Spring into Leadership! - Columbia College

in my early 30s when I was very much a ‘seeker’…anybody serious about
faith will question and explore along their journey. I had to be at peace
with my beliefs—and with the reality of death—to be able to help others
in a clinical environment. Part of it is being at home talking about things
that others may not be comfortable with.” In clinical settings, Sarah often
encountered situations where she did not know an individual or their
personal beliefs. In those moments, she says, “The Holy Spirit stands in
the gap, creating a bridge for whatever people are going through.”
Not surprisingly, Sarah’s activism and leadership in the United
Methodist Church have been an equally fulfilling parallel to her
professional career. She has travelled extensively, participating at the
state, national, and international level in the church, including serving as
a delegate to three general and jurisdictional conferences and four World
Methodist Conferences. One achievement of which she is most proud is
having been the first associate lay leader ever nominated from the floor
of Louisiana’s UMC annual conference. An incredibly rare occurrence,
when she was elected, “It was such an honor, and very humbling.”
Sarah is originally from North Carolina, but moved a great
deal during her childhood as her father worked for the Army Corps of
Engineers. Descended from a long line of Methodists, and with family
connections in Columbia, Sarah’s parents decided that she would
attend Columbia College. Reflecting on her time at the College, Sarah
credits the care and nurturing she received from her professors as “a
great deal of the reason for any success I’ve had in life.” Just prior to
enrolling, she had lived abroad with her family during her high school
years. When she returned to the United States, she wasn’t sure if she
was ready for college, “I didn’t feel that I fit in very well with the other girls
at first, but things clicked once I started classes.” She was selected for a
Social Work and Servant Leadership
pilot program called “Trimester” which challenged eleven academically
gifted students to an intensive curriculum, allowing them to graduate,
if successful, in three years. Only five of the eleven original students
graduated from the program in three years, including Sarah. Majoring
in sociology, she was eager to go to graduate school and continue her
preparation for a life of service. “When we graduated, we were sure
our generation could save the world!” She earned her M.S.S.W. at
the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in social work at Tulane. She
spent many years in her career working closely with medical services,
particularly in mental health. Sarah received several major awards in
social work, including Tulane’s Volunteer Award, the Gainesville, Florida
NASW Chapter of Social Worker of the Year, and the Council of Social
Work Education’s Continuing Professional Educator’s Award. Eventually
her focus changed to higher and continuing education, and she joined
the Tulane University faculty in 1991.
Since “retiring” in 2005, her love of connecting with young scholars and
teaching brings her back to Tulane often, “I hang around enough to keep my
parking privileges and my e-mail address!” In fact, she expects to return to
teaching part-time as soon as restructuring of some of the college’s programs
is complete. Meanwhile, Sarah is enjoying some extra time with her family,
especially the grandchildren, and traveling. She recently returned from a
two-week trip to the Holy Land and Egypt. Her work with the United Methodist
Church is something she looks forward to stepping up, and she’s excited and
passionate to serve in any role where she’s needed. Sarah sums it up this way,
“I always remember the saying ‘to whom much is given, much is required,’…
I’ve had an incredibly satisfying calling from which to build a rich spiritual life,”
she adds with a chuckle, “and I don’t get much sleep!” D
Sara and Keith Kreutziger with her brother and sister-in-law,
son-in-law, daughter, and two grandchildren at church on Mother’s Day 2007.
Sara and Keith Kreutziger on
Temple Mount in Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock behind them.
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