Kathryn Mitchem Oral History

Kathryn L. Mitchem, long-time leader of Affirmation, was born in October of 1940 in Marshalltown, Iowa. She grew up on her family farm outside of Marshalltown.

On September 1, 1962, Kathryn left Iowa to begin assignment as a Methodist US-2 (young adult mission program) and continued for a total of 41 years as a Church and Community Worker with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. Church and Community Workers use the skills of leadership development, Christian education, community organizing, and social work toward the goal of enabling clusters of small congregations to be in mission with the communities where they are located.

Kathryn’s missionary journey began among the nine small Methodist churches of the Union County Cooperative Ministry in the mountains of north Georgia for two years, continued at Cookson Hills Center and surrounding seven churches in the mountains of eastern Oklahoma for four years, after which she took time for three years of seminary at Duke University and commissioning as a United Methodist Deaconess, the lifetime relationship for lay women.

Next she served at Robeson County Church and Community Center and its surrounding sixty congregations among seven denominations in southeastern North Carolina for three years. From there her context widened, first as a Church and Community Professor and Department head at our United Methodist Scarritt Graduate School in Nashville, Tennessee, for fourteen years; and then as nationwide interpreter and resource developer for the whole of Church and Community Ministry for fifteen years, contributing similar assistance to the GBGM office of Deaconess for a number of those years.

In 1984, Kathryn was involved in the launch of two ministries which are continuing today. Penuel Ridge Retreat Center was founded in Cheatham County, Tennessee. She has lived next door to and has been an important leader in this retreat ministry throughout these years.

In the early 1970’s, Kathryn became involved in Affirmation, United Methodists for LGBTQ+ People. She was a part of birthing the Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) in 1984. Kathryn served on the leadership team for Affirmation at various times beginning in the 1990’s. She was the office manager for the progressive caucuses’ office at several General Conferences.

Through the years, Kathryn has served leadership roles at Edgehill United Methodist Church. She was involved in the group that led Edgehill through the process of joining the Reconciling movement. She served on the church council as a member, a secretary, and a chairperson. She was involved in long-range planning, hospitality, and has been a faithful member of the choir.

Kathryn presenting RMN Award to Laura McCray at Edgehill UMC. 

The spring of 2003 she clearly “heard” the guidance that forty-one years was enough, that part of the journey was complete, and she retired as of September 1, 2003. Following her official retirement, Kathryn continued an active volunteer relationship with both the GBGM Church and Community program and the Women's Division Deaconess-Home Missioner Office, alongside volunteer roles with Edgehill United Methodist Church, Scarritt-Bennett Center, Affirmation, Penuel Ridge Retreat Center, Safe Haven Cheatham County (Kathryn served on the board of this organization), and the Democratic Party of Cheatham County.

In December of 2024, Kathryn moved to Brooks-Howell Home in Ashville, North Carolina.

(This biographical statement written by Beth A. Richardson from information provided by Kathryn Mitchem.)

Biography Date: April 2025