Rev. Michelle D. Hughes is a Congregational Revitalization Specialist. She now offers consultant services through Hughes Church Consulting. Rev. Hughes recently ended her tenure at the start of 2022, where she served as Project Director for a Lilly Foundation project, the Thriving Pastors In Revitalizing Congregations Program for the Illinois Conference United Church of Christ. This multi-layered program consists of 38 churches throughout the state.

Rev. Hughes was formerly Associate Conference Minister for the Illinois Conference. Her program areas were Vitality, Stewardship, and Transformation.

Prior to that call, Rev. Hughes served as Interim Minister at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Oak Park, Il, and as Associate Conference Minister for Transitions in the Connecticut Conference, in Hartford, Ct. . Rev. Hughes has served the Illinois Conference Michelle as an Intentional Interim Minister (First Church of Lombard, and The Congregational Church of Park Manor) and as Vice President of the UCC Illinois Conference Council. Rev. Hughes also served Elmhurst College as Associate Chaplain; as faculty for the Chicago Semester; and as part of the faculty for SCUPE (The Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education).

In her secular ministry, Rev. Hughes has provided consultant services to the Chicago Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The University of Illinois Hospital, the Children’s Place Association, and the Chicago Housing Authority. A champion for justice; she has served as project director for the statewide advocacy organization, PROTESTANTS FOR THE COMMON GOOD, as well as worked for the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office and the National Rainbow Coalition.

A seasoned trainer, Rev. Hughes, founded Hughes & Associates Consulting, which specialized in pre-employment and personal development training.

This graduate of Chicago Theological Seminary is a Chicago native and is the mother of two adults, Nia Randall, and Joshua Wade.