Tara Limbaugh is an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, California-Nevada Conference. She is from Piedmont, South Carolina, but she decided to stay in California after attending seminary in Berkeley. Tara has a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion and a Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.
Before seminary, Tara worked as a grant writer and development coordinator in the nonprofit sector. She also engaged in grassroots community development in the Upstate of South Carolina. Since seminary she has served as a chaplain resident at Prisma Heath (primarily in the Emergency Department) and pastor at Aldersgate UMC in San Rafael, CA. While in San Rafael she worked closely with the Marin Interfaith Street Chaplaincy ministry and created an online ministry at her parish. She took part in the second annual New Church Start Academy in the California-Nevada Conference, and serves on the Committee for New and Vital Congregations. On CNVC she serves as the liaison to the new Sacramento ministry Table Farm, Table Bread and serves on a subcommittee dedicated to conversation and creating equity in support and funding for ethnic minority ministries.
She is currently a Lieutenant as a Navy CCPO (Chaplain Candidacy Program Officer), and hopes to be endorsed soon as a reservist in the Navy Chaplain Corp. Her passions include: the creation of missional communities, meeting new people, creative liturgy, Grey’s Anatomy, kayaking, softball, basketball, (indoor) rock climbing & scrambling, documentaries, concerts/festivals, and Clemson Football. She has plans to become a Padres and Wave FC fan. She will live in Oceanbeach with her wife, Marie Tracy, who is an active duty Navy chaplain, and their two dogs: Preach and Jubilee.