In her new role, Canon Kate will lead the cathedral’s Fellowship in Faith and Family Ministry programs. She will coordinate inter-generational christian formation events, curate the Dean’s Forum and participate fully in the liturgical life of the cathedral. She will have special responsibility for Cathedral for Kids, a service for the young and the young at heart which is the centerpiece of children’s ministry at the cathedral.
Ms. Kate Akerman, who has done an exceptional job as Director of Family Ministry throughout the pandemic, will be off to Seminary in the Fall sponsored by the Dean and the cathedral congregation. She will be studying toward a Master of Divinity degree as she pursues her call to the priesthood. The two Kates will spend midsummer handing off ministry responsibilities and ensuring a smooth transition.
Canon Kate has pursued her love of creative Christian education in Episcopal schools and churches since 2004. She has served as Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at St. James’ Church, Madison Avenue, Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn and, most recently, Associate Rector at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church and Pro-Cathedral, where her focus is family worship and Sunday School.
For years, Kate has created original, faith-based curricula that incorporate love of God and the natural world, Biblical literacy, service work, and the arts. These include the recent Instruments of Peace puppet and songwriting series on the legacy of St. Francis and a Psalms project in which children create illuminated manuscripts using medieval techniques. Over the years, Kate has had the pleasure of serving as a school, camp and hospital chaplain, and of leading numerous youth service trips.
Kate holds a Masters of Divinity from Yale University and a Masters of Sacred Theology, cum laude, from the General Theological Seminary (GTS). For her thesis project at GTS, Kate designed a pilgrimage from the statue of Minerva in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery to the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.
Kate values her connection to the cathedral community, and currently serves on The Cathedral Chapter. She sits on the board of the Mercer School, where she has been active in implementing Sacred Ground, the Episcopal Church’s anti-racism curriculum, in our diocese. She is a longtime member and former president of the Brooklyn Heights Interfaith Clergy Association.
Kate lives in Brooklyn Heights with her husband Ian, and their two daughters, Virginia and Jane. She is thrilled to be joining the ministry of the cathedral, and eager to support and grow a vibrant program for families and children on the close.