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FOLK ARTIST / CALLED ARTIST

Darci Jaret is an art minister, pastoral care provider, care navigator and pastor. After spending many years as an artist and activist, Darci felt a call to ministry - not the traditional path for this queer artist and gender nonconforming individual. Darci received a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology in 2017, focusing on pastoral care through art making. Darci was ordained to Art Ministry at Park Avenue Baptist Church, in the tradition of Bezalel and Oholiab – the builders and artisans of the tabernacle.

 

Rev. Darci has served as a Co-Pastor at Park Avenue Baptist Church since September of 2019. Previous to that they served for 5 years as the Minister Artist in Residence and in that role they lead a creative community group, “Re-Imagining Prayer” and a monthly event called the Creative Outlet that connects craft and theological topics. Darci co-led an art ministry mentorship program called “Created 2 Create,” which guides artists and ministers toward creative theological expressions. Darci developed a Pastoral Care Model that facilitates creative narrative expression and helps people speak their narrative in healing and artistic ways.

 

Darci, Amy and their family live in Atlanta, GA, where they serve as a foster family, enjoying homesteading, gardening, raising chickens and bees. They spend their time building interfaith, anti-racist community, celebrating Shabbat on Fridays and going to church on Sundays.

Rev. Darci Jaret has led groups in communal art making for worship, pastoral care, or spiritual development in multiple faith communities, small groups, nonprofits, community development trainings, transitional housing organizations, foster care agencies, national Christian conferences, retreats, and more.

 

They are inspired to created healing public art installations. The first one Darci created was a 100-foot long sculpture created in community that memorialized the 49 victims of the Pulse Massacre. The woven piece was collaborative and in the act of weaving fabric around stands that held photos, participants could grieve and begin healing from this egregious attack on queer communities of color.

 

In 2020, during the Covid lockdown they created another site of creative healing dedicated to people killed in police violence. This installation moved the community and generated a place to grief the state violence inflicted on over-policed minoritized communities.

Pastor Darci's ministry these days consists of creating communities of care, through their work as a case manager with people experiencing homelessness and living with mental illness. 

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