Meridith Owensby
Meridith Owensby is a cofounder and live-in community member at Lydia’s House, an intentional community in Cincinnati, Ohio. Meridith hales from Atlanta, Georgia, where she was first introduced to radical Christianity as a member of the Open Door Community, a Catholic worker house dedicated to serving those experiencing homelessness or on death row. Meridith also spent four years with the Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC, serving at a home for women and children with HIV. She is a member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent and works part time for the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Hospitality as a Feminist Act: What happens when women lead communities
The Reverend Jane Gerdsen (Praxis Communities/Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio) and Meridith Owensby (Lydia’s House Catholic Worker) will discuss women’s leadership in the creating and hosting of faith-based intentional communities. Drawing from scripture and from more recent examples of women whose faith led them to create communities of change, this dialog will include stories from Jane and Meridith’s experience at the helm of startup communities. Come share your favorite inspirational stories and your own experiences of the triumphs and tribulations of community especially as they relate to women.