In Memoriam: Rev. Dr. Lisa M. Scott-Joiner

On Jan. 11, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) said goodbye to board member and friend, Rev. Dr. Lisa M. Scott-Joiner. She passed away at the age of 57 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Scott-Joiner was appointed to the GBHEM Board of Directors in 2017 and served as chair of the Administrative Matters Committee. She was also a member of the Executive/Personnel and Policies Committee and the Endorsing Committee.

Scott-Joiner once noted that a highlight of her time with GBHEM was attending the 2017 spring meeting at Africa University in Zimbabwe. In an article about the event, she said that the trip was “an amazing experience to see firsthand the impact of the United Methodist Church embodying Jesus Christ in real ways that are truly meaningful to residents.” 

“Lisa will be dearly missed, not only on our board, but throughout the United Methodist Connection. She was dedicated to the work of preparing and credentialing new United Methodist chaplains and leaves behind a deep legacy of service to the Church. We are grateful for all her work and will keep her in our prayers as she enters the arms of Christ,” said Bishop William McAlilly, president of the GBHEM Board of Directors and bishop for the Nashville Episcopal Area.

A longtime proponent of United Methodist education, Scott-Joiner earned her Bachelor of Arts in mass communications, public relations and organizational communications from Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University). She also received a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry with a concentration in pastoral care and counseling from Eden Theological Seminary.

Scott-Joiner became a board-certified chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains in 2010, and most recently served as chaplain supervisor at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. In that role, Scott-Joiner provided the ministry of pastoral care and counseling and spiritual support to patients, family and staff, and served on the department’s leadership team. In addition to her pastoral roles in healthcare, Scott-Joiner held senior pastor positions at a number of churches in Illinois and Missouri and was a past president of the St. Louis Caucus of Black Methodists for Church Renewal.

GBHEM is profoundly thankful for Scott-Joiner’s service to the agency and the many contributions she made to our mission. The entire staff and board lifted her and her family up in prayer at the February agency meeting.

About GBHEM: The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry embraces the ministry of learning and leadership formation in The United Methodist Church and the Wesleyan tradition; serving Christians around the world who are shaped by a process of intellectual engagement, spiritual and character formation, and leadership development. We cultivate a dynamic culture of call and vocational discernment that encourages lay and clergy leaders to discover, claim and flourish in God’s ministry and mission for the Church, the academy and the world. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @GBHEM.