Interview with Bethany Podgorny
Catherine: What is priority one for your new role as Minister of Community Life?
Bethany: My first priority in this new role is to get to know as many people in this community as possible. I want to know everyone! I’ll be attending as many online offerings as possible, joining small groups, and attending Bible studies. If I don’t reach out to you personally, feel free to reach out to me! I want to know who already makes up this vibrant community so that as I work on maintaining existing programs and think of new ways to connect, I understand what our community needs and wants.
Catherine: What part of the Cathedral are you most looking forward to learning about?
Bethany: I’m really excited to learn more about the youth ministry and the Latino/Hispanic congregation. These are two areas of ministry that I haven’t been involved in at all, and I look forward to meeting folks involved in both so that I have a better understanding of the whole Cathedral community.
Catherine: What states have you lived in? Do you have a favorite? If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Bethany: I’ve lived in Missouri, California, Maryland, and now Texas. They all hold a special place in my heart because I have fond childhood memories in Missouri, I loved my time in college in California, I met my husband in Maryland, and Texas is where we first put down roots. I’d love to live in Costa Rica for its amazing wildlife and beaches, but I mostly want to live close to my family and friends. Relationships are more important to me than location.
Catherine: What are you reading? What do you feel like you should read? What do you want to read?
Bethany: I’m currently reading Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans and The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. I feel like I should read more fiction because I mostly read for the sake of learning, but I see the benefits of reading fiction and feel like it would make me a more creative person. The next book on my reading list is Kate Bowler’s Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel.
Catherine: What is your second favorite kind of music next to choral music?
Bethany: I love singing choral music, but when I’m listening to music I’m all over the place with favorite artists in almost every genre. Some of my favorite artists include Emily King, Tasha Cobbs, Smokie Norful, Pedrito Martinez, Alison Krauss, Chris Thile, Tank and the Bangas, Lauryn Hill, and Whitney Houston.
Catherine: Water or Mountains?
Bethany: I love going to the beach or spending a day at a lake. Growing up, one of my family’s summer traditions was going to the Lake of the Ozarks, renting a boat, and spending the whole day out on the water. We went water skiing, swam, sometimes fished, and just enjoyed the peace of the lake. Living in LA during my college years, I loved going to the beach. I also enjoy the mountains, and when my husband and I go to Seattle to visit his family, we often take a day to go hiking. But I enjoy the water a bit more; it’s just more relaxing to me.
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