Rev. Sandra Moon recently moved west to assume the role as the Northwest Region’s Ministry Relations Officer (MRO). She previous served as the Presbyterian Foundation’s MRO for the Cumberland Region starting in February of 2023.

Moon’s move comes on the heels of the retirement of Rev. Rob Hagan as the region’s MRO and at a time where congregations are eager to explore new and creative ways to sustain and grow their ministries.

Moon’s new ministry includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. She previously served the Cumberland Region, which was comprised of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. She began as the Ministry Relations Officer for the Northwest on January 1, 2025.

“I love hearing stories of how congregations are being good stewards of their resources, especially their physical spaces,” she said. “They’re listening to the needs of the community around them and thinking beyond ‘how do we get people in the pews on Sunday morning,’ but rather ‘how can we serve the community around us?’”

Moon brings a wealth of experience to her role from both from within and outside the church. She served in Belfast, United Kingdom, with the PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer program following graduation from Vanderbilt University in 2005.

In 2011, she received degrees from both Louisville Seminary (M.Div.) and the University of Louisville School of Law (JD). Working in family law and estate planning during and following law school, she became the Director of Alum, Church, and Community Engagement at Louisville Seminary in 2015 and its Director of Admissions in 2018.

Moon believes her work at the seminary prepared her to see the church at a larger connectional level.

“Our denomination is a web of congregations and organizations that may feel separate, but we depend on each other in so many ways,” she said. “Seeing the relationships between congregations and presbyteries, the denomination, synods and getting a grand view of what it means to be a Presbyterian has given me a deeper appreciation of our larger connectional church.”

The transition from being a lawyer and seminary administrator to the Foundation went smoothly, and she was able to adapt her experiences in estate planning and finances to the challenges of being a Ministry Relations Officer.

“The first year was a mix of learning the scope of the job and starting to build relationships with congregations and pastors,” she said. “I went into this job not sure what to expect but trusting that those who encouraged me to look at this position, and those responsible for hiring me, saw gifts in me that could be used well in this role.

“I feel like that’s been the theme in for a lot of my adult life – having a sense of call through others and trusting that God is working in that process.”

After nearly two years at the Foundation, Moon says her favorite part of the job is meeting with pastors and learning about them and about the ministries their congregations are engaged in and their plans for serving their communities.

“The church is alive,” she said. “The church is doing wonderful and amazing things. I’m eager to listen and to think of ways that the Foundation can support congregations and their ministries.”

Another highlight for Moon is presenting to congregations and presbyteries on stewardship and the consultative process of helping them better understand how they can achieve their ministry goals.

“I love presenting the Creating a Culture of Generosity workshop,” she said. “In that workshop we look at our Christian foundational beliefs about stewardship, trends in giving, and then I offer practical advice about how to incorporate some best practices into an annual stewardship campaign.”

For Moon, her work is about providing practical tools churches and other Presbyterian entities can use to continue serving their communities and open up opportunities to explore more options for funding new and sustaining ongoing ministries.

“From there, it often starts a conversation about ethical wills, legacy giving and how we can use planned giving to represent our values of generosity long after we’ve passed.”

Moon relocated to Portland, Oregon, at the beginning of 2025. As an avid outdoorsperson and NOLS Wilderness First Responder, she’s excited to live in a part of the country she’d regularly visited for adventures.

“I found myself spending a lot of my vacation days out in the Pacific Northwest – hiking and backpacking and exploring, so I’m excited to live here,” she said. “I want to plug into the outdoor community and possibly get involved with Sierra Club and maybe help lead some of their trips. And Oregon is also a great place for mushroom hunting.”

Stephen Keizer, the Foundation’s Vice President for Ministry Relations, has seen Moon’s work over the past two years and has every confidence she is a good fit for the role and the challenges of serving in the Northwest.

“We are excited for Sandra to move west, filling the opportunity created by Rob Hagan’s retirement,” he said. ” We know this will allow her to pursue her love of the outdoors as well as continue her work for the Foundation as a Ministry Relations Officer. She works really well with congregations and ministries, and we’re thrilled to continue to have her on our team. We know churches in the Northwest will be well-served by her ministry.”

As she embarks on serving the Northwest Region, Moon is eager to begin her work with congregations and knows she has the support of the Foundation to help in her work.

“My colleagues are amazing,” she said. “They are always willing to share of their knowledge and time and I appreciate that so much more now knowing how busy our schedules are, and they check in to make sure I feel good about my role and that I have what I need to succeed in it.”