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Julie Webb
Julie Webb is an animal pastor. Courtesy of Julie Webb
Pastor Julie Webb’s enthusiastic and genuine smile captivates you and is one of the first things you note upon seeing her. She exudes a calm demeanor which, no doubt helps in her work as a part-time pastor at Galilee Lutheran Church, Kelseyville and as an Animal Pastor. Webb believes that both human and animal communication is all about connection; and her jobs give her great joy, since it’s her belief that we are all connected.
Julie Webb
Horse, Yogi, with animal pastor Julie Webb. Courtesy of Julie Webb
In Webb’s ministry to animals, such as pets and horses that may be in need of some TLC due to stress, illness or trauma she practices with care and a calming attitude.
“It was very clear that Julie connected so beautifully with both of my beloved cats,” wrote Margi Grebel Negy in a testimonial about Webb. “She described each of their personalities precisely and gave me valuable insight into the dynamics of their interactions. She also was able to share helpful insight into their individual needs and ways to further facilitate a harmonious household. I really appreciated the additional resources she offered as well.”
“If we get still and quiet we can notice information that’s available and it can translate itself in our brain into something we can recognize,” said Webb. “She enthuses that she utilizes her decadeslong pastoral experience in a myriad of ways, such as energy work, teaching, grief support and animal communication, and stresses that there is no need for individuals to hold a faith tradition to collaborate with her.
At the risk of wondering aloud if her ministry practice with animals is simply too woo-woo for a person to wrap their head around, it’s Webb’s belief that it all happens when we slow down to listen, and that many others across history have talked to animals such as St. Francis of Assisi, and indigenous people who intuit their surrounding from living on ancestral lands over time, etc. She feels that language is not always necessary in order to communicate. Think: feelings, pictures or the written word. Webb said, ” Anybody can do what I have learned to do, if you’re willing to practice by getting very centered and quiet inside.”
Originally from the Pacific northwest, she lives in Clearlake Riveria. Webb is an ordained Lutheran (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) pastor and Mercy Associate and has served for over two decades in a wide variety of ministry settings such as jails, hospitals etc.
In 2006 she served as associate pastor of Napa Valley Lutheran Church for 14 years, through the end of 2019, alongside colleague David Hamilton.
Lyme disease and exposure to mold have slowed her down a tad, but regardless, she manages to pack a lot into a day. For example, Lakeport Rotarians welcomed her earlier this year for a lunchtime talk via Zoom, and, on occasion teaches weekend retreats for lay preachers.
During a presentation she gave at last summer’s Wild Church Network retreat in Paris, Ontario, Canada, workshop attendees listened to her cat, Bella who was back home in Lake County. Next they received feedback about the accuracy of what they “heard’ from Bella. With her guidance, folks were able to gain insight into her cat’s personality and learn how to ‘listen’ more fully to their own pets.
Losing a beloved pet can sometimes feel as though a family member has died since pets often live long lives and have an impact on their owners in a variety of positive ways throughout their lives. Because of that, Webb offers pet loss grief support, which has helped many through a euthanasia appointment, and other forms of bereavement support. Then, she offers support by listening, counseling or other means of aid with or without words of prayer.
In order to more fully understand Webb’s work, she recommends listening to The Telepathy Tapes podcast. “A documentarian ends up traveling along a path very similar to mine, including the research of Cambridge scholar Rupert Sheldrake, and the elephants of Thula Thula whom I visited last year with Joan Ranquet,” said Webb. “But the documentarian enters it through the abilities of non-speaking people with autism.”
Webb explained that visiting the elephants of Thula Thula with Joan Ranquet, animal communicator, energy healer, author, TEDx speaker and founder of Communication with all Life University was a wonderful wildlife encounter that is important in raising awareness of animal welfare issues and deepens a human sense of connection in the natural world.
Webb finds it fascinating and interesting that when she communicates with her own pets they end up in a calm state. Webb said of a recent trip to the veterinarian with her cats, “My two cats like to be warned when a curve in the road is coming, and when it’s ending. I hear way more complaints when I don’t provide this information as we go.”
Communication, it seems, is key.
To learn more visit animalpastor.org