Sister Chris Schenk has worked as a nurse midwife to low-income families, a community organizer, a writer, and the founding director of an international church reform organization, FutureChurch. Currently she writes an award-winning column "Simply Spirit" for the National Catholic Reporter.   Schenk’s forthcoming book Crispina and Her Sisters: Women and Authority in Early Christianity details original research into iconic motifs of female authority found in early Christian art and archaeology. Published by Fortress Press, the book will be available in late 2017 or early 2018.  She created and led pilgrimages to Rome sites of women leaders in early Christianity in 2006, 2007, 2013, and 2014.  Schenk is one of three nuns featured in the award-winning documentary Radical Grace. The film chronicles the sisters’ passion to transform patriarchy and work for justice in both church and society. 

In October 2013, Schenk stepped down from her position as the founding director of FutureChurch, an international coalition of parish centered Catholics working for full participation of all Catholics in the life of the Church. She led the organization from 1990-2013 and worked to transform a diocesan network of 28 parish councils and 100 parish leaders into an international organization of over 3500 parish-centered activists reflecting the values of Vatican II.   A Sister of St. Joseph, Sr. Chris formerly worked as a nurse midwife in Cleveland for 20 years. In 1980 she helped to organize a successful statewide coalition to expand Medicaid coverage to include pregnant low-income women and their children. Schenk credits her community organizing expertise to Cesar Chavez and United Farm Workers Union with whom she worked in the early 1970s as an interfaith coordinator.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University and holds two Masters degrees, one in science from Boston College and an MA in Theology "with distinction" from St. Mary's Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Cleveland.