The Rev. Dr. Shelli M. Poe welcomes you to Little River! She is passionate about leading those who seek to grow in faith and love within this spiritual community, and about partnering with local organizations with whom we share our mission and values. After earning her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2007, Pastor Shelli was ordained within the Congregational tradition and then received full ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ in 2010. Since that time, she has served various churches in Warren, NJ, Charlottesville, VA, and Jackson, MS in a bi-vocational capacity. Alongside her service in the church, she earned a Ph.D. in Religious Studies (Theology, Ethics, and Culture) at the University of Virginia, and was an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Initiative for Vocational Inquiry at Millsaps College from 2013-2020. Pastor Shelli served Safe Harbor Family Church (Jackson, MS) as its senior pastor from 2020, prior to arriving at Little River. She brings with her a wealth of experience and skill in teaching, organizing, and networking, along with her education and scholarship in religious studies and theology. If you'd like to learn more about her work in the church, academy, and world, please visit her website. In April 2023, the congregation at Little River UCC voted unanimously to call the Rev. Dr. Poe as our next settled senior pastor. Please feel free to contact Pastor Shelli at shelli@lrucc.org.