Carla Christopher (she/her/hers) is a poet-activist, cultural competency trainer, and ordained redevelopment/congregational vitality pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) – one of the first out LGBTQ Black women ordained in her denomination. Carla was the 4th Poet Laureate of York, PA and has toured the globe as a performer, multiply published and award-winning author, public speaker, and workshop facilitator / trainer in areas of creative writing and storytelling, advocacy and activism, community engagement, survivor empowerment, diversity, and cultural competency.

Carla currently serves as Associate Pastor of Outreach and Faith Formation at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Lancaster and co-chair of the Toward Racial Justice Task Force of Lower Susquehanna Synod. She is a congregational coach with L.S.S.’s Transformational Ministries Team and blogs regularly for Disrupt Worship, Reconciling Works, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and others.

When not preaching and teaching, Carla co-facilitates a peer-support group for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, moonlights with the poetry-funk fusion band, Groove Ink, and shamelessly spoils her spoiled Great Pyranees dog and beloved goldfish.