Not many American cities have a seminary-trained mayor.
Roanoke, Virginia, is one such city. The Rev. Dr. Joe Cobb, who took office in January 2025 after serving on the city council and as vice mayor, earned a doctorate at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and a Master of Divinity at the Perkins School of Theology in Dallas.
Cobb was the guest as part of CTS’s recent “What Comes Next: Addressing Politics as the Church” webinar series. Dr. Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics at CTS, asked Cobb a number of questions before inviting webinar participants to do the same.
Cobb moved to Roanoke in 2001 after surrendering his United Methodist Church credentials when he came out as a gay pastor. He soon found Roanoke to be “a place I could be open and authentic in my real self.” He called his community a place “where people genuinely believe Roanoke is a welcoming and open community.” Cobb directed a local chapter of Family Promise and worked for the Roanoke Symphony. He was ordained into the Metropolitan Community Church and served two congregations, one in Roanoke.
Eight years ago, Cobb had “a cathartic moment. I realized my work as a pastor was coming to an end but felt called to expand my work in social justice, equity and equality.”
A friend who was running for city council said Cobb’s work uplifted marginalized communities, “and she just kept hounding me about running.” He announced a run for city council in January 2018, and as the top vote-getter became Roanoke’s vice mayor, the first time he’d ever held public office. Four years later, he won a second term as vice mayor, then won a close race for mayor in 2024.
Many Roanoke residents see Cobb as a chaplain for the city, or its public theologian. “That’s partly due to my calling, but also how I am present in my life, the city and the world,” Cobb said. “Twenty-four years ago, I could have never imagined the path I was called to and led on during the course of my life.”
Roanoke is blessed by “a deep commitment from faith communities to be engaged in the community,” Cobb said. Roanoke was one of seven cities to receive a grant to do work on segregation, which historically has been its pattern, Cobb said. “We are a multicultural city, and we came together to hear about the history of segregation and began to build relationships to talk about how we could change that narrative.” During the process, “a number of faith communities stepped up and said, ‘we want to be part of this, and we want to address the segregation that might have been a part of our own history.” PC(USA) congregations in Roanoke have been at the forefront of pulpit exchanges and Bible studies with the goal of de-segregating Roanoke’s faith communities, he said.
Douglas asked Cobb, “Given the significance of relationships in your work, what are the impediments you’ve encountered?”
“There is some of that,” Cobb said. When he was seeking his first job in Roanoke, two interviewers asked him why he would want to move to Roanoke. “It was said in a way of ‘why would anyone want to move to Roanoke?’” Cobb told Douglas. The obvious reason was to be closer to his children, but on the city council and now as mayor, “we have to find a pathway to reconciliation, new possibilities and new perspectives.” Faith communities have played a big role bringing that about, he said, as has the city council.
“When people get angry, they can just cancel you. I just have to let them be in that space,” he said. “It’s not about me. It’s about something going on in their life that they have lost control over or power over. They may project that out on me or the city. … Ultimately, it is about recognizing that we are all vulnerable and that ultimately we don’t have control over everything. We do find purpose and meaning recognizing who we are as God’s beloved people. One of our greatest callings is to be in relationship with each other, even if that means giving people space.”
Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service Click here to read original PNS Story)
Let us join in prayer for:
Katherine Babicz, AVP Financial & Investment Planning Professional, Trust Services, Presbyterian Foundation
Nora Baez, lead reservation specialist, Stony Point Center, Interim Unified Agency
Let us pray:
Gracious God, please strengthen all who serve the common good. When anger rises, grant patience. When divisions feel deep, grant wisdom. When vulnerability feels heavy, remind us that we are your beloved people, called into relationship with one another. Amen.
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