Ministry Mondays with Meg

Margaret Marcuson

Margaret Marcuson helps clergy get lighter and less burdened by their ministry so they can have more influence with less stress. She has worked with leaders from over 20 denominations as teacher and coach over 25 years. She is the author of Leaders who Last (2009) and Money and Your Ministry (2014). An American Baptist minister, she served as pastor at First Baptist Church, Gardner, MA for 13 years. She lives in Portland, OR, where she sings in two choirs. Check out her new book, Sustainable Ministry: How to Lead (and When to Nap) coming on July 9th! Don't miss it! You can learn more about Margaret at margaretmarcuson.com

Author, Melinda Mitchell

One of my favorite authors is back, Melinda Mitchell! My colleague and friend is back with her second book, Fortunate Son (Stardust and Ashes), which was released in December 2025. It's a spicy retelling of David with a sci-fi twist. Can love save us all?

Dan Cash

This week, Meg chats with Dr. Dan Cash about 35 years in ministry, the wisdom found in everyday faith, and the inspiration behind his three books. It’s a heartfelt conversation about calling, growth, and finding grace in the beautiful mess of ministry. You can find 8 Questions Jesus Asked and Changing Church at www.judsonpresss.com and his first solo project, Dakota Dreams & Hoosier Heartland, a historical fiction on Amazon.

Alicia Dixon-Garrard

Rev. Alicia Dixon-Garrard is a dynamic American Baptist clergywoman whose life’s journey reflects a rich tapestry of faith, resilience, and transformation. Alicia's early experiences shaped her understanding of spirituality as both a personal and communal endeavor. Her passion for serving others and commitment to her spiritual journey inspire her to foster community and nurture the souls of those around her. As a beacon of hope within her congregations, Alicia’s authentic sermons often draw upon her personal journey of faith and perseverance, inviting her listeners to explore their own spiritual paths. Beyond her pastoral roles, Alicia is a passionate advocate for mental health, racial justice, and healing. She hosts the Graced Conversations podcast, engaging in meaningful dialogue with experts and community members on topics such as healing ethnic tensions, spiritual formation, and addressing family violence. Her diverse experiences include leadership in community outreach, discipleship, chaplaincy, and teaching. As she navigates the complexities of life and faith, Alicia remains a passionate advocate for love, understanding, and community connection, inviting others to join her in this sacred journey of spiritual growth and healing. Currently, Alicia is the enjoying her new role as Associate Executive Minister of Rochester/Genesee region of New York. Her and her husband of twenty-two years reside in Western New York where they enjoy drinking tea, catching action and sci-fi movies, and TV crime series together. Alicia's Podcast: www.anchorfm./gracedconversations (More Episodes coming this fall) The HEM Network for child loss support website:https://hemnetwork.org/ [https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhemnetwork.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C884dd91e245244a7a9e608ddf54d81ae%7Ceddd919c7565493f94ee6a31158d6fe7%7C0%7C1%7C638936435763737528%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=r040jwPxtvdrPKnfo6Npf%2BsZQcdL3M8gs6hSMchC3cM%3D&reserved=0]

Anne Scalfaro and Buster

Anne has served on the pastoral staff at Calvary Baptist Church of Denver—a welcoming and affirming American Baptist Churches USA congregation (Evergreen Region)—for 17 years, and has been Senior Pastor since January 2013. She believes that faith is a journey best shared in community; this is why she loves the local church: “My calling is to pastor a congregation through discerning leadership and mentorship, meaningful preaching and creative worship, cultivating spaces of healing and belonging, and advocating for justice and transformation. Rooted in God’s faithfulness, empowered by Christ’s love, and sustained by the living Spirit, I understand the Christian church to be a mosaic of God’s imago dei and a co-creator of God’s beloved kin-dom of hope and justice in the local community and beyond.” In addition to her ministry at Calvary, as part of the mayor’s Mile High All In Initiative, Anne serves on the Good Neighbor Committee which supports the Tamarac Family Shelter—a neighbor to Calvary. She also serves on the Faith Leaders Advisory Council for Bright Stars of Bethlehem whose mission is to raise awareness and support for Dar al-Kalima University, the first and only university of arts, culture, and design in all of Palestine. Anne is also committed to and enriched by the ministry of relationship building and racial justice she and her colleague Rev. Dr. Eugene Downing, Jr. of New Hope Baptist Church share in with their New Baptist Covenant congregational partnership. Anne is a graduate of Austin College in Sherman, TX (B.A. Religion) and Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, MA (M.Div.) and was ordained to ministry in 2008 at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, TX following a two-year pastoral residency program. During her time at Harvard Div, she served as a Seminarian at the Memorial Church in Harvard Yard and as a CPE chaplain at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Anne is the co-author of Preaching the Word: HEBREWS, a preaching commentary (2020). Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Anne loves good Tex-Mex, afternoon thunderstorms, and the word “y’all.” An introvert at heart (Enneagram 4, INFJ), Anne enjoys learning, reading, poetry, game nights, puzzles, and good coffee conversations. Her main spiritual and physical practice is yoga, and she is renewed by spending time outdoors with her husband, Damon, their golden retriever, Deacon, and their stuffed monkey, Buster. They live in the Montclair area of Denver. Links: https://calvarydenver.org/ [https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalvarydenver.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cdca147ef858941a4facd08ddf09b65d9%7Ceddd919c7565493f94ee6a31158d6fe7%7C0%7C0%7C638931272409775291%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5JUQqsD0l4IGqDs8IEjTPErgs%2FmZPAWN2pBcKVp49mc%3D&reserved=0] https://www.youtube.com/@CalvaryBaptistChurchOfDenver [https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2F%40CalvaryBaptistChurchOfDenver&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cdca147ef858941a4facd08ddf09b65d9%7Ceddd919c7565493f94ee6a31158d6fe7%7C0%7C0%7C638931272409787714%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=CMu0FxlzVN6lwDhAJgr54WHdRFoxnEQR0rGxVPFci48%3D&reserved=0] https://www.facebook.com/CalvaryBaptistChurchofDenver [https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCalvaryBaptistChurchofDenver&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cdca147ef858941a4facd08ddf09b65d9%7Ceddd919c7565493f94ee6a31158d6fe7%7C0%7C0%7C638931272409799856%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Ma5P9n19v4ZO0oCrX34BD24WvAjhNvhAeWYSOHXk640%3D&reserved=0] https://www.instagram.com/calvarybaptistdenver/ [https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fcalvarybaptistdenver%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cdca147ef858941a4facd08ddf09b65d9%7Ceddd919c7565493f94ee6a31158d6fe7%7C0%7C0%7C638931272409810433%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dQJ2n6uw4hQiPNTBMudgwYEyK1vC4g6m25V55iK%2FBrI%3D&reserved=0] Bright Stars of Bethlehem: https://www.brightstarsbethlehem.org/ [https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightstarsbethlehem.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cdca147ef858941a4facd08ddf09b65d9%7Ceddd919c7565493f94ee6a31158d6fe7%7C0%7C0%7C638931272409821407%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wGWbzGVbyLsEzi2oTxaergEPHqZucjnZY5cXgyYKqoM%3D&reserved=0] which supports Dar al-Kalima University https://www.daralkalima.edu.ps/en [https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.daralkalima.edu.ps%2Fen&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cdca147ef858941a4facd08ddf09b65d9%7Ceddd919c7565493f94ee6a31158d6fe7%7C0%7C0%7C638931272409832655%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=CTjizRh9ZuWbKlqJyJKXFp5Au0o%2BWuQTy%2BbhcWG4NYU%3D&reserved=0]Anne's husband owns his own business...sell at home dog-wash kits...I always love to support him and our dog Deacon is the mascot! :) https://www.wondurdog.com/ [https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wondurdog.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cdca147ef858941a4facd08ddf09b65d9%7Ceddd919c7565493f94ee6a31158d6fe7%7C0%7C0%7C638931272409874482%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=H2QyCAhgdNXJyiw2ubgivSQjSLbc2SoILkwGcD0FrCM%3D&reserved=0]