Claire is a native of Raleigh, NC, and counts Hayes Barton UMC as her home church. Claire earned a BA in Religion and Psychology from Meredith College and an M.Div. degree from Duke Divinity School and has been serving churches since 1987. She has served as an associate, solo, and Sr. Pastor and has served churches in rural, small-town, and suburban settings. Most recently, served as Lead Pastor at First UMC Graham.
She has ministry passions for preaching and for leading churches to go outside the walls to meet God. She believes the gospel is beautiful and desires that all people experience God’s gracious welcome. Beyond the local church, she has served on the Executive Committee of the NC Council of Churches, on the board of UNC Wesley Campus Ministry, as chair of the Corridor District DCOM, and in various other roles in the NC Annual Conference. She has been a presenter at the Wild Goose Festival since 2012.
Claire’s daughter, Cat Clyburn, and Cat’s husband, Jun Yang, are also pastors at the NC Conference. She enjoys her grandchild, reading, music, gardening, cooking, traveling, and time with friends.