My name is Renee Roederer, and I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I serve as the Senior Director of Programs and Community Care at the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan.
I am additionally an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister, a writer, an itinerant speaker, and an organizer of communities centered around belonging, support, advocacy, and service.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisville and a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I have great energy and passion for nonprofit work. I’ve held several roles at the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan and served previously as the Director of the Interfaith Round Table of Washtenaw County. Before working in nonprofit, I served three congregations as a Pastor and Campus Minister in Austin, Texas; Pasadena, California; and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
These days, I am grateful to be working alongside others toward the creation of relationships within these communities:
The Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan improves the lives of people affected by epilepsy through education, advocacy, research, and connection, and we work to ensure that no one experiences epilepsy alone. As Senior Director of Programs and Community Care, I work alongside our dedicated staff team to design and deliver educational and supportive programming that builds community and strengthens networks of care for people affected by epilepsy. In my leadership role, I develop and implement specialized, grant-funded initiatives and coordinate the meetings our Professional Advisory Committee, including epileptologists, neurologists, therapists, and EEG technologists who provide clinical care and support for our shared community. As someone who lived with epilepsy in childhood, this work is deeply personal to me and shapes the passion and purpose I bring to this role. I invite you to learn more about our work.
Parables is a community in Chelsea, Michigan that centers around a worship service for all abilities, and is designed particularly for those on the wider spectrum of neurodiversity and/or disability. We all deserve to have a place where we know we belong — where people genuinely see us and value who we are uniquely. Parables invites active, informal participation with an emphasis on accessibility, including sensory headphones and fidgets, Spirit scarves for Passing the Peace and dancing, a visual schedule board, and therapy dogs. The program’s predictable format each week helps to create a welcoming space for spiritual reflection, especially for those whose cognitive differences allow them to engage in the experience more spontaneously. Alongside a team of gifted pastoral leaders, I am privileged to lead this service once a month. I invite you to learn more about this community.
Farm Church is a church community that meets on a farm and leverages all the resources of the farm to address food insecurity in Durham, North Carolina. From Michigan, I am a member of this community and visit Durham often. I have the joy of leading Farm Church’s weekly newsletter, where I share opportunities to engage, community announcements, and words for spiritual reflection that help cultivate connection across the community. I invite you to learn more about this community vision.
You may email me at revannarbor@gmail.com to inquire about my work within these communities. If you would like to connect with me as a speaker or workshop leader for retreats or conferences, please visit my Speaking Page.
Smuggling Grace 