Rev. Jayde Swygert is an ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church. Prior to serving at St. Luke’s, Jayde served in extension ministry as an Donation Advocate with LifeQuest Donor Recovery Services where she helped support healthcare teams, patients, and their loved ones through the organ donation process across North and Central Florida.
Jayde attended Huntingdon College for her Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education and then pursued her Masters of Divinity at Emory’s Candler School of Theology. Following her time at Emory, she served two appointments as an Associate Pastor in the Oregon-Idaho Conference, where her credentials are held. During these two appointments she helped launch various new ministries including affordable childcare programs for kids, new gathering communities, as well as walking with her congregations to be more expansive and inclusive in their welcoming and community work. Her work has always centered around looking and listening for the thread of God in the church and the world and helping the church respond to that call.
Over her almost 15-year ministry career she has served churches in Alabama, Georgia, and Oregon. She has completed 5 units of Clinical Pastoral Education while serving as a hospital chaplain in Tennessee and Georgia. She is a certified yoga instructor and spiritual director. While serving in the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference she provided leadership for conference young clergy, worked for pay equity, served for a season as the Commission on the Status and Role of Women chair.
Jayde is married to Anna, an ordained Deacon in the Florida conference, and they are parents to the most precious tuxedo cat named Gus.
