The Rev. Deacon Geraldine Swanson, Class of 2008, has been appointed the deacon to the Richmond Episcopal Ministry which is overseeing the development of new ministries on Staten Island, NY and helping existing congregations revamp their vision for the future due to changing demographics and resources.
Swanson has served over 25 years as an educator in both public and private schools in New York City, both in the classroom and as a mentor to new teachers, trainer of teacher mentors, and staff developer. She has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Association for Episcopal Deacons for two terms, coordinated the Triennial Assembly in 2016, and is now serving on the Board of the Fund for the Diaconate.
She has been a member of the Staten Island Hunger Task Force and Coalition for Housing Equality, as well as filling multiple roles aiding relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, as well as working as a member of the Disaster Relief Committee for the “Heart of the Home” Initiative.
For her Master’s Thesis at General, Swanson documented the history of the New York School for Deaconesses and the life of Susan Trevor Knapp, the only historical study of an important diaconal role model in a pivotal era. It provided essential background for the current development, for the first time in TEC’s history, of a comprehensive theology of the diaconate.