About Michele and Townsend Grove Coaching and Consulting

Michele has served as a religious educator for more than 30 years. Since 2006, she has served as a religious education transition specialist working with congregations as they navigate the changing landscape of twenty-first century religious and spiritual communities. Michele is ready to work with your church, organization, or small group to discover your current identity and establish a vibrant and exciting future. Her experience with congregation transitions is suited for religious education and beyond.

Michele is a Masters Credentialed Religious Educator with the Unitarian Universalists. She has Masters of Theological Studies (MTS) and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC. Her Doctor of Ministry was obtained in 2019 through a joint program with the Wesley House in Cambridge, England. This program was appropriately titled: “Creative Ministry for Church Renewal in a Changing World.” Michele credits this D.Min program, professors and learning group with some of the most relevant skills needed for working with today’s congregations.

After living and working in Delaware, Washington, Maryland, West Virginia, and South Dakota, Michele has settled down in Galena, Illinois with her family. She just celebrated her 17th wedding anniversary with Andy and is the proud mama of Helena who is a sophomore in high school. When not working with congregations, Michele loves travel, cooking and gardening. She is especially fond of traveling by train!

“Over the past several years, I have enjoyed the gifts of working with Unitarian Universalist communities between Massachusetts and Hawai’i. Each congregation brings gifts to our denomination and their community and is better understanding how to be a Unitarian Universalist in the twenty-first century. It takes creativity. It also takes a willingness to embrace their history; identify their core values and dream into a creative and vibrant future. Would you like to examine your current identify and dream into your future? I invite you to reach out. I may be able to be a helpful resource for your goals.”