Jan ("Zippy") ZemanI was born and raised in Minnesota and received my religious upbringing in the Moravian Church. When I graduated from High School at Mound, MN, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served five years as an administrative specialist in California. After leaving the service I settled in San Francisco, CA for the next 15 years and received my education in Business & Accounting at the Golden Gate College. I later spent 5 years in northern CA and worked as a Real Estate Salesperson. I returned to Minnesota in 1982, spending my first year in the St. Cloud area and later making my home in Little Falls where I remain today.
Over the years I attended a variety of churches and became a member of a local congregation for 10 years until I was asked to leave when my involvement in GLBT activism became known. Even there I never felt like a useful member and I remained on the fringes most of that time. I started attending Our Saviours Episcopal Church in Little Falls during a period of accelerated spiritual reflection two years ago and was received into the church in July 1999. I am in my second year of EFM and serve as an Acolyte, Lay Eucharistic Minister, Lay Reader, Lector, on the Altar Guild and trained as a Lay Eucharistic Visitor. I am Treasurer for Our Saviour's and a member of the Vestry. Last year I experienced the wonderful fellowship of the Cursillo, and this fall attended the 143rd Diocesan Convention in Rochester as a Delegate.
In August I was honored by the call to the Ministry as a Christian Education Minister and look forward to working and growing spiritually in this call in the Spirit of the Heartland area. Every day I give thanks to God for leading me to this place in my life and ask for His guidance to do His will. I have had the opportunity to meet and join in community with other Team members as well as many other loving children of God in the Episcopal Church. I feel that Total Ministry is a blessing for out smaller churches and I pray that I am able, by visibility and example in the community, welcome others to the spiritual warmth I have found.