Youth Ministry Institute

Daneen Akers loves the gloaming, that time of day when it’s starting to grow dark and there’s magic in the air. She’s also very fond of books, walks in the woods, songs around a campfire, snuggles with her daughters, and large pots of hot beverages enjoyed with friends. Her works include Dear Mama God, a children’s prayer book filled with simple gratitudes addressed to the divine in feminine form, and Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints, a middle-grades anthology with original portraits and profiles of diverse faith leaders who worked for more love and justice in their corner of the world. As a part-time resident of the San Francisco Film Society’s FilmHouse, she directed documentaries focusing on identity and faith, including Seventh-Gay Adventists: A Film About Faith, Identity, and Belonging. Daneen teaches English at UNC Asheville part-time and holds a graduate degree from San Francisco State University. She lives near Asheville, North Carolina with her family. Most mornings, she’s woken up by an enthusiastic Carolina Wren outside her window.