About Our Pastor

Leah
Rev. Dr. Leah Fowler

The Rev. Dr. Leah Fowler serves as Pastor at the Presbyterian Church in Leonia and comes here after 11 years of ministry. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, Leah has served both UCC and Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations. A native of Atlanta, GA, Leah attended Agnes Scott College and studied for a semester in Beijing, China. After college, Leah spent a year as a Young Adult Intern at the Presbyterian United Nations Office in New York City. Leah attended divinity school at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, where she studied with the Archbishop Desmond Tutu and in Atlanta also met Chris, who would become her wife, at a film festival with friends. Leah is in her research year of her Doctorate of Ministry degree through Chicago Theological Seminary, with a focus on pastoral care.

Leah has served as an associate pastor in churches in Montclair, NJ and in Oak Park, IL, some of which was during an interim process. She and Chris have a preschool daughter, Kai, and a dog named Lucy. Leah enjoys outdoor adventures, playing with family, travel, and trying new foods. In ministry Leah loves poking at the bible and seeing what comes out of it, bridging cultures, and breaking bread with strangers and friends. With an ecumenical spirit, Leah likes to find connections across denominations and cultures. Leah has done work with the church in Colombia, Peru, and Zimbabwe—and also has worked with Muslim and Jewish friends on common concerns of humanity and justice. Leah is thrilled to walk with The Presbyterian Church in Leonia in discovering how God calls the church forth into the future.