Life & Work with Celeste Frazier of Creve Coeur - VoyageSTL

Today we’d like to introduce you to Celeste Frazier.

Hi Celeste, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today? Celeste A. Frazier was born on the South side of Chicago to Fred and Hallie, a police officer and an administrative professional. Celeste’s higher education was in Texas, in Europe and in Los Angeles. Celeste wrote over a dozen scripts for the stage, television and film. Celeste’s direction of her script “A Dream Deferred” garnered an award from the Black American Cinema Society and is available in the Special Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. Her time in the entertainment industry led her to Agape International Spiritual Center and Michael Beckwith, where she studied Religious Science, became a practitioner, and a minister. Her poetry, short stories and essays are in various publications. Celeste is an ordained New Thought minister who has pastored three communities (two in Chicago, one in California) and is now on her fourth senior minister position at CSL St. Louis. Prior to coming to St. Louis, Celeste was the associate minister at Unity of Washington DC. She is a visioning facilitator, a social activist and a diversity trainer. Rev. Celeste’s books include “In Spirit, In Love”, “Divine Work Play” and “Common Miracles Frequent Illusions” and are available on Amazon. Other books where she is a contributing author include “Works of Heart”, produced by the Affiliated New Thought Network), and other compilations. Celeste has been a contributing writer to several e-zines and spiritual magazines. She is a Center for Spiritual Living ordained minister, an inspirational speaker, and the stimulating podcaster of Mystic Magic, which can be found on most podcast venues. Rev. Celeste currently serves as the Senior Minister at Center for Spiritual Living St. Louis. She is a warm counselor, a visioning facilitator and a passionate teacher and healer who seeks to reveal your Divine Light. Celeste has directed outreach ministries, is a performer, producer, director, author and produced screenwriter. Celeste is the event coordinator and producer of “Celebrating Our Soul”: A New Thought Conference by People of African Descent in 2022, 2024 and soon, 2026. She facilitates in person and online diversity, equity and inclusion conversations. Her books “In Spirit, In Love”, “Divine Work Play” are on Audible and Kindle. She is a native of Chicago, solidifying her as a Midwest woman. Her website is celestefrazier.com

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect? As an actress, I ran into racism. It wasn’t my first racial hurt (the most memorial one being on Halloween in Chicago as a child when we went to the wrong house). However, it was my first during theatrical training. As a filmmaker, I encountered it as an obstacle to getting film distribution. As a minister, you are the savior and the accused. Somehow the blame always finds its way to the minister. You give thanks for the times when people’s lives are changed and they appreciate you. Other times, you become the scapegoat of their insecurities. It is still the most fulfilling work I have ever done. I have been an activist, but it got scary in the current administration before leaving DC. Coming to St. Louis, a red state, there are now more barriers to free speech during these times.

The challenges are varied in terms of navigating what people need to hear during different crises, juxtaposed in the environment where folks come to church to forget about those things. In a Black church, the outside life is part of the sermon. It was that very activity that started in the church that led to the Civil Rights Act. In less-segregated denominations, many want to leave the other stuff outside, and just talk the spiritual. As an activist, who is not afraid of being boots on the ground to solve the problems of the community, it is challenging to compartmentalize. So, the minister’s job may be to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. However, as one of many gifts, I usually find a way to satisfy myself – if not everyone else. I work for God!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do? As a metaphysician with a Catholic, Baptist and African Methodist Episcopal background, I get to bridge the experience talked about in olden days with current day realities and opportunities. My go to is always about the glory of God in and as our lives. Despite many challenges we face, we are always being set up for a comeback. There is a genius about how God uses us to help others by teaching us how to help ourselves. We are so grateful for the overcoming of our individual challenges, we are motivated to help others. At least, it’s that way for me. Community outreach for me is a natural progression of that faith and triumph.

Although I am not a fan of the crucifix, I do use the experiences of suffering as a backdrop sometimes to overcome challenges. We are New Thought, and although it’s based on Ancient Wisdom, we are not subjugated to “old thought” ways of worshipping and communing with God. New Thought started in the early 20th century with the Transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and creatives who know how palpable the presence of God is. We of Centers for Spiritual Living are an international organization and our message transcends the orthodox and keeps us present with current challenges. We don’t rely on one text, but several texts, including contemporary authors. We know that by changing our thinking, we can change our lives.

What does success mean to you? Wow! Success is discovering talents in yourself. Success is getting recognized as someone knowledgeable, but more importantly, someone who is helpful to others. Success is finding new ways to reach people to understand the Presence that is never an absence. Success is healing from old wounds that have stymied us and limited our choices in the past. Success is discovering growth opportunities instead of seeing them as daunting obstacles. Success is working diligently at accomplishing something that is not merely physical but has a transformative impact on others. Success is helping people learn to love themselves. Success is bridging barriers that seemed impossible to accomplish. Success is getting someone to smile who couldn’t find it on their own. Success is getting better at what you do. And for me, that includes, interacting with people, growing in compassion, thinking before acting/reacting and considering the outcome as something that works for everyone. Success is recognizing my areas where I have grown. Success is being a better person than I used to be. Success is growing out of bias and embracing possibilities. Success is choosing to be the best person you can be.

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https://voyagestl.com/interview/life-work-with-celeste-frazier-of-creve-coeur