Breanna Lathrop, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC
CCHF Board Secretary
COO, Good Samaritan Health Center, Atlanta
Tell us about God's specific call on your life for the gospel and care for the poor.
As a high school student growing up in the Midwest, I volunteered at a free clinic operating one night a week in the basement of a church. As I watched the providers caring for those who attended the clinic, I was filled with excitement and hope. Their work aligned with my understanding of Jesus from the Gospels, loving and healing God’s creation. I went to school and started working in charitable clinics, first a secular clinic and now a faith-based clinic. This work has also set me on a lifelong journey of understanding inequity and the systems of oppression in place that make this work necessary. Providing health care is not only my way of living out the Gospel, but also the space in which God continues to humble me, encourage me, and grow me.
How has being involved in CCHF impacted your life?
When I attended my first CCHF conference, I entered as a skeptic, yet found myself surrounded by people who were genuinely seeking to follow God and grow in their capacity to love others. I found conversations around racism and equity, prayer, and deep friendships. CCHF is made up of a diverse group of people who bring different religious experiences and backgrounds, but are united in a belief that God loves people and cares about their lives in the here and now. CCHF has become a space of encouragement and inspiration for me, seeing the body of Christ wrestle with hard issues, minister to one another, and seek to better live out God’s desire for his people in their work.
What is your life verse?
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” -Micah 6:8
Tell us about your family.
I am married to my high school sweetheart, Matt, who is also my best friend. He is the art teacher at the elementary academy our children attend. Our three kids, Porter (10), Micah (8), and Selah (5), are our favorites! Porter and Micah are avid skateboarders and like playing guitar and math (we’re not sure where that last one comes from). Selah loves gymnastics and any activity that involves water.
Name three interesting facts about yourself.
1. I co-authored a book in 2019, How Neighborhoods Make Us Sick: Restoring Health and Wellness to Our Communities.
2. I spent most of my childhood doing musical theater and did one infomercial on eating healthy foods.
3. My husband and I started going to the same church when we were 3 and started dating when we were 16.