Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks (she/they/ella/elle) is an Afriqueña queer womanist minister, healer, and lifelong co-learner committed to the liberation of oppressed and colonized peoples, building power, and creating community. She lives in Chicago with her partner and has three children and 12 grandchildren.
Dr. Pagán-Banks currently serves as executive director of A Just Harvest, fighting hunger and poverty in the Chicago area, and Vision Doula of the Black Flower Collective, LLC., celebrating the culture and supporting the businesses of the African Caribbean Diaspora in Rogers Park. She is also pastor at San Lucas United Church of Christ, a community of Pan y Liberación, an adjunct professor at McCormick Theological Seminary, where she currently co-learns at Cook County Jail, and, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, leading peer groups in field studies.
Rev. Pagán-Banks is a certified yoga teacher and joyful contributor to Words of Her Mouth: Psalms for the Struggle and Explore: Vocational Discovery in Ministry (Explorations in Theological Field Education) as well as several devotionals published by the United Church of Christ.
She was recently elected to the 24th District Council of Chicago, a new role created to provide community-centered police accountability, resource the healing of the community, and make space for imagination to take flight in fostering thriving communities.
