Rev. Ali DeLeo was appointed as our pastor on July 1, 2022, after serving as pastor at National United Methodist Church (a 3-campus church in Washington DC) and Faith-Community Cooperative Parrish (a 2-point charge in Pasadena MD). She served on the pastoral staff at Pleasant Green UMC (Durham NC), North UMC (Indianapolis, Indiana), Hillcrest Methodist Church Clerpine Circuit (Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa), and as a chaplain at Duke Medical Center (Durham, NC). Pastor Ali was raised up for ministry at Capitol Hill United Methodist Church (Washington, DC) and is an ordained elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. She earned a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (her former vocation) from Temple University.

Pastor Ali has a passion for creative worship experiences that inspire us to share God’s love and transforming grace with others. She has led numerous retreats, offers regular spiritual practices, and teaches about worship innovation and clergy health & wellness.

In her spare time, Ali enjoys Broadway musicals, gardening, camping, and playing with her dog, Violet. She also loves to sing, paint, travel, cook, and study history. She was overjoyed this past fall to play the Witch in the Viviana-SUMC production of Sondheim's Into the Woods.