our pastor
Rev. Suzanne Donsmith
sdornsmith@inclusioncommunity.org
she/her/hers
The Rev. Suzanne Dornsmith joined our community in August 2023. Suzanne is a native of Tampa, Florida where she grew up as a fifth generation member of Hyde Park United Methodist Church. Since then she has also lived in South Carolina, Illinois, California, Minnesota and primarily North Carolina.
An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Suzanne previously served as the pastor at Calvary UMC in Charlotte. Before that for close to two decades, Suzanne was in ministry as Associate Pastor at University UMC in Chapel Hill and then Forest Hill UMC in Concord. Her first appointment as a pastor was in the Minnesota Conference at Sauk Centre UMC & UCC.
Suzanne graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, SC (now Converse University) with a BS in Religion and Special Education for the Hearing Impaired. Upon graduation, she served as a US-2 (a young adult in mission) at Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, a United Methodist Community Center, in East St. Louis, Illinois. After her two years of service in East St. Louis, she attended Duke DIvinity School where she received her Master of Divinity degree and met her husband Eddie.
In addition to ministry with Inclusion Community, Suzanne serves as a mentor in the Local Pastor Partners in Ministry program. She has served as a coach to pastors journeying through the ordination process. She is currently training as a Spiritual Director in the School of Spiritual Direction Beyond Borders through Hood Theological Seminary. Her ministry is always about building relationships and encouraging those around her to find their strengths, passions, and best ways to experience the divine. Her interests are in creative spiritual practices, social justice, and supporting those who are marginalized and whose voices are often suppressed.
Suzanne and Eddie have been married since 1998 and are the parents of Seren, their daughter who is in high school at Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte. Suzanne enjoys traveling and with her family has visited many parks within the National Parks system within the U.S. Her family just returned from a summer 2023 trip of a lifetime to Kenya and Madagascar. (Ask her about meeting lemurs and seeing a fossa.) She loves period dramas including Downton Abbey, The Crown, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Grantchester, and anything Jane Austen. She also loves a good table game (cards, board or trivia)!
One of Suzanne’s favorite things is sharing coffee or lunch with a new friend to share life stories. She would love to get to know you and connect. Email her to get together soon! (Sdornsmith@inclusioncommunity.org)