For Marie Louden-Hanes, life has definitely come full circle.

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As a young child, Marie was baptized at First Presbyterian Church in Fostoria and now, many years later, she finds herself ministering to the congregation there.

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Following a 29-year career at the University of Findlay as a Professor of Art, Marie returned to seminary to continue working toward a Master of Divinity in Ordination degree.

Marie and her family have always been active in the Presbyterian church.  Her three children, Brook, Nathan and Duncan, were all baptized at First Presbyterian in Fostoria.   Her husband, Don, served as a deacon.   Marie is an elder in the Presbyterian Church and has served on the Committee on Ministry for the Maumee Valley Presbytery.

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“In quiet moments and even in the occasionally chaos, my prayers and questions continued as I anticipated and looked for opportunities to serve in ministry.  Still the nagging questions: ‘What are you up to God?’”

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“When I reflect on the last 30 years waiting for God to respond to my queries, I realize God has been at work from the beginning. God is at work for each one of us: orchestrating the journey, involving faithful servants to the resume and redirect when we lose direction, to reassure when we doubt, to reaffirm, and to comfort.”

 

“A few days after my 50th birthday (27 years ago), at the invitation of Rev. Terry Bard, I offered the sermon for the congregation. A few months later, Rev. Bard invited me to the Table to assist with Holy Communion. Exhilaration and excitement define the experiences. Even now, almost three decades later, I remember the inner joy and I know I am in the right place.”

Marie has a lifetime of experiences, knowledge and faith to share with the Fostoria congregation.

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While at the University of Findlay, Marie helped develop and facilitate many events, series and UF distinctives. She led dozens of guided study tours with students to England, France, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Japan, and the Scandinavian countries. She participated in faculty exchange programs to Vietnam and Japan.  Marie was named a Fulbright Specialist in 2019.

Marie received many awards of distinction, including the Elizabeth and Professor Shiv Kumar Gupta Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Area of Fine Arts, the Beta Sigma Phi International Sorority Founder's Day Woman of the Year Award, the Richard E. Wilkin Faculty Chair in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and the highest award given to faculty on campus—the University of Findlay Founders Award for Academic Excellence.