My Life Journey: Both Upwards and Downwards

About the Book

In this book, Barbara shares her personal experiences as a leader in parish and campus ministries, as a spiritual director, as a retreat leader, as a seminary professor, and in the development of inner authority and professional opportunities among clergywomen. She also affirms her deep appreciation of many kinds of music throughout her life.

About the Author

Barbara B. Troxell, a United Methodist clergywoman, was ordained in the late 1950’s and served as a pastor in New York and California, a campus minister (through the student YWCA) at Ohio Wesleyan and Stanford universities, a United Methodist district superintendent in northern California, a dean of students at Pacific School of Religion (Berkeley, CA), and a faculty member at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL). Barbara is a graduate of Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania) and Union Theological Seminary (New York), with additional studies at New College (Edinburgh, Scotland), Pacific School of Religion, and Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (Washington, DC). In retirement, Barbara resides with her husband, Gene Boutilier, whom she met at Pilgrim Place, a unique continuing care retirement community in Claremont, California, which emphasizes activism on peace, justice, and care of the earth. She is the aunt of two beloved nieces and their families in Minnesota and Spain; and later in life was welcomed into Gene’s multigenerational family. Barbara was the first ordained Protestant woman in 1969 to become an active member of The Grail, joining this originally Roman Catholic international community of women. She is also a professed member of the Order of Saint Luke, a dispersed ecumenical order focused on sacramental and liturgical practices.