Leona Suegay is an OC PastoraLab cohort member. She was born in California to a Filipino father and half-Filipino & Native American mother. She has an MDiv in Intercultural Studies from Talbot School of Theology, and a Fuller Youth Institute certificate . She loves the Bible, teaching, literature, and art. She has been a lay pastor, youth group leader, and worship leader in different ethnic churches, namely in South LA and OC. Leona currently does nonprofit work and is an entrepreneur. She desires to build bridges between faith communities and the business world to develop more leaders and entrepreneurs who help empower communities both locally and globally.

TESTIMONIAL

This last PastoraLab session had a great impact on me because of Ok’s article. She wrote many of the thoughts I was feeling but haven’t been able to communicate about women having a place at the table, let alone leadership – especially in a church, ministry or workplace context. PastoraLab is giving us tools to initiate those conversations that give space to us and create space for others. I also appreciated taking the Five-Fold ministry test, and our discussion reminded me that ministry giftings can change over time and different seasons of the church. We are not boxed into roles as there is always room for growth. I am thankful for the ministries I was a part of that encouraged women leadership, and the men and women who have mentored me along the way. I’m also thankful for the people and contexts who intentionally (or not) provided roadblocks  to my leadership, because those events have made me grow stronger as a person and leader.