Forefront Conversations with Makenzie Gomez

The COVID lockdown of 2020 changed the paradigm for all of us. The pandemic set many of us on a journey of discovery new routines, anxieties, and fears that we had never experienced before. For Forefront co-pastor, Makenzie Gomez, it was also the start of a journey living with disabilities and chronic illness. Makenzie's journey didn't just see her realizing that there were new physical limitations in her daily routine, but also realizing there was internalized ableism in the world, the Church, and even within herself that had to be interrogated. In this first "Forefront Conversations" of 2024, Pastor Makenzie Gomez expands upon the sermon she gave in November 2023 to dive deeper into internalized ableism, how her experiences have shaped her relationship with faith and prayer, and why it's not cool to tell people living with disabilities that they're "an inspiration." Listen to Makenzie's sermon, "We Will Not Be Silent: Ableism." ABOUT MAKENZIE GOMEZ Pastor Makenzie (Mak) Gomez is one of the Co-Pastors at Forefront whose focus is Operations. Her spiritual upbringing includes a mix of Presbytarian (PCUSA), Non-Denominational Evangelical, and Inter-Denominational Christianity. She received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Boston Conservatory and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association. Outside of Forefront, she is a professional performing artist and teacher. Mak is Mexican-American and identifies as queer/lesbian. Forefront helped her discover that embracing the intersection of sexuality and spirituality can truly be a holy and healing experience, and she hopes to continue to foster a similar environment of wonder for others. At Forefront, Mak produces Sunday services, oversees our Sunday Volunteer Teams, and manages the Church Calendar. She preaches semi-regularly, provides pastoral care and opportunities for growth (particularly when it comes to volunteer and leadership development), and aims to bring as much creativity as possible to all she does. Mak works closely with our deacons of Events & Data.