Anna Piela named editor of The Christian Citizen
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 01/23/2026)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) is pleased to announce that Rev. Dr. Anna Piela, a talented scholar-minister and Polish immigrant whose life and work have bridged cultures, disciplines, and faith communities, is the new editor of The Christian Citizen. She succeeds Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, who served as editor for 20 years and oversaw the transition of the magazine from a print to a digital-first publication.
Piela joined ABHMS in 2023 as a senior writer, collaborating with staff and ministry partners to tell stories showcasing the impactful mission of the organization through the work of its diverse ministries. Her role expanded in 2024 to include responsibilities as associate editor of The Christian Citizen.
An ordained American Baptist minister, Piela brings a background rooted in both scholarship and congregational ministry to her position as editor. Before discerning a call to ordained leadership, she taught religious studies in the United Kingdom and conducted research on religion and gender, with particular attention to Muslim women’s religious expression and interfaith engagement. Her academic training includes a Ph.D. from the University of York; a master’s degree in social research methods from the Open University in the U.K.; and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and journalism from Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland.
After completing theological studies at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, Piela was ordained by Lake Street Church of Evanston. She currently serves as co-associate regional minister for white and multicultural churches in the American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago, where she supports congregations navigating transition and discernment. She also co-leads Challenging Islamophobia Together Chicagoland, an interfaith network addressing anti-Muslim bias through education, relationship-building, and public engagement.
“Anna brings a steady editorial hand, deep theological curiosity, and an instinct for asking the right questions at the right time,” said Ramsey-Lucas, director of Marketing & Communications for ABHMS. “She understands the history of The Christian Citizen and has a clear sense of how it can continue to serve the church and the wider public as ABHMS’ public witness publication.”
Piela’s editorial approach is shaped by a conviction that careful storytelling can widen moral imagination. In her work with ABHMS, she has sought out narratives that reflect the lived realities of ministry, particularly in communities shaped by cultural differences and social change. “ABHMS’ work is broad and complex,” Piela said. “My goal is to communicate the extraordinary in what may seem ordinary.”
As editor, she will guide The Christian Citizen as it continues examining how Christian discipleship informs public responsibility, including questions of religious freedom, immigration, interfaith relationships, and social equity. In addition to her editorial work, Piela is a regular contributor to Religion News Service, writing on Islam and Christianity, women in ministry, and religion in Eastern Europe.
Piela’s appointment coincides with the release this month of her latest scholarly work. She and her husband, Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf, co-authored “Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice” (Judson Press), which offers congregations practical liturgical resources for addressing anti-Muslim prejudice as a matter of Christian discipleship.
Visit The Christian Citizen online to learn more about this publication and subscribe.
To order “Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice,” visit the publisher’s website at judsonpress.com.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations in the United States, with approximately 5,000 congregations and 1.3 million members across the United States and Puerto Rico.
