Life and Work with Dennae Pierre

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennae Pierre.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Dennae. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Phoenix, my mother is an immigrant from Honduras, and my father’s side of the family can trace their lineage back to the Mayflower. I remember from a very young age noticing disparity and difference. There was a difference in how the world around me talked about the wealthy versus the poor, immigrants who came here legally versus immigrants who did not, people who went to church versus those who didn’t. I think growing up in a mixed culture home; I was wired to notice these differences and see others unintentionally prefer those society props up while looking down on those who tend to be on the margins.

Of course, as a child, I could not make sense of it all, but I remember being captured by the stories of Jesus in children’s church and as soon as I was able to read began fumbling my way through Bible stories about Jesus. His love for those who were unloved gripped me and his ability to bring together people from all different backgrounds intrigued me. I never quite felt at home in church environments because unfortunately, it felt to “other” those who were not Christians and yet at the same time it provided a sense of family and community. Through this journey, I sensed a deep calling to dedicate my vocation to the church, but with a desire to press into help us be the kind of community we see take shape around Jesus in the Bible.

Ten years ago a group of pastors throughout the greater Phoenix area began to gather with a desire to get to know one another, learn from each other, and consider how together they might serve Phoenix together. There was a growing awareness that the silo nature that can take place in religious communities was not helping us love our neighbors to the best of our ability.

It is not uncommon for churches throughout America to be racially segregated: latinos worship at one church, African Americans in another, Anglo evangelicals in another. Because we were not always eating at the same dining room tables, churches in wealthy suburbs were not necessarily aware of what was happening in immigrant communities in downtown Phoenix. Churches filled with families in Scottsdale may emphasize one aspect of our Christian faith while churches in South Phoenix a different aspect. We realized that our faith would always be anemic and our ability to serve our city limited if we were not connected and learning from those living in different contexts right next door to us.

As our friendships grew, we began to see ways to partner. In the last ten years we have been able to mobilize individuals in church to fight against payday lending, show up to pray and support a local Mosque that was being terrorized by white-supremacists, be available to welcome asylum seekers, provide volunteers to nonprofits that are effectively engaging in foster care, public schools, and domestic violence. Our main focus has been helping churches be more effective at not just talking about the grace God offers us in Jesus but displaying that grace through our tone, posture, critique, and affirmation of the city we love.

Surge is dedicated to doing whatever we can to help every person who comes to church love God more deeply as they grow in loving their neighbor and we can’t do this as individuals or even just one type of church, but our individual church members have to be connected to something that gives them vision for the beauty and the needs in the whole of our city. I feel like my own story alongside the collective vision of Surge for us to be faithful to follow Jesus has allowed me to lead and serve in ways I am deeply grateful for.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not always been a smooth road. Specifically, the work I am engaged in ten years ago was entirely male, five years ago was 98% male, and now I think maybe it is closer to 35% female. A lot of my initial time that I invested in this work, I was the only woman working with 30-60 men.

The evangelical church has been in the news recently for the mistreatment of women (among other things), so it might be no surprise to your readers that what is true for women across society can sometimes get amplified in a religious context. Because of this, stepping into a male-dominated culture has not always been easy. I often fought the temptation to conform or adapt in unhealthy ways, try to prove myself, to fight aggressively to break down structures I believed were harmful, to find my identity in being “one of the guys” or allow a difficult experience with a male leader stereotype everyone they represented.

The only thing that helped me through that season was an unwavering belief in love. A willingness to move toward people who perhaps were unsure about me, to learn a language that was foreign to me, and to stay true to the deep conviction I had that love will eventually win over. I do not do this perfectly; however, returning to this deep commitment to love and move toward others has allowed me to build some incredible allies, to see paradigms and opinions shift, and to create a safe place for other women to enter.

If I had advice for other women in male-dominated spaces I would say find mentors of all different kinds, have friends who don’t really care about your job (meaning work is not all there is to life…so if its a crappy week have fun with friends), prioritize your health, and make room for other women. What can be most tragic about being a minority in an environment that doesn’t naturally give power away to women is that once you have influence or platform, you may be tempted to keep building on it. We can’t do that. It’s not about us getting leadership or a seat at the table. That isn’t good enough. It’s about helping foster change across the board. Being the first or only female is not enough, we need a movement of women entering spaces they have often been left out of which means at times choosing to build another woman’s platform or influence over your own.

I remember early on having multiple moments where I both felt a sense of thankfulness for finally being given a seat at the table and at the same time noticing ways I could give some of my leadership opportunities, platform, or influence away to women who were not yet at the table. Part of me was terrified to do this. I already had the least amount to give away; it took so long to get there, my influence was fragile. You know the stories we tell ourselves. But if things are going to change we need courage to break through the fear. The unjust structures that happen when one group gets an exorbitant amount of power never gets challenged by playing by the same rules. I’ve had to trust that the rules given to “climb the ladder” are just false, and the rule we’ve been called to play by is sacrificial love. The most loving thing I can do is look for women far more gifted and talented than me and open doors for them.

Please tell us about Surge Network.
I think what sets our movement of churches apart right now is a willingness to move toward those very different from us. We are living in polarized, angry times. Everything around us is feeding fear to drive spending, votes, and policies. We talk about and work toward a more just society, but are unwilling to put up with dehumanizing those contributing to the injustice. We believe that Jesus calls us to a radical love for the poor, the prisoner, the orphan but we are also committed to the radical love he calls us to have for enemies. This means we take initiative to cross lines and barriers between groups hostile to each other or perhaps hostile to people we love and initiate generous love to all our neighbors.

Contact Info:

• Address: 921 North 1st Street
  Phoenix, Arizona 85004
• Website: www.surgenetwork.com
• Email: info@surgenetwork.com
• Instagram: @surgenetwork
• Facebook: @surgenetwork
• Twitter: @dennaepierre
• Other: www.rooseveltchurch.org

Image Credit:
Dennae Pierre

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.