Dear Chaplaincy Institute Family,

Portrait of Rev. Jan Thomas

Last week Rev. Jan Thomas tendered her resignation from the position of Community Minister, expressing a need to focus on some other areas of her life. Jan has been a beloved member of the ChI family for 16 years, and we are grateful for the many ways she has contributed.

In order to have a smooth transition, beginning today and through the month of November, there will be two individuals holding the role of Community Minister. Jan will be working hand in hand with Rev. Kari Kopnick, our incoming Interim Community Minister. Kari is neither new to ChI nor to the ChI staff and has already hit the ground running. Kari will be the primary contact for matters concerning ordination preparation, vocational assessment, and all spiritual care needs. You can reach Kari at kari@chaplaincyinstitute.org or (510) 843-1422.

Looking forward,
Rev. Ineda P. Adesanya, MA, MDiv
Chief Executive Officer

A message from Rev. Kari Kopnick,

Incoming Interim Community Minister

Dear Beloved ChI Community,

I am deeply honored to begin serving as your Interim Community Minister. I know that my heartfelt appreciation joins with yours for our beloved outgoing Community Minister, Rev. Jan Thomas. Jan is treasured by our people and will be deeply missed.

During this transition, I want to assure you that Jan and I are working closely together to be sure that we support our community and in particular, our students who are reaching important points in their journey toward ordination.

This is a sudden transition and I know that there will be many emotions as we make our way through. I bring my heart, my soul and my love to the process; knowing that together we will continue to co-create our beloved ChI Community.

In the coming weeks watch for invitations to spend some time together getting to know each other as minister and community

I look forward to settling into this role and ministering to you, the precious ChI Community.

Blessings,
Rev. Kari Kopnick

Rev. Kari Kopnick’s introduction message to the ChI Community.