in Cleveland. She has coordinated youth and intergenerational service trips, trained volunteers, and worked extensively with interfaith, ecumenical, and community partners to meet local needs.

Burd previously worked in UCC National Ministries supporting youth and young adult leadership, contributing to the National Youth Event, Youth@Synod, and justice advocacy programs. She has also been a longtime trainer and facilitator for the Our Whole Lives program and recently served as a hospice chaplain.

In her new role, Burd will help strengthen volunteer engagement across the church’s ministries and service initiatives. She lives in Rocky River, Ohio, with her husband, John, and their children, Sam and Grace. To learn more about current volunteer opportunities—both domestic and international—visit the Volunteer Ministries page here.