Rev. Marian Royston is a provisional elder in the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. She currently lives in Huntsville, Alabama, and serves as a full-time pastor. Additionally, Marian serves as a Community Developer for the Northeast District of the North Alabama Conference. A 2014 Mitchell Scholar, Marian received a MS in Leadership for Sustainable Rural Development at Queen’s University Belfast. While studying in Northern Ireland, she was exposed to a community and culture completely different than that from which she came. She credits this experience with expanding her worldview and helping her communications skills. As part of her degree program, she served in the Northern Ireland government as a Community Development staff member at the Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development. Marian obtained her undergraduate degree from Auburn University and a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary.