Reverend Dr. Sandra Bochonok, "Surprised By Joy", is the founder and pastoral leader of Soul Food Ministry. She is ordained with the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. Her ministry interests include Internet evangelism and contemplative Christianity. We have asked her to share some of what motivates her work with this ministry.

• Tell us a little bit about your history.
  Born and raised in Chicago, I worked as a nurse for sixteen years, gradually discerning a "call" to the ordained ministry. That call clarified when I lived with my terminally ill mother in the late '80's. While caring for her at home, one day I prayed, "God, I'll go anywhere in the world, but you have to show me how I can serve you best as a North American woman." Within seconds of my prayer, an unsolicited U.S. Navy Chaplain recruiter called me on the phone.
  
  Ordained with the Evangelical Covenant Church of America (ECCA), I served as an active duty Navy chaplain from 1991 - 1996. But the overt homophobia of the ECCA and US military greatly disturbed me, and I decided to leave military ministry and the ECCA. I transferred my clergy credentials into the Metropolitan Community Church (MCCchurch.org) in 1997. I then completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.. Soul Food Ministry (www.soulfoodministry.org) birthed in 1998 and I've been working as an e-pastor ever since.


• What is the origin of your pen name "Surprised by Joy"?
  When completing my clergy transition work at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C. in 1996-97, the church invited me to write 500 word devotionals with several other writers using various pen names. The meditations were used for Sunday church bulletin inserts, based on lectionary texts. I chose "Surprised by Joy" because I'm a great admirer of C. S. Lewis. Lewis used that expression to tell his story of conversion from Atheism to Christianity. I use the expression to describe my joy in ministry.


• Is there a particular spiritual hero or mentor who inspired you?
  Many wonderful mentors, military and civilian blessed me with their friendships and experiences. My military mentors included active duty clergy from Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, and Orthodox backgrounds. In the UFMCC, the Rev. Dr. Candace Shultis is a great inspiration to me. But my greatest spiritual mentors were my mother and maternal grandmother. They were humble, courageous working class women of great faith, who taught me how to love and pray, and encouraged me to go to seminary and follow my calling.


• When did you first get the idea for Internet evangelism?
  In 1998, I prayed for divine direction in ministry. Several days later, a brilliant woman telephoned me and offered to get me online with a web site, on the condition that she remain anonymous. The Internet was exploding in popularity. As early as 1999, experts estimated 1 in 6 people in the U.S.A. used the Internet as their only spirituality resource. The 'Net is a fabulous way to reach seekers locally, nationally and internationally.


• What is unique about Soul Food Ministry?
  Soul Food Ministry began with a prayer, and today reaches seekers representing 136 countries in six major languages. Web visitors are gay and straight, young and old, rich and poor. Some never attend church and are completely unfamiliar with the Bible. Others have only experienced the Bible as a weapon used against them. Some of the gay cyber visitors come from the most homophobic countries in the world where they have no civil rights. If known to be gay, they might experience prison, torture, excommunication, exile or even death by execution. We keep the web site non-commercialized, user friendly for seekers in developing countries with limited computer access. Some web visitors have been visiting the site since 1998. Visitors are grateful for the free multilingual resources and prayer team ministry.


• When did you decide to make the Soul Food Ministry web site multilingual?
  People hunger for non-homophobic spirituality resources in their primary languages. In 1998, Geraldine Wright began saving five cents a word, translating Soul Food Ministry spirituality resources, five hundred words at a time, into Spanish. Her generosity and passion for languages made multilingual outreach possible. She recognized the Internet was not just for English readers. Thank you, Geraldine!
  
  Today, Soul Food Ministry offers an amazing amount of translated Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese and Portuguese resources because of her passion for multilingual outreach.


• Are there other web sites that you used as a pattern?
  I literally visited hundreds of web sites during the early days of Soul Food Ministry, researching ideas, prayer chapels, and formats. But many of the ideas came to me in 1997, when I attended a silent retreat at Dayspring Retreat Center in Maryland. During my free time at that particular retreat, I prayed and did some journal writing about starting some sort of "soul food ministry." I wanted to develop non-homophobic ecumenical spiritual resources that would provide "soul food," "soul care," empowering people to "soul share" with others. I also wanted to offer a prayer team service - trusted volunteers willing to pray for the strange and the stranger.


• Is there a group of people you feel a particular burden for?
  Yes, I have several major ministry passions.
  
  (1.) Through Soul Food Ministry, I hope to reach out to seekers and skeptics in every country with the non-homophobic gospel of Jesus Christ, especially in those nations lacking Metropolitan Community churches. I am especially concerned for sexual minorities living in countries lacking basic human rights and protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizens.
  
  (2.) I am deeply concerned about hunger needs locally, nationally and globally. It is estimated that as many as one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Approximately 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. Three-fourths of the deaths are children under the age of five. I live in the State of Washington, ranked 2nd highest in the USA in food insecurity. I am dedicated to promoting and participating in the Plant A Row for the Hungry. Through Soul Food Ministry, I hope to continually raise global awareness of hunger through the "To Zimbabwe with Love" series, and develop new materials about the spirituality of food, feasting, fasting and famine for 2005.
  
  (3.) I remain deeply concerned for U.S. sexual minority military members who must serve in silence because of federally legalized homophobia, and I hope to live to see the day when gay soldiers can serve openly with legal protections. I also have a burden to see same-sex marriages legalized throughout the United States of America, providing federal recognition and rights. I yearn for the day when same-sex marriages are legalized around the world.


• Has the Internet ministry allowed you to meet other clergy or spiritual seekers you would not otherwise have met?
  I've met clergy from Australia, Brazil, Mexico and a number of other countries, and I have had guests from as far away as Zimbabwe.


• You have written many devotions for the Soul Food Ministry web site. Have any of these been published? If so, how would the readers purchase them?
  I have a daily devotional available at Chi Rho Press, a gay Christian publishing house. "LIVING AS THE BELOVED: One Day At A Time," can be ordered at www.ChiRhoPress.com. Chi Rho Press's mailing address is:
  P. O. Box 7864
  Gaithersburg, MD 20898, USA
  Phone/fax 301/926-1208.


• How has the Internet ministry changed your perspectives and practices as a pastor?
  The Internet has forever changed how I "do" ministry and interpret the world. I live and work in the USA, but because of Soul Food Ministry, I am involved with seekers locally, nationally and internationally. I have learned that humankind shares a universal sacred journey. I believe there is room on the path for everyone. Many cultural and religious tensions, fears and bitter disagreements can be minimized and resolved when respect, courtesy, kindness and compassion are universal stepping stones to greater understanding and communication. I am much more ecumenical and respectful of interfaith dialogue because of my virtual experiences and encounters to other faith traditions. The one thing we share is our desire to pray and touch the Holy.


• What is your most memorable moment with Soul Food Ministry?
  My most memorable encounter was when a lesbian couple from Zimbabwe made a pilgrimage visit to the United States in 2001. They wanted to meet me and the founder of christianlesbians.com (www.christianlesbians.com), and attend a worship service with a Metropolitan Community Church. The two women wondered if God could love them. They then requested a blessing from me, and based on the strength of that blessing, and their combined experiences, returned to their country in an effort to make a difference among the suffering starving and HIV/AIDS population. Zimbabwe remains one of the most homophobic nations in the world.


• What was your biggest surprise with Soul Food Ministry?
  In the early days of this ministry, I was surprised at the amounts of time needed to research and write spirituality resources, and email. I was surprised at how expensive, difficult and time consuming multilingual work could be, especially when translators struggled with word equivalents. I was amazed to learn that even professional translators need proof-readers. And I quickly learned that every writer needs a second set of eyes.
  
  But my biggest surprise was an email from my Zimbabwean friend, when she informed me of the difficulties and sufferings of her nation. Millions were starving, and the government was using food as a political weapon. This continues even today. My friend requested that I write a series of "encouraging" meditations for her people. She would forward the inspirational meditations to her colleagues in Zimbabwe and throughout Africa, and print them out and deliver them to people living in the bush areas. This is how my "To Zimbabwe with Love" series began.


• Do you have suggestions for others wanting to start an Internet ministry?
  Think it through before starting and identify resources, volunteers, costs, and time restraints and commitments. Target your population, be culturally relevant, clearly identify your mission and purpose. Pray about it and mobilize a prayer team. Learn from other web sites and ministries. Always answer your email promptly, carefully and prayerfully.


• What is your dream for Soul Food Ministry?
  I'd love to expand the ministry. My ultimate dream for Soul Food Ministry is to reach seekers in every town, city and country with the non-homophobic gospel of Jesus Christ.
  
  I'd love to develop more resources to help plant non-homophobic churches locally, nationally and globally. I'd love to see even greater outreach in a multitude of languages and dialects.
  
  These are wonderful dreams and I invite you to share them with me.

God bless you!