Executive Director, Minister Renee Y. Lee (affectionately called Pastor Renee) is an accomplished leader and preacher. She teaches, facilitates trainings and staff retreats for organizations to promote a spirit of excellence and team building. Under the leadership of Pastor Renee, the outreach ministry of theROSE has accomplished reaching over 1525 women and men providing counseling, seminars and retreats for individuals in treatment and shelter settings. Through retreats such as “No Greater Love” and “The Sacred Heart,” and community seminars such as “Raising the Altitude of Your Attitude” and “Beyond Dependence to Deliverance” the ROSE has infused hope to women and men who have been spiritually broken through addiction, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.

Her passion for teaching and bringing hope to people lies in her belief that we are “one body, one faith, and one baptism.” She is a strong advocate of the ecumenical movement that promotes the Body of Christ to move beyond doctrine and religiosity toward reconciliation and healing. Her commitment to community lies in her strong belief that we must give to the least of those who do not have and that the greatest expression of self-love is shown in our ability to love others unconditionally.

Pastor Renee answered her call to ministry in 1997. She has over thirty years of administrative experience in the field of social services working with developmentally disabled adults, dual diagnosis and chemically dependent populations as a vocational manager, pastoral counselor, clinician and program director. She is an Illinois State Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and holds a 40 Certificate of Training in Domestic Violence. She earned a Masters of Social Work degree from Loyola University, and Bachelor of Arts from Northeastern Illinois University. She is a graduate of Living Word Christian Center School of Ministry. She is licensed and ordained through Faith Ministers Alliance under Pastor William Winston.

The foundation of her spiritual formation is her belief that we be a prepared people academically for ministry and leadership. Her heart for ministry lies in her desire to see women and families free from the bondage and provided the necessary resources to break the cycle of generational and systemic social ills of addiction, mental health, incarceration, family violence and poverty. She is a strong advocate for family based treatment and serves as a board member for the National Association of Addiction & Drug Abuse Counselors, member of the Illinois Certification Board Training of Leaders Committee and serves as a member of several professional organizations.