Geneece Goertzen
C3I Doctoral Research Fellow
Rev. Geneece Goertzen completed her MSW at the Garland School of Social Work (GSSW) and her MDiv at Truett Seminary and is now a PhD student at GSSW, all at Baylor University. She was the recipient of the 2022 MSW Community Practice Field Intern of the Year. She was ordained to gospel ministry by Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, TX, and has served at Calvary in multiple leadership roles. Her area of practice and ministry is domestic violence advocacy and awareness, and she engages in consultation, writing, speaking, and research on that topic. The reason for her passion for this subject is that she is a survivor of more than two decades of domestic violence who desires to turn that tragedy into action to help others. Geneece has taught numerous workshops on abuse, serves on the board of directors for the Family Abuse Center, has testified before the state legislature on bills that affect victims and survivors, and is currently serving on a public policy committee for the Texas Council on Family Violence. She recently completed a pastoral study project grant through the Louisville Institute, studying resilience in survivors and how faith communities and spirituality affect healing after abuse. The continued direction of her research during the PhD program will be domestic violence, post-traumatic growth, and the impact of congregations on survivors and resilience. Strengthening pastoral and congregational responses to domestic violence can break cycles of generational trauma and create hope and healing for those who have experienced abuse. Additional interests include the intersection of faith and practice, community practice social work, social justice, women in ministry, spiritual direction, and liberation theology. You can find Geneece at HopeRiseThrive.com or by the same name on social media.