Barbara Heck

Background

About Barbara Heck

The Rev. Dr. Barbara Heck is Pastor and Head of Staff at Bush Hill Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, VA. Barbara preaches and leads worship, supervises staff, moderates the session, and engages the congregation in ministry and mission. Before returning to congregational ministry in 2012, Barbara directed and grew thriving campus ministry programs at Rutgers University, Occidental College and at Cornell University. In between, she served as solo pastor of two yoked churches near Toronto, Canada. Barbara served for five years as Moderator of Presbyterian Ministers in Higher Education and received the Campus Ministry of the Year Award from the National Campus Ministry Association in 2012. Rev. Heck received her Doctor of Ministry in Theology, Arts and Preaching at Wesley Theological Seminary in 2017, completing her dissertation on the healing power of laughter,"Amusing Grace: Healing the Local Congregation with Redeeming Laughter." She received her Masters of Divinity in 1988 from McCormick Theological Seminary, where she received the Ellen and James Taylor Award in Preaching, and the Henry P. Crowell Award in Systematic Theology. She lived and studied for two years in Wuppertal and Freiburg, West Germany and is a 1984 graduate in German language and culture from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She also holds a certificate in fundraising from the George H. Heyman, Jr Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising at New York University. Barbara is an enthusiastic sculler with Capital Rowing Club after having started to row in 2003 with Carnegie Lake Rowing Association. She has won numerous races at regional and national regattas. She is also an accomplished oil painter focusing particularly on landscapes.