Darci Jaret

Darci is an art minister, pastoral care provider, social entrepreneur and pastor. At ARC, Darci works as a consultant on the ARC Studio initiative, a project whose goal it is to encourage collaboration among artists, people of faith, and scholars, making creative resources more accessible to communities across North America.

After spending many years as an artist and activist, Darci felt a call to ministry - not the traditional path for this queer artist and gender nonconforming individual. Darci received a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology in 2017, focusing on pastoral care through art making. She has led groups in communal art making for worship, pastoral care, or spiritual development in multiple faith communities, small groups, nonprofits, community development trainings, transitional housing organizations, foster care agencies, national Christian conferences, retreats, and more.

Darci also serves as the Minister Artist-in-Residence at Park Avenue Baptist Church, where they lead a creative community group, “Re-Imagining Prayer” and a monthly event called the Creative Outlet that connects craft and theological topics. Darci co-leads an art ministry mentorship program called “Created 2 Create,” which guides artists and ministers toward creative theological expressions. Darci developed a Pastoral Care Model that facilitates creative narrative expression and helps people speak their narrative in healing and artistic ways. Their most recent healing public art installation was a 100-foot long sculpture created in community that memorialized the 49 victims of the Pulse Massacre. The woven piece was collaborative and in the act of weaving fabric around stands that held photos, participants could grieve and begin healing from this egregious attack on queer communities of color.