A Seasoned Mentor Chitra Kovoor Is New Ministry Fellow at Yale by catherine elvy, staff writer
The Episcopal Seminary at Yale. “Our home is full of young people, music, and lively conversations around good food. We have been mentoring faculty and students here at Yale for the past several years.” ministry. Also during her time in Connecticut, Kovoor has “This seems to be something pulling at my heartvolunteered with Integrated Refugee Services and strings,” said Chitra Kovoor, who hails from India Immigrant Services, supported in pastoral ministry, and spent most of her adult life in the United Kingand lived in an international missions community dom. “At this stage, I’m still called to be working at the Overseas Ministries Study Center. with young people.” Jane Hendrickson, In August, Kovoor Christian Union minisjoined Christian Union’s try fellow at Yale, highteam at Yale, where she is lighted Chitra Kovoor’s drawing from experience influence on students who in mentoring students at attend St. John’s Episcopal Birmingham, Bristol, and Church. “She has a pasDelhi universities. She has sion for the Gospel and more than three decades sees the Yale community of diverse ministerial and as a true crossroads city, professional experience, where future leaders from including youth, college, all over the world come ministry, academic, and and might encounter corporate endeavors, manChrist,” said Hendrickagement and leadership son. development, missionary The wealth of experitraining, English-language ence Chitra Kovoor brings instruction, and counselto her role as a minising. try fellow fits Christian As well, Kovoor and Union’s mission of leaderhusband George are no Chitra Kovoor, a Christian Union ministry fellow at ship training. “Mentoring strangers to the Yale comYale, brings vast experience in international and has been a big part of my munity. In 2013, Rev. campus ministry. life,” she said. Canon George Kovoor acAs she ministers to cepted a position as rector Yale students, Kovoor, who has a master of business at St. John’s Episcopal Church in New Haven. The administration from Bangalore University, is able to position has allowed the pair to support students via relate to students who are likely eventually to manage teaching, prayer, and hospitality, efforts that are close corporate, academic, and family responsibilities. to their hearts as the parents of three young adults. “I’ve lived through some of those pressure-cooker “We have lived and served in Christian ministry at moments,” said Kovoor, who also is an accomplished Yale University and have made some very strong and tennis player and pianist. significant friendships in the local churches and in the “Chitra is a great role model as a mother, wife, town,” said George Kovoor, who is also an adjunct and minister and extremely gifted as an evangelist,” professor at Yale University and fellow at Berkeley: Christian Union’s newest female ministry fellow at Yale University brings a wealth of experience in international and campus
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