Director of Academic and Vocational Discernment
Adjunct Professor
Coordinator of Eden’s Houses of Study
Pronouns: She/Her
Southern Illinois University, B.S., 1986
Southern Illinois University, B.S., 1986
Southern Illinois University, M.S., 1988
Southern Illinois University, Ph.D., 1993
Eden Theological Seminary, M.T.S., 2009
Phone: 314-918-2554
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Jill Baker speaks with students about their ministerial path, helping them discern their strengths, passions, and goals. She is part of the Admissions team, and she coordinates the Certificate and Community Learning offerings including the Ministry Cohorts. Dr. Baker Coordinates Eden’s Houses of Study, and is Director of the UCC/DOC House of Studies and Holy Conversations, the asynchronous House of Study.
She teaches United Church of Christ History and Polity, weaving the historical foundations of the denomination into the social justice movements of the present. Dr. Baker has been active in the United Church of Christ since 1991 at the local, conference and national levels. She has been a Vice Moderator, Moderator, and National Board representative for the Illinois South Conference. She founded the Green DuBois Task Force, a group that seeks to preserve the environmental biodiversity at DuBois Center, the outdoor ministry setting of her Conference.
Dr. Baker formed ISC Pride in 2010 to raise LGBTQ+ issues in her Conference. This lead to the founding of Rainbow Camp in 2016, an annual camp for the Queer community and straight allies. She also photographed and produced the Illinois South Conference Book of Prayer in 2008.
In addition to UCC History and Polity, Dr. Baker has taught or co-taught the following classes: MCL Seminar I and II, The Enneagram in Ministry; Conservation as Social Change; Stonewall to Today; Leading a Church to LGBTQ Inclusivity; Queering the Church; and Sin, Stewarts and Christmas.
