Lora is the founding pastor of Roots. She previously served as pastor of Grace UMC in Winfield, KS, as senior pastor of St. Paul’s UMC in Lenexa, KS, and as interim campus minister at K-State Wesley. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School and Kansas State University.

As a proud queer pastor, Lora has been a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church. Coming out before it was permitted in the UMC, Lora faced the injustice and exclusion of the church head on in order to help lead the way toward change. She dreams of a church that welcomes people like Jesus does, because she knows what trauma the church can cause. Lora is also passionate about racial justice and leads justice encounters to confront our country’s racial history and respond as Christians.

Lora and her wife Carter, also a United Methodist pastor, live in Kansas City, KS in the Argentine neighborhood. They love being dog moms to Winnie and Dottie, hiking, cheering on the Kansas City Current, and playing music on their front porch.