Who We Are

Juniper Formation is a Christ-centered faith community of the United Church of Christ (UCC) who are prophetically reimagining the Church. We are movement leaders and people in ministry committed to radical love and justice for the diversity of God's creation, especially those of us who are marginalized and oppressed.

Our mission is prophetically reimagining the Church by incubating new ministries, centering the margins of the Church, and accompanying one another through prophetic discernment and ministry formation.

Juniper Formation is invested in shared liberation and disrupting the cornerstones of oppression; and committed to radical love and justice for the diversity of God's creation, especially the marginalized and oppressed.

Our church is women- and nonbinary-led, multiethnic and antiracist, affirming of undocumented people, celebrating of different abilities, and Open & Affirming of LGBTQ+ individuals and families in the life, leadership, and sacraments of our church. We are centering the margins of the Church.

screenshot of Zoom participant leaders at Juniper Formation from Juniper Formation

Our Team

  • Rev. Javon Elisea Bracy (she/her) is the Minister of Sacred Imagination & Healing with Juniper Formation. She convenes The Gathering, curates the Daily Ripple devotional app, co-facilitates The Spiritual Well, and collaborates with other ministry teams.

    Javon also serves as the Assistant Pastor for Ministry Development and Implementation at New Hope Baptist Church in Denver, a historic Black Baptist congregation where she has ministered in various capacities for eight years.

    In addition to her ministry work, she is a mental health therapist, working toward full licensure. Across all of her roles, Javon’s work is grounded in a desire to accompany others on their journeys toward wholeness.

    She is ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA (2023) and holds a B.A. from Xavier University of Louisiana, a Master of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology, and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Seminary of the Southwest.

    Contact: Javon@juniperformation.org


  • Katelin Champion (she/her) was born in Texas but chose Colorado in 2007 after completing her training with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in Arvada, CO. Katelin received her B.S. in Audio Production from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2018 and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Digital Media Forensics. After planting roots in Colorado, Katelin has been active in the creative community, performing, touring, recording, and creating with local bands and artists such as Alright Alright and Betsy Lay, as well as serving as the worship leader/coordinator for several churches in the Front Range over the last decade. She also has several years of experience in Multimedia Marketing Management, working with UC Denver’s Center for Identity and Inclusion, local non-profits, and church organizations.

    Contact: Katelin@juniperformation.org

  • Bry Brannan (they/them) is the Minister for Land Discernment through their Iliff School of Theology M.Div. residency. 

    Bry accompanies congregations discerning ways to utilize their Land and buildings for community flourishing and intergenerational resilience. In 2026 they are launching a new ministry, the Root & Reckon Community of Practice for Rocky Mountain congregations who are reckoning with racism and colonization through Land stories. Reach out if you are interested in learning more!

    Bry is finishing their MDiv at Iliff School of Theology where they focused on ecotheology and decolonizing congregational leadership. They were formed as a faith community organizer while working with the Church Council of Greater Seattle, the Southwest WA Synod of the ELCA and collaborating with the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, and Farmworker Ministry Northwest. Their B.A. is from Pacific Lutheran University where they studied Global Studies, Political Science, and Spanish.

    Bry Brannan lives in the Clear Creek Watershed (Golden, CO) with their family and is a descendant of European Methodist and Catholic settlers. They enjoy community gardening, hikes and learning all about geological timescales. 

    Contact: bry@juniperformation.org 

headshot of Jenny Whitcher (she/her)
  • Rev. Dr. Jenny Whitcher (she/her) is the Minister of Prophetic Formation co-founder of Juniper Formation.

    Jenny is an entrepreneurial minister, community organizer, and theologian committed to social justice. She has over 20 years of experience coaching and mentoring leaders, teaching, and developing community partnerships. Her work spans nonprofit, congregations, and higher education. Her areas of expertise include: change management; entrepreneurial and prophetic ministry formation; democratic culture, leadership, and pedagogy; and social change theory and practice.

    She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC) and was the recipient of the Peacemaker Award from the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ in 2006. She has a B.A. from New York University, an M.A. in International Human Rights from the University of Denver, and a Ph.D. in Religion and Theological Studies from Iliff School of Theology & University of Denver. (full bio)

    Contact: Jenny@juniperformation.org

  • Rev. Dr. Jason Whitehead (he/him) works with Juniper Formation’s Spirit-Led Accompaniment Circles (SLAC), Spiritual Well online course, and congregational accompaniment program. He is the Lead Curator at Daily Ripple a collaboration between Juniper Formation and 1001 New Worshiping Communities in the PC(USA). Jason is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. He is curious about the intersections of psychology, mental well-being, and theology. He has both taught and worked as part of a formation staff at a theological school, and is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

    Contact: Jason@juniperformation.org

headshot of Rev. Kari Collins (she/her)
  • Coming Soon

    Contact: Kari@juniperformation.org

  • Amanda Creek was raised in Central Florida but recently moved to Pennsylvania in 2018. She has a Bachelor’s in Studio Art from the University of South Florida, a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design and a Master’s in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University, as well as an MFA from Southern New Hampshire University in Creative Writing.

    As a part of Juniper Formation’s storytelling team, Amanda loves to help with web design and marketing. She also works for an archives and museum part-time helping in the same capacity, as well as for a course creation agency as a Client Marketing Specialist and Instructional Designer. She has over 12 years of entrepreneurial experience as a freelance graphic and web designer, as well as a marketing consultant.

    Contact: Amanda@juniperformation.org

  • Coming Soon

  • Candace Woods (she/her) serves as our Minister of Gender + Sexuality Liberation. She holds a Master's in Divinity from Iliff School of Theology with a certificate in Social Justice + Ethics. She spends her days doing work around the wild intersections of gender and sexuality, faith and spirituality, and bodies and nature. Personally, Candace lives in Colorado Springs with her partner, dogs, chickens, and a beehive on a little urban farmstead. She loves to be outside, whether hiking, foraging for medicinal plants, or in the garden, and she also loves connecting in community over coffee or a beer, dreaming up how to cocreate the future with God and her neighbors.

    Contact: candace@juniperformation.org